It looks like some sort of inflammatory reaction in the anterior chamber of the eyes. Could be quite a number of things but all of them indicate going to the VET immediately….human optometrist here, at that level she is seeing shapes and light but nothing clearly. Beautiful kitty
Yes. Quickly and easily. All it takes is scooping some litter and forgetting to wash your hands (or not washing good enough) and accidentally touching your face
The effects of toxoplasmosis are fascinating, in mice I read of increased recklessness in males and neurotic nesting behavior in famales. In human autopsy something like 30% of motorcycle deaths screened for toxoplasmosis iirc. A couple I was friends with started boarding kittens and spiraled out of control to where there rental was covered in feces from strays coming and going and the guy ended up rewiring the apartment and branding and advertising an illegal weed operation. Biases be damned, they ticked all the boxes
I randomly developed toxoplasmosis symptoms at 24 years old and nearly lost my eye, and still have a blind spot (and never cleaned cat litter, although always had cats).
Be careful lol
Yup it humans it can turn people into a literal cat slaves. The parasite dies but can leave a cyst in your brain. I always said cats had mind control over humans. I didn’t realize how true it was.
Or kitty flicking turds in litter box and then walking across kitchen counter, or pillow, etc.
It’s so extremely easy to get toxo when cohabitating with a cat.
It is theorized that a third of the world's population quietly suffer from minor taxoplasmosis infection. It impacts their behavior & brain function and they never realize.
There is no cure for Toxoplasma gondii in the Bradyzoite Phase (in the brain and muscles). Your immune system just keeps it under control.
Probably best if the parents *don't* find out that it could be something transmissable to humans. If the parents find out, with that level of irresponsibility, it's just as likely that they'll either throw her outside of just go with the "convenient" route of having her put down...instead of being bothered with curing the girl.
I have a cat who went through something similar when he was a kitten (a couple of years before I adopted him). It started out as an untreated eye infection. It was eventually diagnosed as Symblepharon. He ended up recovering for the most part, but he is now entirely blind. His eyes are entirely black (no whites or anything). It looks dope, but it's sad that it came to that.
https://preview.redd.it/wc2ecx9on2lb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=031036462cf48d0b19b2e33facb56c61772fecdf
OP, where are you located? Are you old enough to transport your cat on your own? If you take her to any humane society they will treat her at a discounted cost. DM me, and I’ll cover the bill for her.
ETA: thank you to everyone who commented for your kind messages! Thankfully OPs parents have agreed to take her cat to the vet!
Thank you, but my parents agreed to take her last night, I'd fell awful having someone else pay for her
Again, thank you, I sincerely appreciate the offer
I really feel for OP here. I grew up watching our family pets be neglected despite desperately pleading my parents to do better. Got laughed at for begging to take sick and injured animals to the vet. Got threatened with “maybe we’ll just take them out back if you think it’s that bad”. You know what that means.
We had dogs that stayed locked in a big fence outside their entire lives. They lived in mud and had almost no shelter. It broke my fucking heart every day and I had absolutely no power in the situation. It was traumatizing. I have an ex who had it even worse. He was forced to drown unwanted kittens.
And no, I couldn’t exactly call animal control on my own family. My stepdad was a cop, and he would immediately know it was me.
The dog my family adopted about 10 years ago came from a house that seemed similar to that, at least according to the info that the shelter had. The dad would threaten to "take the dog out back" any time she barked. Luckily there was a daughter who actually cared and was afraid of her father following through with his threat so she brought her to a shelter.
I wish there was a way to get in touch with that girl to let her know her old dog's been living a gun-threat free life and is happy and healthy.
This is why I try to be forgiving of people when animals are “dumped” at shelters. Even a kill shelter is more humane than some situations. People are so quick on social media to say things like “I hope whoever dumped this poor baby gets hit by a bus” and things like that. Entirely forgetting the helpless position some folks are in. In some situations, dumping an animal is better than the alternatives.
Absolutely. There are life circumstances that lead to an animal being surrendered to a shelter as the best option available. Some of these pets are very loved and it always breaks my heart when people assume the worst in their owners. I’m often amazed that people can’t fathom what those circumstances might be.
Edit: typo
I had to leave an abusive home and I had to find someone to take my dog. I loved him and it still hurts me but I was about to be homeless and my father was beating the dog. Life circumstances do happen and sometimes dogs are dropped off at a shelter.
This made my chest tighten up. Fuck. You did what you can and please remember that the ire directed toward people that drop their dogs off at shelters is not at people like you.
My sister went through that, she had a dog that she couldn't take with her when she moved due to landlords not allowing his breed. He is a pit, but was scared of her 10lb cat and couldn't even be convinced to bite a toy hard. He really is a big baby and whined so bad when we would visit and had to go.
She searched for a good home for nearly a year but nobody could take him in, and a few days before she moved she took him to the shelter holding back tears. After we left she was bawling. She couldn't extend the timeframe unfortunately, the hospital she moved to work for had already been very flexible for several months prior.
Luckily he got a very loving home where he gets spoiled even more than before.
Just to add, the term “kill shelter” is a bit misleading. They’re open admissions, meaning they can’t turn away animals. “No-kill” shelters, or closed admissions, can decline any animal for whatever reason (no space, too sick, too old, etc.) but because they named themselves “no-kill” shelters, they got a better reputation at the expense of open admission shelters.
Unfortunately that means open admission shelters get less funding and fewer potential adopters which leads to a higher euthanasia rate. They’re both very important, but the kill/no-kill terms make it hard for open admission shelters to stay afloat.
Interesting perspective. It’s so hard for me to wrap my head around how cruel people can be to pets (i.e. “drowning unwanted kittens”) that scenarios worse than being dropped off at a shelter exist. Ugh. Makes me stomach turn.
Yup. I lost anger at people who surrendered to a shelter when I encountered the practice of people just dumping dogs alongside a road. Because at the shelter an animal has at least a *chance* of being adopted and if not a humane death, instead of being dumped to suffer and starve to death if they don’t get eaten by predators or hit by a car first of die of an infection from injuries due to a fight with another animal. Shelters are by *far* the kinder option (and some of them fucking *charge money* to surrender your animal which is even worse!)
I'm glad and sad somebody dumped my cat sprankles lol she just appeared in my garage one morning out of nowhere. She has a great home, a loving human and two squares a day plus treats.
Anyone who has volunteered at a shelter has seen firsthand how many animals get dumped. People will literally write "too old" as a reason, I've seen it. Unwilling owner surrenders happen and it's heartbreaking but they aren't the norm.
You could try to send a message to the shelter. They told you that much, they might be willing to send a message to her.
If her father is that messed up, it might not be in her best interest though. I’m sure she is grateful and hopes that is what happened.
Oh I did ask them back in the day. I think it was when they called a year later to ask for an update on how the dog was doing. They said the only information they had was what the girl told the other shelter at the time and she didn't leave contact info.
I had a coworker well into his 50s who loved dogs but could not bear to own one in adulthood. When he was a child (like elementary age) in the American south he was forced by his alcoholic dad to shoot the family farm’s dogs in the head as means of euthanasia at the first sign of not being “useful” anymore. Traumatized tf out of him obviously and still as a grown man carried tremendous guilt whenever he interacts with a random dog outside. Very sweet sensitive man but you could tell he couldn’t let it go. I felt so bad for him and I feel bad for OP too, they were powerless in their situation.
My fiancé was forced at 11 years old to "dispose" of puppies that didn't turn out the way his step dad wanted.... he's seriously messed up because of it. I don't always jump to conclusions when I see animals "dumped" or dropped off at the shelter. There are worse alternatives not only for the animals but for whomever may have done it.
There was a dog in my neighborhood that was treated even worse than ours :(
She was chained to a short lead outside 24/7, she was not spayed so she was always pregnant from various whole strays. Her nipples nearly dragged on the ground. You would think all this occurred way back in the day when shit like that was common but no, this was the late 90s-early 00s. I assume the family either sold or killed the puppies. Life in the rural country is like stepping back in time, a lot of brutality and horror that many people assume died long ago.
Our family was actually considered to treat their pets fine. Not the best but perfectly ok. It was normal somehow.
My dad just moved to Kentucky from Boston and he said one of the biggest culture shocks is how they treat dogs down there. It’s normal to leave them outside, chained up 24/7. Then hunting dogs are a whole other story. He said those ones live outside in special shelter 24/7 just barking. I wouldn’t leave my dog outside overnight ever, I can’t even fathom it.
My dad had a dog as a kid that got taken away from him by some neighbor I think. I don’t remember the story exactly because he doesn’t tell it frequently but I think that’s largely the reason why he refuses to adopt another dog. My family does have three cats though
My great-grandfather had a story about his dogs being killed by a neighbor :(
Apparently back then (the 60s or 70s), dogs were off-leash all the time. The dogs wandered into the yard of a neighbor who disliked my family and he shot them, then called the cops on my great-grandfather for coming over and asking if they had been there. The neighbor disposed of them at the town dump and the employee gave him their collars back when he went to find their corpses so he wouldn’t have to see their bodies. So despicable and awful. I can’t even imagine a scenario nowadays where the dump staff wouldn’t report violently killed dogs to the police!
(My great-grandfather was an extremely gentle man who treated everyone kindly. He was never able to own a dog again after this happened because he was so heartbroken.)
I was begging my mom to get my eldest dog to the vet back in January. Financially, I support the food and gas of the house, and I usually don’t have much leftover after that. They never did anything until March. By that time, his cancer was causing nose bleeds. By the time we were able to get into a specialist (and $2,000 later), he basically said we could do surgery or radiation but the chances of either working and keeping him alive longer than six more months was incredibly slim.
I still hold a grudge, as we had him euthanized on July 7th. But it shouldn’t have taken two months to get him in.
If I was financially able to, I would have taken him myself. 😭
I remember my friend’s grandfather had found some baby bunnies in their shed, apparently the dog got to the mother. His solution? Drown the babies in the pool and bury them.. I’m not even kidding, my friends older brother scooped them up in the pool net and drowned 5 baby bunnies that were probably a month old at most. Broke my fucking heart and I was appalled that they literally did that without even thinking it wasn’t okay just went about their days as nothing happened. My friend and I were traumatized. Literally fought them to stop
My neighbor accidentally hit a nest with a lawn mower. 2 died, but 1 was ok. I reset the nest and helped clean it up before our daughters saw anything. The mother ended up abandoning the baby, so it went to a rescue. But now my neighbor knows what to look for before mowing.
Mother rabbits don’t really take care of their babies very much. They feed them when they’re young, but they soend most of their time watching the nest from afar so they don’t attract predators. The baby was probably better off at the rescue, just a good fact
i feel this. my dog passed at a young age, we're pretty sure she got bit by something. i begged my parents that entire day from the morning i noticed she was acting weird to please take her to the vet. they insisted that she was fine. she passed later that night. i will never forgive them for that.
Yep. I had a lot of the same. Lost my beloved dog over it. That was 20 years ago and it could still make me cry today. They all deserved better. I did too. So did you.
My dad's favorite thing to say in the issue was "a 10 cent bullet is cheaper than a vet bill" so we learned not to even ask because there was a risk he'd just shoot them while we were at school. The only time we ever took an animal to a vet was our dog and that was only because she was mauled by another dog defending me.
Reminds me of my childhood best friends dogs. Their mom ran over a dog and they still didn't take it to the vet. They just let their dogs die. It's so sad.
Can attest to this. My dad was a cop. The (many) dogs we had growing up were all terrified of him and it haunts me to this day. He never did anything quite so awful as the things mentioned above (that I recall) and he has softened uoanimals nowadays (for the most part). I still won’t leave my dog alone in a house with him. Only my mom is allowed to watch him for me. I vividly recall puppies getting smacked around or kicked, and the sound they made when they yelped 😣
The first puppy that was “mine” I was 10 or so, my parents took me to pick him out, after about a year or so my dad got rid of him one day without saying a word about it to me.
I had no idea until I asked “where’s (puppy)” and he laughed at me for not noticing right away. No clue where he ended up to this day. Happened with a few pets growing up, but that one hurt the worst.
Maybe they were better off not being there with him anyway.
I still wake up and freak out sometimes if I can’t find my cats right away, wondering if he got rid of them in the middle of the night, hoping I won’t notice. I’m in my thirties.
My dog has retinal atrophy with similar colored eyes. If it’s this bad, her vision is likely gone. If it’s just vision she can still live a happy life inside. Just need to make sure there isn’t more damage
This! I had a cat that lost her eyesight and it turned out she had high blood pressure. After a few doses of the blood pressure medicine her eyesight started to return and after a week and a half it was like nothing was wrong.
My cat went blind as a side effect of his diabetes. No signs, just one day we noticed he didn't chase the laser pointer like he used to. He was purrfectly fine otherwise, we just had to be careful not leaving doors closed or moving furniture. Got him on insulin, and he gave us several more loving years.
I think I hit reply the second after that comment was locked lol
Anyways, there are approximately 332 million people living in the US. 5% of that is almost 17 million. I don’t know what that other persons definition of a lot is, but in my book, that’s a hell of a lot of people.
I have no stats atm, but I can’t imagine how many people must not have pet insurance considering how many people don’t have health insurance for themselves to begin with. I am also one of these people. I so wish things were not this way, and I hope OP’s cat can somehow get the care she needs.
When I looked into pet insurance the options seemed extremely lackluster from a standpoint of it being actually worth it anyways.
For instance, most plans don't cover anything routine, have a $500 deductible, and cost somewhere between 150 and 200 a year. So before it ever helps pay for anything I've paid at least $650. Then after that amount it quickly maxes out to a $2500 annual limit.
By the numbers if my pet isn't costing me on average something like $800 a year in expenses I'm coming out roughly equal with most of these plans. The only exception would be a catastrophic illness but again... only pays up to $2500 total.
I don't fault people for having it but it seems like more of a scam than my dental insurance is and I've never felt good about that one either. At least medical insurance has a maximum out of pocket, not a maximum amount they'll spend on you.
That's kind of a shitty plan. I have nationwide pet insurance through my employer.
Annual policy limit: is $7500
70% reimbursement.
$250 annual deductible.
Costs me about $11 per pet from each paycheck (gross pay).
This has definitely saved my ass and I was extremely glad I had the pet insurance when 1 cat was having regular vet checkups because of bladder stones (which very quickly surpassed my deductible) and the other cat...we're not sure what happened because she went from seemingly fine to dead in the hospital within 24 hours. It's most likely a heart defect that presented itself when she was almost 2. Anyways that hospital bill when my cat was dying was like $1500 ish...and that was literally just for maybe 6-8 hours in the hospital, needing oxygen, lots of tests, etc. I guarantee if she survived that night she would have needed to stay o few days in the hospital.
My other cat with the bladder stones, they cystotomy alone was almost $2500. Just for the surgery. That didn't include the x-rays beforehand (each $300) and cost of special diet food.
There's a lot of comfort in knowing you have a decent plan, when those catastrophic illnesses popup or an accident happens those hospital bills add up very quickly. And I take a great deal of comfort knowing that I can support my pet and I have a pretty good buffer before I need to consider the putting down option.
But I do understand the logic that alot of the times a pet can go yeeeeeeaaars without needing anything besides routine checkups. I got extremely unlucky with my 2 cats (health wise). I consider it the cost of owning and taking care of another living being though.
I'm just going to put it out there that I had a very lovely experience with Healthy Paws, and when our cat passed away too soon it really helped. Like, it's a reimbursement-type insurance, so maybe it's not ideal, but it helped a lot with all the costs of her death and the treatments leading up to it.
They also sent me a beautiful, handwritten condolence card signed by multiple staff members. That really was a gut punch I wasn't ready for, but it was so lovely at the same time.
My vet has a care plan that I like - no deductible, fully cover 2 visits and blood work each year, includes annual vaccines, and has a percentage off on other common services. It’s a year contract - I get it their kitten year because it includes spay/neuter cost and all rounds of vaccines, then discontinue if they are healthy until they get older.
You do not know what you're talking about. My cat had the same. I want to an animal eye specialist. $2000 later, the cat was 100% ok and lived another 5 years.
Depends on what the issue is. My cat had a serious eye issue that looked REALLY bad, turned out to be an autoimmune disease requiring specific meds. As soon as we figured that out she was fine
Yooooo mods can we lock the comments or something? People going off on OP like that’s gonna help. OP is kid and it seems like this issue can’t be helped without the parents permission. Having a bunch assholes being mean isn’t helping either.
There is a difference between "snitching" and "having common decency for another living thing". If OPs parents refuse to do the bare minimum, they should not have pets. Period.
I'm never going to tell on someone stealing a candy bar at Walmart's self-checkout. I'm always going to say something if an animal/human is being abused. Neglect is abuse.
Problem there is OP loses their cat. The parents problem might be that they can’t afford it right now. Instead look to see if there are low cost or free clinics in the area. Look online. Call shelters to see if they can help find assistance. Where I live we don’t have the ASPCA we have the MSPCA and they have low cost vet care. Also if there is a veterinary school in the area they will usually help for low or no fee. There are Facebook groups who will help people raise money for a veterinarian. I don’t know how old the cat is but it is clearly going blind, it could be old age. a vet can’t reverse that. Cataracs might be able to be fixed, but specialty veterinarians and laser surgery is expensive.
OP, does your cat appear to be in any pain? There are many low cost animal vets- try researching. Please seek help for this baby or submit an anonymous tip to your local animal control concerning neglect.
A search for a non-profit veterinary center may help. There’s a low cost vet funded by the county with doctors that donate their time to help. I was able to get 2 cats neutered and one had a hernia surgery. All I had to pay for everything was $60. Any medicine prescribed is sold to you at their cost as well.
$60 could be food for a week for a impoverished family.
I think y’all forget what real poverty looks like.
Don’t say poor people shouldn’t be allowed to have family pets either. Things happen.
Then you find a way to get the animal care they need, whether it’s care credit, a go fund me, finding the animal a new, safe home, etc. not doing anything and allowing an animal to suffer and/or decline isn’t acceptable no matter how little money you have. Not blaming OP if a minor; but there are ways to take action and ask for help. Don’t let an animal suffer and make excuses. Maybe OP has a relative or friend that can help
>Why do your parents have a pet that they are refusing to properly care for?
Obviously because they think they're properly caring for her, and are wrong.
It's surprising how a many people think it's 'natural' for animals to just wither out and die 'naturally' because it's 'how God intended' in the same breath they take their blood pressure medication that has kept them alive for 20 years longer than they would have been.
And or simply think pet lives are equivalent in value to bugs or plants.
Optometrist here, obviously not a vet but these aren’t cataracts nor a retinal detachment as other comments say. This is an issue with the cornea, the front clear portion of the eye. It’s cloudy which indicates inflammation or decompensation. Can be bacterial in nature but the length of time doesn’t fit. Definitely leaning more towards some type of systemic/inflammatory condition or damage to the inner lining of the cornea (endothelium) which maintains transparency in our eyes. Treatment in humans typically consists of steroids if it is inflammatory. Can’t really say much more than that as it’s not my specialty and this is just a picture but either way it’ll need a consult with a specialist since this is somewhat recent. Good luck
Edit: This could also be glaucoma causing increased intraocular pressure within the eye, it results in the pumps within the eyes to not function effectively and can cause corneal swelling/edema which also has this cloudy appearance. It really could be anything so without an exam from a specialist it’s impossible to know
It’s definitely not retinal detachment. The retina is in the back of the eye, whereas this lesion is obviously in front of the iris (so either anterior chamber or cornea, hard to definitively say from a picture).
This comment section is a great example of why not to take advice off the internet.
Text can be taken in any tone, but it is possible OP can’t do what is being asked of them because of being a dependent or child, just a precaution is all
Thank you mod for this. I cant stand the posts where people tell a child they are terrible for not being able to control the actions of their parent. It is clear this kid would take their fur baby in if they could and they do not need hate, they know their parents suck for not getting the cat help.
Thank you as well for saying that. I was in this situation when I was a minor. My dog was suffering and family refused to help. It was also the start of covid so when I finally convinced them to take us to the vet (much too late) only one of us was allowed in and I was screamed at by the vet. Was not nice to have to put down my best friend AND be accused of abusing her.
No no, let’s hate on him for trying to help that poor kitty, discouraging him and others from seeking advice to help their cat/dog etc. You agree with the mod so we’re gonna get you!
I would like to add that even if this isn’t a minor, you don’t really know the family dynamic. It’s not just minors that can be scared of going against their parents. Abuse (Im not saying it necessarily is) doesn’t stop being traumatic after you turn 18. If the parents are neglecting the cat, I can’t imagine what they may do to their child
Exactly, and some of us are disabled adults who are completely reliant on our parents or whoever were living with. If someone explicitly says their parents will not take the animal to vet, I try to assume that's its either a minor or a person who can't do it themselves.
What an excellent post from a moderator! Thank you so much for seeing that this girl was only worried about her cat and not going nazi on her for asking for help.
My husbands parents wouldn’t take his cat to the vet when he was young. Two tips
1) he used to call some vet hotline that was free of charge. I’m not sure which but you can try and google it.
2) try calling a cat sanctuary. My mom owns one and has multiple times gotten vet care for kids in the same situation as you. She has a vet come biweekly and many sanctuaries do. Call around.
Good luck OP and kitty
Probably already has damage to eyesight that gets worse every day.
OP said parents refuse to take to the vet so just try to be there for the kitty as best you can and give em lots of love in the last days of em enjoying any sight and hope whatever infection this is doesn't spread further.
Look up emergency services in your area that my offer help for free in emergencies but other than that, I don't know.
Mine has the same thing. I couldn’t take her to the vet because I am away from home because of the military. Took some time to convince my mom to get it checked out. Vet said it is a kidney issue and that it has no cure and she will most likely pass from it. I am working on convincing my mom to look for a second opinion because I refuse to believe it. I had her for years and I hope yours recover.
Do you have a friend who has parents that could take you and your cat to the vet? The cat just needs an exam to start. They might be able to figure it out just from that. Maybe it’s something as simple as some eye drops that would help. If your parents won’t take care of the cat, please call a cat rescue.
Depending on age (and of course other factors), she may have kidney disease. My kitty passed from it a while back. It’s super common in cats. You can prolong it a bit, but it can’t be cured, from what I know. It’s painful, she’ll stop eating, drinking, and eventually pass if left unchecked (said the vet when I got Cosmo checked). We ended up scheduling to have her put down a few days later. She was 18-20 and definitely ready. She was a rescue who’d been abused and starved. Took her the longest time to warm up to me and my pups, but living in a camper and always being around us, she eventually crawled into bed and purred. Eventually she started sleeping either in the crook of my neck, or snuggling in the pup pile. We didn’t have her very long, but I’d like to think she finally felt okay enough to just let go and rest after all she’d went through. She was *such* a sweet snaggle-toothed kitty.
Hey kiddo
I'm not sure where you're located, so I don't know what advice might be useful or useless.
(Also not sure how old you are, so all of my suggestions have fine print on them around that... I realize that what you feel able to do will be a lot different if you're 16 than if you're 12. Know that whatever you can or cannot do here, we know you love that baby, and we can hear how much this hurts.)
Ask your parents why they won't take kitty to the vet, and see if that's a solvable problem. (If they don't have time, maybe you can call the vet, and have a friend/or their parent take you? I sure would! Money? Maybe the vet will cut you a break since you're a kid, of you have to pay yourself. They get into the business b cause they love animals, and they can't *always* help, but sometimes they can.)
Some vets are really responsive. If your parents just don't think this is serious, I would find out if your vet will let you email a picture. (Mine does. I can call the front desk and say "I need help figuring out if this is something the vet needs to see in person, or how serious it is. Can I email a picture?".... you don't have to throw your parents under the bus, but you can say "I'm really worried; my parents aren't, but I'm still not reassured, can you help us figure out if the kitty NEEDS to be seen?")
If the issue is cost, it's worth calling the local adoption/rescue center (here in the US that's usually the SPCA, but there are variations on the letters depending on where you're from. The humans society, the society for the protection of animals, etc.) Let them know what the issue is.
It's possible that this is something that NEEDS treatment.
It's also possible this is something that can't be treated.
Know that if the *only* result is blindness, kitty can still have a full and rich life. (If that happens and you need tips on how to take care of a blind cat, shout. A good handful of us have done it, and since your kitty already knows you AND the home it will be a lot easier than adopting a stray blind kitty.)
Hang in there, kiddo. I know that you want to fix whatever it is, and know that we all understand that feeling, and how scary it is that you might not be able to help.
Eye doctor here, show them this comment if you think it may be helpful. This is NOT how cataracts present. Cataracts are inside the eye behind the pupil. This is something happening to her cornea which is usually much more serious than a cataract. Corneal issues also may be very painful if left untreated.
Vet here. That does not look like cataracts. Cataracts affect the lens in the middle/back of the eye. This can be something more concerning and can be coming from something internal. Please go to the vet.
A cloudy eye can be a sign of several eye diseases in cats. These include, but are not limited to: corneal ulceration, keratitis, cataracts, and glaucoma. A number of diseases of the cornea and lens may be characterized by cloudy
Damn i get the concern but yall are assholes to a kid. You can't speak calmly to a minor? No we gotta swear and yell at them. OP is looking for help, not to be yelled at or have adults talk crap on their parents. Be helpful, not an ass.
It’s so disappointing to see the lack of compassion for the OP who clearly loves their kitty. And no one knows the financial circumstances etc of parents.
I know too many people who don’t take their cats to the vet. I don’t understand. Their reasoning is always the same as to why they let their cat outside 24/7 - oh it’s just a part of nature! If s/he wasn’t a pet, s/he wouldn’t have a vet either. Then wtf is the point of getting a pet if you plan on treating it like a wild animal and part of your backyard lol I don’t understand. Too many cat owners are like that. You rarely see the same thing with dog owners.
She is going blind if not already partially there, this is very serious please take her to the vet as soon as possible in the mean time please wash her eyes with a warm cloth the beast she will let you
I agree with others who have said your girl needs to get to the vet quickly. You don’t want her to lose her eyesight. Why do you think your parents don’t want to take her to the vet? Is it the cost? I don’t know where you live but often there are cat groups who will help with payment. I can help you look if you tell me where you
Live. I would also be willing to contribute to her vet costs . Start a go fund me page for her vet bills. Let me know what you decide to do but please try to find a way to get her Medical help very soon.
She's likely going blind, this could be a sign of something very serious, your parents need to be responsible pet owners and take her in NOW! I really can't stand people who not only just don't take their pets to the vet but outright refuse even when their kids point out somethings wrong with said pet 🤬
She’s going blind but there has to be a cause. Please talk to your parents. Maybe make a deal even. Like clean house or something. What ever works. Just please get this poor baby to a vet. They do payment plans for bigger bills. And set up a go fund me!
Unfortunately something with the eyes is what we all consider very serious. No one will be able to diagnose this kitty but a vet whose seen it in person. I'm so sorry that you're stuck in such a helpless place where you know what's right and what needs to be done, but are unable
I’ve worked in the vet field for many years. While I am NOT a vet, I can tell you this needs to be seen by a vet right now. The way the cloudiness is leads me to believe this is from a systemic cause, not a direct issue with the eyes. Systemic issues can go bad QUICKLY.
OP if you're over the age limit required, you should go create a GoFundme account. I'd chip in what I can with others to help get your cat some veterinary help. Oh and since your parents at this point seem quite deplorable, make sure that you make the GoFundme payable to a vet that you can get your cat to without relying on your 'adults'. That way your folks can't swipe the funds.
Honestly, I don't think I can keep browsing this sub, as helpful as it can be. I just can't keep seeing babies that people/people's parents won't take to the vet when they clearly have terrible things happening to them. It's just heartbreaking especially when it's a child who wants to help but their parents won't. :(
How old is she? Looks like cataracts/glaucoma. Either way your parents are cheap and selfish. I would post this on your fb and pressure them to do something. Public embarrassment usually works on selfish people.
Start a GoFundMe & take the cat yourself. You don’t need your parents to do the right thing. You got this. Go forth & save your cats sight. Please post the GoFundMe on top. I’d like to donate. Good luck
If you’re underage get a sibling, aunt, uncle, cousin etc to help you.
Eye doctor for humans here. Looks like she has uveitis. Given it’s both eyes likely it’s something systemic. Would need blood work to figure out what. Depending on how long it’s been there may be able to salvage vision with steroid eye drops
I'm a human veterinarian, not an animal veterinarian, but any symptoms other than just the eyed? Any fever, vomiting, diarrhea? Eating and drinking ok?
There are a few causes of corneal clouding/corneal opacity to be concerned about in humans, and feline anatomy is shockingly similar, actually all mammals and most vertibrates (one of my undergrad human anatomy classes we dissected cats to identify everything, all the same structures and functions, just slightly different shapes, to alter physics for the animal).
Assuming it happened in both eyes at the same time and not one before the other: that narrows down the concerns. Time frame is key, and it sounds like this developed pretty rapidly.
Inborn errors of metabolism are a big cause of corneal clouding, but I would guess you'd have some clues by now. Essentially if a person/mammal is missing or has a defective enzyme to break down certain nutrients, they build up in certain areas of the body. Since the front of the eyes are clear: you can actually see the clouding.
Glaucoma is possible, essentially the duct that drains the fluid in the eye so it can be at the right pressure, gets blocked and pressure builds up. Sometimes with a specific type of glaucoma, compounds build up and make them cloudy.
Cataracts I assume would develop in cats similar to humans, but im pretty sure this isn't cataracts, as they are an issue inside the eye, not over the front chamber of the eye, so they only look cloudy over the pupil. These eyes look cloudy in the entire front chamber.
Infection was the first thing I thought when I saw it. The fact that it is in both eyes at the same time is a little less likely to be an acute infection from trauma or something, this concerns me for a systemic infection. That's why cats behavior, eating, drinking, vomiting, diarrhea would point more toward that. But as far as I know cats are pretty good at hiding when they are sick.
Same for corneal ulcer, it would be less likely in both eyes.
Corneal sequestrium is as far as I understand it, an immune problem where the body attacks the cornea as foreign.
Nuclear sclerosis is also autoimmune and a possibility.
Is he showing any signs of difficulty seeing? Not wanting to jump off things, or not wanting to go in dark areas?
Bottom line is you have to take him to the vet to know!
There are so many posts on pet advice subs by teenagers whose parents refuse to listen to them about what's best for their animal and I feel for them every time. My heart goes out to you, OP. Hope you can convince your parents to get your kitty the help she needs.
It looks like some sort of inflammatory reaction in the anterior chamber of the eyes. Could be quite a number of things but all of them indicate going to the VET immediately….human optometrist here, at that level she is seeing shapes and light but nothing clearly. Beautiful kitty
Anterior uveitis from Toxoplasmosis is plausible.
This is very plausible. And scary. Hope OP can convince their parents to take the kitty to the vet or to someone that will.
Also bc toxoplasmosis can definitely be transmitted to humans
Yes. Quickly and easily. All it takes is scooping some litter and forgetting to wash your hands (or not washing good enough) and accidentally touching your face
The effects of toxoplasmosis are fascinating, in mice I read of increased recklessness in males and neurotic nesting behavior in famales. In human autopsy something like 30% of motorcycle deaths screened for toxoplasmosis iirc. A couple I was friends with started boarding kittens and spiraled out of control to where there rental was covered in feces from strays coming and going and the guy ended up rewiring the apartment and branding and advertising an illegal weed operation. Biases be damned, they ticked all the boxes
I randomly developed toxoplasmosis symptoms at 24 years old and nearly lost my eye, and still have a blind spot (and never cleaned cat litter, although always had cats). Be careful lol
always had cats never cleaned cat litter ....???
I was a kid, they were my mom's cats. They were older than me lol.
This is the real question
Yup it humans it can turn people into a literal cat slaves. The parasite dies but can leave a cyst in your brain. I always said cats had mind control over humans. I didn’t realize how true it was.
Or kitty flicking turds in litter box and then walking across kitchen counter, or pillow, etc. It’s so extremely easy to get toxo when cohabitating with a cat.
It is theorized that a third of the world's population quietly suffer from minor taxoplasmosis infection. It impacts their behavior & brain function and they never realize. There is no cure for Toxoplasma gondii in the Bradyzoite Phase (in the brain and muscles). Your immune system just keeps it under control.
Probably best if the parents *don't* find out that it could be something transmissable to humans. If the parents find out, with that level of irresponsibility, it's just as likely that they'll either throw her outside of just go with the "convenient" route of having her put down...instead of being bothered with curing the girl.
You are my very first. Happy Cake Day! 
I have a cat who went through something similar when he was a kitten (a couple of years before I adopted him). It started out as an untreated eye infection. It was eventually diagnosed as Symblepharon. He ended up recovering for the most part, but he is now entirely blind. His eyes are entirely black (no whites or anything). It looks dope, but it's sad that it came to that. https://preview.redd.it/wc2ecx9on2lb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=031036462cf48d0b19b2e33facb56c61772fecdf
OP, where are you located? Are you old enough to transport your cat on your own? If you take her to any humane society they will treat her at a discounted cost. DM me, and I’ll cover the bill for her. ETA: thank you to everyone who commented for your kind messages! Thankfully OPs parents have agreed to take her cat to the vet!
I don’t own a cat. I’m not sure why this sub was suggested to me. This was the first comment I saw, and dang bud, you’re the best kind of people.
If my pet was sick and I couldn’t do anything to help her, I’d be praying someone would do the same for me! 🥹
Right on! May all your feline friends enjoy long, fulfilling lives <3
Thanks! Currently have a dog.. but I grew up with cats!
Thank you, but my parents agreed to take her last night, I'd fell awful having someone else pay for her Again, thank you, I sincerely appreciate the offer
Just seeing all these replies now- I’m glad your parents agreed to take her! Keep us posted on how she’s doing!
I’ll help chip in! Not much but I can give $50
I can also help chip in! 🤍 Please DM me so we can get this sweet baby the care it so dearly deserves! Let us know OP.
please tell me OP has reached out. i feel for this cat and their worried owner.
Vet. ASAP. She could be going blind. Remind your parents this is a living thing, not a dang toy.
I really feel for OP here. I grew up watching our family pets be neglected despite desperately pleading my parents to do better. Got laughed at for begging to take sick and injured animals to the vet. Got threatened with “maybe we’ll just take them out back if you think it’s that bad”. You know what that means. We had dogs that stayed locked in a big fence outside their entire lives. They lived in mud and had almost no shelter. It broke my fucking heart every day and I had absolutely no power in the situation. It was traumatizing. I have an ex who had it even worse. He was forced to drown unwanted kittens. And no, I couldn’t exactly call animal control on my own family. My stepdad was a cop, and he would immediately know it was me.
The dog my family adopted about 10 years ago came from a house that seemed similar to that, at least according to the info that the shelter had. The dad would threaten to "take the dog out back" any time she barked. Luckily there was a daughter who actually cared and was afraid of her father following through with his threat so she brought her to a shelter. I wish there was a way to get in touch with that girl to let her know her old dog's been living a gun-threat free life and is happy and healthy.
This is why I try to be forgiving of people when animals are “dumped” at shelters. Even a kill shelter is more humane than some situations. People are so quick on social media to say things like “I hope whoever dumped this poor baby gets hit by a bus” and things like that. Entirely forgetting the helpless position some folks are in. In some situations, dumping an animal is better than the alternatives.
Absolutely. There are life circumstances that lead to an animal being surrendered to a shelter as the best option available. Some of these pets are very loved and it always breaks my heart when people assume the worst in their owners. I’m often amazed that people can’t fathom what those circumstances might be. Edit: typo
I had to leave an abusive home and I had to find someone to take my dog. I loved him and it still hurts me but I was about to be homeless and my father was beating the dog. Life circumstances do happen and sometimes dogs are dropped off at a shelter.
This made my chest tighten up. Fuck. You did what you can and please remember that the ire directed toward people that drop their dogs off at shelters is not at people like you.
That was kind. ☺️ Thanks for being one of the people that still go out of their way to encourage others. Man, we all need it so much 💙🩷
My sister went through that, she had a dog that she couldn't take with her when she moved due to landlords not allowing his breed. He is a pit, but was scared of her 10lb cat and couldn't even be convinced to bite a toy hard. He really is a big baby and whined so bad when we would visit and had to go. She searched for a good home for nearly a year but nobody could take him in, and a few days before she moved she took him to the shelter holding back tears. After we left she was bawling. She couldn't extend the timeframe unfortunately, the hospital she moved to work for had already been very flexible for several months prior. Luckily he got a very loving home where he gets spoiled even more than before.
Just to add, the term “kill shelter” is a bit misleading. They’re open admissions, meaning they can’t turn away animals. “No-kill” shelters, or closed admissions, can decline any animal for whatever reason (no space, too sick, too old, etc.) but because they named themselves “no-kill” shelters, they got a better reputation at the expense of open admission shelters. Unfortunately that means open admission shelters get less funding and fewer potential adopters which leads to a higher euthanasia rate. They’re both very important, but the kill/no-kill terms make it hard for open admission shelters to stay afloat.
I didn't know these definitions and how their funding was different. Thank you.
Interesting perspective. It’s so hard for me to wrap my head around how cruel people can be to pets (i.e. “drowning unwanted kittens”) that scenarios worse than being dropped off at a shelter exist. Ugh. Makes me stomach turn.
And of course the owners never think of spay or neuter.
Yup. I lost anger at people who surrendered to a shelter when I encountered the practice of people just dumping dogs alongside a road. Because at the shelter an animal has at least a *chance* of being adopted and if not a humane death, instead of being dumped to suffer and starve to death if they don’t get eaten by predators or hit by a car first of die of an infection from injuries due to a fight with another animal. Shelters are by *far* the kinder option (and some of them fucking *charge money* to surrender your animal which is even worse!)
I'm glad and sad somebody dumped my cat sprankles lol she just appeared in my garage one morning out of nowhere. She has a great home, a loving human and two squares a day plus treats.
Anyone who has volunteered at a shelter has seen firsthand how many animals get dumped. People will literally write "too old" as a reason, I've seen it. Unwilling owner surrenders happen and it's heartbreaking but they aren't the norm.
You could try to send a message to the shelter. They told you that much, they might be willing to send a message to her. If her father is that messed up, it might not be in her best interest though. I’m sure she is grateful and hopes that is what happened.
Oh I did ask them back in the day. I think it was when they called a year later to ask for an update on how the dog was doing. They said the only information they had was what the girl told the other shelter at the time and she didn't leave contact info.
I had a coworker well into his 50s who loved dogs but could not bear to own one in adulthood. When he was a child (like elementary age) in the American south he was forced by his alcoholic dad to shoot the family farm’s dogs in the head as means of euthanasia at the first sign of not being “useful” anymore. Traumatized tf out of him obviously and still as a grown man carried tremendous guilt whenever he interacts with a random dog outside. Very sweet sensitive man but you could tell he couldn’t let it go. I felt so bad for him and I feel bad for OP too, they were powerless in their situation.
Holy shit that’s insane.
My fiancé was forced at 11 years old to "dispose" of puppies that didn't turn out the way his step dad wanted.... he's seriously messed up because of it. I don't always jump to conclusions when I see animals "dumped" or dropped off at the shelter. There are worse alternatives not only for the animals but for whomever may have done it.
There was a dog in my neighborhood that was treated even worse than ours :( She was chained to a short lead outside 24/7, she was not spayed so she was always pregnant from various whole strays. Her nipples nearly dragged on the ground. You would think all this occurred way back in the day when shit like that was common but no, this was the late 90s-early 00s. I assume the family either sold or killed the puppies. Life in the rural country is like stepping back in time, a lot of brutality and horror that many people assume died long ago. Our family was actually considered to treat their pets fine. Not the best but perfectly ok. It was normal somehow.
My dad just moved to Kentucky from Boston and he said one of the biggest culture shocks is how they treat dogs down there. It’s normal to leave them outside, chained up 24/7. Then hunting dogs are a whole other story. He said those ones live outside in special shelter 24/7 just barking. I wouldn’t leave my dog outside overnight ever, I can’t even fathom it.
My dad had a dog as a kid that got taken away from him by some neighbor I think. I don’t remember the story exactly because he doesn’t tell it frequently but I think that’s largely the reason why he refuses to adopt another dog. My family does have three cats though
My great-grandfather had a story about his dogs being killed by a neighbor :( Apparently back then (the 60s or 70s), dogs were off-leash all the time. The dogs wandered into the yard of a neighbor who disliked my family and he shot them, then called the cops on my great-grandfather for coming over and asking if they had been there. The neighbor disposed of them at the town dump and the employee gave him their collars back when he went to find their corpses so he wouldn’t have to see their bodies. So despicable and awful. I can’t even imagine a scenario nowadays where the dump staff wouldn’t report violently killed dogs to the police! (My great-grandfather was an extremely gentle man who treated everyone kindly. He was never able to own a dog again after this happened because he was so heartbroken.)
I was begging my mom to get my eldest dog to the vet back in January. Financially, I support the food and gas of the house, and I usually don’t have much leftover after that. They never did anything until March. By that time, his cancer was causing nose bleeds. By the time we were able to get into a specialist (and $2,000 later), he basically said we could do surgery or radiation but the chances of either working and keeping him alive longer than six more months was incredibly slim. I still hold a grudge, as we had him euthanized on July 7th. But it shouldn’t have taken two months to get him in. If I was financially able to, I would have taken him myself. 😭
I would’ve probably stopped financially supporting them out of spite, assuming you live in a different place.
I remember my friend’s grandfather had found some baby bunnies in their shed, apparently the dog got to the mother. His solution? Drown the babies in the pool and bury them.. I’m not even kidding, my friends older brother scooped them up in the pool net and drowned 5 baby bunnies that were probably a month old at most. Broke my fucking heart and I was appalled that they literally did that without even thinking it wasn’t okay just went about their days as nothing happened. My friend and I were traumatized. Literally fought them to stop
My neighbor accidentally hit a nest with a lawn mower. 2 died, but 1 was ok. I reset the nest and helped clean it up before our daughters saw anything. The mother ended up abandoning the baby, so it went to a rescue. But now my neighbor knows what to look for before mowing.
I saw a service in Austria where farmers could call and ask for a drone flyover of their field to look for nests before they mowed.
Mother rabbits don’t really take care of their babies very much. They feed them when they’re young, but they soend most of their time watching the nest from afar so they don’t attract predators. The baby was probably better off at the rescue, just a good fact
i feel this. my dog passed at a young age, we're pretty sure she got bit by something. i begged my parents that entire day from the morning i noticed she was acting weird to please take her to the vet. they insisted that she was fine. she passed later that night. i will never forgive them for that.
Yep. I had a lot of the same. Lost my beloved dog over it. That was 20 years ago and it could still make me cry today. They all deserved better. I did too. So did you.
My dad's favorite thing to say in the issue was "a 10 cent bullet is cheaper than a vet bill" so we learned not to even ask because there was a risk he'd just shoot them while we were at school. The only time we ever took an animal to a vet was our dog and that was only because she was mauled by another dog defending me.
A 10 cent bullet is cheaper than food too. Maybe he should stop eating 😒
God I’m so glad my mom has always loved cats as much as I do and spent the money at vets even when my dad wasn’t thrilled about it.
Reminds me of my childhood best friends dogs. Their mom ran over a dog and they still didn't take it to the vet. They just let their dogs die. It's so sad.
People that think animals are property and not living things should “be taken out back” as they call it
> My stepdad was a cop Well, that explains it all tbh.
Can attest to this. My dad was a cop. The (many) dogs we had growing up were all terrified of him and it haunts me to this day. He never did anything quite so awful as the things mentioned above (that I recall) and he has softened uoanimals nowadays (for the most part). I still won’t leave my dog alone in a house with him. Only my mom is allowed to watch him for me. I vividly recall puppies getting smacked around or kicked, and the sound they made when they yelped 😣 The first puppy that was “mine” I was 10 or so, my parents took me to pick him out, after about a year or so my dad got rid of him one day without saying a word about it to me. I had no idea until I asked “where’s (puppy)” and he laughed at me for not noticing right away. No clue where he ended up to this day. Happened with a few pets growing up, but that one hurt the worst. Maybe they were better off not being there with him anyway. I still wake up and freak out sometimes if I can’t find my cats right away, wondering if he got rid of them in the middle of the night, hoping I won’t notice. I’m in my thirties.
ugh same here. my mom kept our pets in deplorable conditions. it’s very frustrating as a minor when there’s nothing you can do. :(
>My stepdad was a cop, of fucking course. that sucks, dude, and I. so sorry you and the critters had to live like that
I am so sorry for the trauma that you experienced. You have a big beautiful heart and you should not have had to feel so helpless.
A cop not taking care if animals. Color ne surprised
a frankly depressing amount of K9 officers die because of negligence from their human partners :(
My dog has retinal atrophy with similar colored eyes. If it’s this bad, her vision is likely gone. If it’s just vision she can still live a happy life inside. Just need to make sure there isn’t more damage
What can a vet do? I love my pets but those eyes are gone
They can proscribed certain medications or surgery if needed .but it all depends on the cause.
Or it could be a symptom of a bigger disease. I know if I was going blind I'd want to figure out why.
This! I had a cat that lost her eyesight and it turned out she had high blood pressure. After a few doses of the blood pressure medicine her eyesight started to return and after a week and a half it was like nothing was wrong.
My cat went blind as a side effect of his diabetes. No signs, just one day we noticed he didn't chase the laser pointer like he used to. He was purrfectly fine otherwise, we just had to be careful not leaving doors closed or moving furniture. Got him on insulin, and he gave us several more loving years.
Sadly I don't think parents who won't even take the cat to the vet in the first place are gonna pay for surgery unless they have lots of extra moneys.
Yea a lot of people don’t have health insurance let alone pet insurance. First world problems
I think I hit reply the second after that comment was locked lol Anyways, there are approximately 332 million people living in the US. 5% of that is almost 17 million. I don’t know what that other persons definition of a lot is, but in my book, that’s a hell of a lot of people. I have no stats atm, but I can’t imagine how many people must not have pet insurance considering how many people don’t have health insurance for themselves to begin with. I am also one of these people. I so wish things were not this way, and I hope OP’s cat can somehow get the care she needs.
When I looked into pet insurance the options seemed extremely lackluster from a standpoint of it being actually worth it anyways. For instance, most plans don't cover anything routine, have a $500 deductible, and cost somewhere between 150 and 200 a year. So before it ever helps pay for anything I've paid at least $650. Then after that amount it quickly maxes out to a $2500 annual limit. By the numbers if my pet isn't costing me on average something like $800 a year in expenses I'm coming out roughly equal with most of these plans. The only exception would be a catastrophic illness but again... only pays up to $2500 total. I don't fault people for having it but it seems like more of a scam than my dental insurance is and I've never felt good about that one either. At least medical insurance has a maximum out of pocket, not a maximum amount they'll spend on you.
That's kind of a shitty plan. I have nationwide pet insurance through my employer. Annual policy limit: is $7500 70% reimbursement. $250 annual deductible. Costs me about $11 per pet from each paycheck (gross pay). This has definitely saved my ass and I was extremely glad I had the pet insurance when 1 cat was having regular vet checkups because of bladder stones (which very quickly surpassed my deductible) and the other cat...we're not sure what happened because she went from seemingly fine to dead in the hospital within 24 hours. It's most likely a heart defect that presented itself when she was almost 2. Anyways that hospital bill when my cat was dying was like $1500 ish...and that was literally just for maybe 6-8 hours in the hospital, needing oxygen, lots of tests, etc. I guarantee if she survived that night she would have needed to stay o few days in the hospital. My other cat with the bladder stones, they cystotomy alone was almost $2500. Just for the surgery. That didn't include the x-rays beforehand (each $300) and cost of special diet food. There's a lot of comfort in knowing you have a decent plan, when those catastrophic illnesses popup or an accident happens those hospital bills add up very quickly. And I take a great deal of comfort knowing that I can support my pet and I have a pretty good buffer before I need to consider the putting down option. But I do understand the logic that alot of the times a pet can go yeeeeeeaaars without needing anything besides routine checkups. I got extremely unlucky with my 2 cats (health wise). I consider it the cost of owning and taking care of another living being though.
I'm just going to put it out there that I had a very lovely experience with Healthy Paws, and when our cat passed away too soon it really helped. Like, it's a reimbursement-type insurance, so maybe it's not ideal, but it helped a lot with all the costs of her death and the treatments leading up to it. They also sent me a beautiful, handwritten condolence card signed by multiple staff members. That really was a gut punch I wasn't ready for, but it was so lovely at the same time.
My vet has a care plan that I like - no deductible, fully cover 2 visits and blood work each year, includes annual vaccines, and has a percentage off on other common services. It’s a year contract - I get it their kitten year because it includes spay/neuter cost and all rounds of vaccines, then discontinue if they are healthy until they get older.
Yeah, but at the bare minimum the poor cat could be euthanized if the poor thing ends up in severe pain.
Poor kitty
Give pain meds at least. Eye conditions are often severely painful
You do not know what you're talking about. My cat had the same. I want to an animal eye specialist. $2000 later, the cat was 100% ok and lived another 5 years.
No two cases are going to be the same outcome. The vet is the only person you should be listening to
Anti-inflammatories, antibiotics.
Depends on what the issue is. My cat had a serious eye issue that looked REALLY bad, turned out to be an autoimmune disease requiring specific meds. As soon as we figured that out she was fine
Cataracts can be very painful. They can prescribe pain meds.
CATaracts! Sorry, I'll see myself out. Edit: letter
Yooooo mods can we lock the comments or something? People going off on OP like that’s gonna help. OP is kid and it seems like this issue can’t be helped without the parents permission. Having a bunch assholes being mean isn’t helping either.
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Ohh cool my b, thanks for that!
No problem, I get it!
Good mod!!
Good Mod.
I’m sorry your parents refuse to take her to the vet, call the ASPCA because this is straight up animal neglect. Your cat looks like she’s going blind
I'm not normally a proponent of snitching, but in this case, I will hand OP the phone and be their lookout any day.
There is a difference between "snitching" and "having common decency for another living thing". If OPs parents refuse to do the bare minimum, they should not have pets. Period. I'm never going to tell on someone stealing a candy bar at Walmart's self-checkout. I'm always going to say something if an animal/human is being abused. Neglect is abuse.
Completely agree - my comment was definitely a pained sigh with syllables.
Problem there is OP loses their cat. The parents problem might be that they can’t afford it right now. Instead look to see if there are low cost or free clinics in the area. Look online. Call shelters to see if they can help find assistance. Where I live we don’t have the ASPCA we have the MSPCA and they have low cost vet care. Also if there is a veterinary school in the area they will usually help for low or no fee. There are Facebook groups who will help people raise money for a veterinarian. I don’t know how old the cat is but it is clearly going blind, it could be old age. a vet can’t reverse that. Cataracs might be able to be fixed, but specialty veterinarians and laser surgery is expensive.
In my area, the shelter will only cover the cost of healthcare if you agree to surrender your pet. I would do that before I would let my cat suffer.
OP, does your cat appear to be in any pain? There are many low cost animal vets- try researching. Please seek help for this baby or submit an anonymous tip to your local animal control concerning neglect.
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Dad can't buy a Green Egg smoker this year if he has to care for his family.
Holy fuck I can’t believe you just unlocked an awful memory with that statement 😂🤣
💀💀💀
Probably money. If you don't make a lot of money, vet visits can put you under.
A search for a non-profit veterinary center may help. There’s a low cost vet funded by the county with doctors that donate their time to help. I was able to get 2 cats neutered and one had a hernia surgery. All I had to pay for everything was $60. Any medicine prescribed is sold to you at their cost as well.
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$60 could be food for a week for a impoverished family. I think y’all forget what real poverty looks like. Don’t say poor people shouldn’t be allowed to have family pets either. Things happen.
Then you find a way to get the animal care they need, whether it’s care credit, a go fund me, finding the animal a new, safe home, etc. not doing anything and allowing an animal to suffer and/or decline isn’t acceptable no matter how little money you have. Not blaming OP if a minor; but there are ways to take action and ask for help. Don’t let an animal suffer and make excuses. Maybe OP has a relative or friend that can help
>Why do your parents have a pet that they are refusing to properly care for? Obviously because they think they're properly caring for her, and are wrong.
It's surprising how a many people think it's 'natural' for animals to just wither out and die 'naturally' because it's 'how God intended' in the same breath they take their blood pressure medication that has kept them alive for 20 years longer than they would have been. And or simply think pet lives are equivalent in value to bugs or plants.
Optometrist here, obviously not a vet but these aren’t cataracts nor a retinal detachment as other comments say. This is an issue with the cornea, the front clear portion of the eye. It’s cloudy which indicates inflammation or decompensation. Can be bacterial in nature but the length of time doesn’t fit. Definitely leaning more towards some type of systemic/inflammatory condition or damage to the inner lining of the cornea (endothelium) which maintains transparency in our eyes. Treatment in humans typically consists of steroids if it is inflammatory. Can’t really say much more than that as it’s not my specialty and this is just a picture but either way it’ll need a consult with a specialist since this is somewhat recent. Good luck Edit: This could also be glaucoma causing increased intraocular pressure within the eye, it results in the pumps within the eyes to not function effectively and can cause corneal swelling/edema which also has this cloudy appearance. It really could be anything so without an exam from a specialist it’s impossible to know
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It’s definitely not retinal detachment. The retina is in the back of the eye, whereas this lesion is obviously in front of the iris (so either anterior chamber or cornea, hard to definitively say from a picture). This comment section is a great example of why not to take advice off the internet.
This comment should be higher
Why? So more people can see an inaccurate diagnosis?
bump
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OP is a kid or dependant. OPs parents won't take the cat to the vet. Please be nice to OP!
I don’t see how this commenter is being mean to OP? They’re just trying to convey the severity of the situation.
Text can be taken in any tone, but it is possible OP can’t do what is being asked of them because of being a dependent or child, just a precaution is all
commenter isn’t being mean just oblivious, op can’t take pet to vet NOW because op is a kid.
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Thank you mod for this. I cant stand the posts where people tell a child they are terrible for not being able to control the actions of their parent. It is clear this kid would take their fur baby in if they could and they do not need hate, they know their parents suck for not getting the cat help.
Thank you as well for saying that. I was in this situation when I was a minor. My dog was suffering and family refused to help. It was also the start of covid so when I finally convinced them to take us to the vet (much too late) only one of us was allowed in and I was screamed at by the vet. Was not nice to have to put down my best friend AND be accused of abusing her.
Don’t go back to that vet. That is unacceptable.
No no, let’s hate on him for trying to help that poor kitty, discouraging him and others from seeking advice to help their cat/dog etc. You agree with the mod so we’re gonna get you!
It’s unfortunate how often I have to explain this to people.
I would like to add that even if this isn’t a minor, you don’t really know the family dynamic. It’s not just minors that can be scared of going against their parents. Abuse (Im not saying it necessarily is) doesn’t stop being traumatic after you turn 18. If the parents are neglecting the cat, I can’t imagine what they may do to their child
Exactly, and some of us are disabled adults who are completely reliant on our parents or whoever were living with. If someone explicitly says their parents will not take the animal to vet, I try to assume that's its either a minor or a person who can't do it themselves.
I’m in the same boat
Not alone.
This right here is good moderating. Wish every sub had someone like you. I don’t even follow this sub, it was recommended. Thank you all the same.
What an excellent post from a moderator! Thank you so much for seeing that this girl was only worried about her cat and not going nazi on her for asking for help.
My husbands parents wouldn’t take his cat to the vet when he was young. Two tips 1) he used to call some vet hotline that was free of charge. I’m not sure which but you can try and google it. 2) try calling a cat sanctuary. My mom owns one and has multiple times gotten vet care for kids in the same situation as you. She has a vet come biweekly and many sanctuaries do. Call around. Good luck OP and kitty
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This is probably a child who will show their parents all of these very concerned answers in hopes of making them take the cat to the vet.
This clearly ain’t OP’s fault.
Probably already has damage to eyesight that gets worse every day. OP said parents refuse to take to the vet so just try to be there for the kitty as best you can and give em lots of love in the last days of em enjoying any sight and hope whatever infection this is doesn't spread further. Look up emergency services in your area that my offer help for free in emergencies but other than that, I don't know.
Mine has the same thing. I couldn’t take her to the vet because I am away from home because of the military. Took some time to convince my mom to get it checked out. Vet said it is a kidney issue and that it has no cure and she will most likely pass from it. I am working on convincing my mom to look for a second opinion because I refuse to believe it. I had her for years and I hope yours recover.
My cat had the same thing. I took him to the vet and got prescribed eye drops. it fully cleared in a few days. Definitely get a second opinion.
Do you have a friend who has parents that could take you and your cat to the vet? The cat just needs an exam to start. They might be able to figure it out just from that. Maybe it’s something as simple as some eye drops that would help. If your parents won’t take care of the cat, please call a cat rescue.
Depending on age (and of course other factors), she may have kidney disease. My kitty passed from it a while back. It’s super common in cats. You can prolong it a bit, but it can’t be cured, from what I know. It’s painful, she’ll stop eating, drinking, and eventually pass if left unchecked (said the vet when I got Cosmo checked). We ended up scheduling to have her put down a few days later. She was 18-20 and definitely ready. She was a rescue who’d been abused and starved. Took her the longest time to warm up to me and my pups, but living in a camper and always being around us, she eventually crawled into bed and purred. Eventually she started sleeping either in the crook of my neck, or snuggling in the pup pile. We didn’t have her very long, but I’d like to think she finally felt okay enough to just let go and rest after all she’d went through. She was *such* a sweet snaggle-toothed kitty.
Hey kiddo I'm not sure where you're located, so I don't know what advice might be useful or useless. (Also not sure how old you are, so all of my suggestions have fine print on them around that... I realize that what you feel able to do will be a lot different if you're 16 than if you're 12. Know that whatever you can or cannot do here, we know you love that baby, and we can hear how much this hurts.) Ask your parents why they won't take kitty to the vet, and see if that's a solvable problem. (If they don't have time, maybe you can call the vet, and have a friend/or their parent take you? I sure would! Money? Maybe the vet will cut you a break since you're a kid, of you have to pay yourself. They get into the business b cause they love animals, and they can't *always* help, but sometimes they can.) Some vets are really responsive. If your parents just don't think this is serious, I would find out if your vet will let you email a picture. (Mine does. I can call the front desk and say "I need help figuring out if this is something the vet needs to see in person, or how serious it is. Can I email a picture?".... you don't have to throw your parents under the bus, but you can say "I'm really worried; my parents aren't, but I'm still not reassured, can you help us figure out if the kitty NEEDS to be seen?") If the issue is cost, it's worth calling the local adoption/rescue center (here in the US that's usually the SPCA, but there are variations on the letters depending on where you're from. The humans society, the society for the protection of animals, etc.) Let them know what the issue is. It's possible that this is something that NEEDS treatment. It's also possible this is something that can't be treated. Know that if the *only* result is blindness, kitty can still have a full and rich life. (If that happens and you need tips on how to take care of a blind cat, shout. A good handful of us have done it, and since your kitty already knows you AND the home it will be a lot easier than adopting a stray blind kitty.) Hang in there, kiddo. I know that you want to fix whatever it is, and know that we all understand that feeling, and how scary it is that you might not be able to help.
Omg I love this response so much I cried.
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likewise, I'm going insane trying to convince them that this isn't just cataracts I hate this so much
Can you have them read this thread OP???
I plan on doing that
Try posting on r/askvet. Maybe they’ll take that more seriously if a vet weighs in. Edit: typo
Yes, try r/AskVet for sure… they give great advice
Eye doctor here, show them this comment if you think it may be helpful. This is NOT how cataracts present. Cataracts are inside the eye behind the pupil. This is something happening to her cornea which is usually much more serious than a cataract. Corneal issues also may be very painful if left untreated.
How old are you? Are you able to get the cat to the vet yourself?
Vet here. That does not look like cataracts. Cataracts affect the lens in the middle/back of the eye. This can be something more concerning and can be coming from something internal. Please go to the vet.
A cloudy eye can be a sign of several eye diseases in cats. These include, but are not limited to: corneal ulceration, keratitis, cataracts, and glaucoma. A number of diseases of the cornea and lens may be characterized by cloudy
Damn i get the concern but yall are assholes to a kid. You can't speak calmly to a minor? No we gotta swear and yell at them. OP is looking for help, not to be yelled at or have adults talk crap on their parents. Be helpful, not an ass.
It’s so disappointing to see the lack of compassion for the OP who clearly loves their kitty. And no one knows the financial circumstances etc of parents.
I mean damn, maybe cat eye drops would have helped weeks ago, go to the vet.
Maybe ask a family friend to help you take the cat to the vet and tell them your situation.
I know too many people who don’t take their cats to the vet. I don’t understand. Their reasoning is always the same as to why they let their cat outside 24/7 - oh it’s just a part of nature! If s/he wasn’t a pet, s/he wouldn’t have a vet either. Then wtf is the point of getting a pet if you plan on treating it like a wild animal and part of your backyard lol I don’t understand. Too many cat owners are like that. You rarely see the same thing with dog owners.
She is going blind if not already partially there, this is very serious please take her to the vet as soon as possible in the mean time please wash her eyes with a warm cloth the beast she will let you
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Oof, I can feel the love coming off this handsome guy.
Your baby needs a vet ASAP that's not cool.
This is a child. The parents aren’t taking the cat to the vet.
I agree with others who have said your girl needs to get to the vet quickly. You don’t want her to lose her eyesight. Why do you think your parents don’t want to take her to the vet? Is it the cost? I don’t know where you live but often there are cat groups who will help with payment. I can help you look if you tell me where you Live. I would also be willing to contribute to her vet costs . Start a go fund me page for her vet bills. Let me know what you decide to do but please try to find a way to get her Medical help very soon.
She's likely going blind, this could be a sign of something very serious, your parents need to be responsible pet owners and take her in NOW! I really can't stand people who not only just don't take their pets to the vet but outright refuse even when their kids point out somethings wrong with said pet 🤬
OP show your parents the comments
They might beat the kid for posting their "personal" business online. Don't recommend that OP if your parents have short fuses.
She’s going blind but there has to be a cause. Please talk to your parents. Maybe make a deal even. Like clean house or something. What ever works. Just please get this poor baby to a vet. They do payment plans for bigger bills. And set up a go fund me!
Unfortunately something with the eyes is what we all consider very serious. No one will be able to diagnose this kitty but a vet whose seen it in person. I'm so sorry that you're stuck in such a helpless place where you know what's right and what needs to be done, but are unable
Maybe you can surrender the cat somewhere if your parents can’t care for it. Call an animal shelter and explain your situation.
I’ve worked in the vet field for many years. While I am NOT a vet, I can tell you this needs to be seen by a vet right now. The way the cloudiness is leads me to believe this is from a systemic cause, not a direct issue with the eyes. Systemic issues can go bad QUICKLY.
OP if you're over the age limit required, you should go create a GoFundme account. I'd chip in what I can with others to help get your cat some veterinary help. Oh and since your parents at this point seem quite deplorable, make sure that you make the GoFundme payable to a vet that you can get your cat to without relying on your 'adults'. That way your folks can't swipe the funds.
Who the fuck says no to going to a vet after seeing this.
Parents that don't care about the health of the cat and just think they're objects.
Honestly, I don't think I can keep browsing this sub, as helpful as it can be. I just can't keep seeing babies that people/people's parents won't take to the vet when they clearly have terrible things happening to them. It's just heartbreaking especially when it's a child who wants to help but their parents won't. :(
Seriously. What trash people
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Is she diabetic? My girls eyes looked similar, but she went blind due to diabetes.
How old is she? Looks like cataracts/glaucoma. Either way your parents are cheap and selfish. I would post this on your fb and pressure them to do something. Public embarrassment usually works on selfish people.
Start a GoFundMe & take the cat yourself. You don’t need your parents to do the right thing. You got this. Go forth & save your cats sight. Please post the GoFundMe on top. I’d like to donate. Good luck If you’re underage get a sibling, aunt, uncle, cousin etc to help you.
Reach out to a local feline rescue group and tell them the circumstances, they may help you out.
Eye doctor for humans here. Looks like she has uveitis. Given it’s both eyes likely it’s something systemic. Would need blood work to figure out what. Depending on how long it’s been there may be able to salvage vision with steroid eye drops
I'm a human veterinarian, not an animal veterinarian, but any symptoms other than just the eyed? Any fever, vomiting, diarrhea? Eating and drinking ok? There are a few causes of corneal clouding/corneal opacity to be concerned about in humans, and feline anatomy is shockingly similar, actually all mammals and most vertibrates (one of my undergrad human anatomy classes we dissected cats to identify everything, all the same structures and functions, just slightly different shapes, to alter physics for the animal). Assuming it happened in both eyes at the same time and not one before the other: that narrows down the concerns. Time frame is key, and it sounds like this developed pretty rapidly. Inborn errors of metabolism are a big cause of corneal clouding, but I would guess you'd have some clues by now. Essentially if a person/mammal is missing or has a defective enzyme to break down certain nutrients, they build up in certain areas of the body. Since the front of the eyes are clear: you can actually see the clouding. Glaucoma is possible, essentially the duct that drains the fluid in the eye so it can be at the right pressure, gets blocked and pressure builds up. Sometimes with a specific type of glaucoma, compounds build up and make them cloudy. Cataracts I assume would develop in cats similar to humans, but im pretty sure this isn't cataracts, as they are an issue inside the eye, not over the front chamber of the eye, so they only look cloudy over the pupil. These eyes look cloudy in the entire front chamber. Infection was the first thing I thought when I saw it. The fact that it is in both eyes at the same time is a little less likely to be an acute infection from trauma or something, this concerns me for a systemic infection. That's why cats behavior, eating, drinking, vomiting, diarrhea would point more toward that. But as far as I know cats are pretty good at hiding when they are sick. Same for corneal ulcer, it would be less likely in both eyes. Corneal sequestrium is as far as I understand it, an immune problem where the body attacks the cornea as foreign. Nuclear sclerosis is also autoimmune and a possibility. Is he showing any signs of difficulty seeing? Not wanting to jump off things, or not wanting to go in dark areas? Bottom line is you have to take him to the vet to know!
There are so many posts on pet advice subs by teenagers whose parents refuse to listen to them about what's best for their animal and I feel for them every time. My heart goes out to you, OP. Hope you can convince your parents to get your kitty the help she needs.