Why does a cat shed tears?
Recently, the topic of pet health has become more popular on social media, especially the phenomenon of "cats crying" which has triggered widespread discussion. Many cat owners notice that their cats have moist or watery eyes and worry about whether there is a health problem. This article will combine hot topics and scientific data from the Internet in the past 10 days to analyze the common causes of cats crying and how to deal with them.
1. Common reasons why cats shed tears
According to discussions among veterinary experts and pet forums, the main causes of cat tears can be divided into the following categories:
| Reason type | Specific performance | Proportion (approximate data) |
|---|---|---|
| Physiological response | Dust irritation, temporary tearing | 35% |
| eye infection | Conjunctivitis, keratitis with discharge | 25% |
| congenital structural abnormalities | Blocked tear ducts, entropion of eyelids | 15% |
| allergic reaction | Tears caused by pollen, food, etc. | 12% |
| Other diseases | Respiratory tract infections and other systemic diseases | 13% |
2. Analysis of hot topics on the entire network
By crawling the content of Weibo, Zhihu, Douyin and other platforms, the discussion on "cats shed tears" in the past 10 days mainly focused on the following aspects:
| Platform | Popular questions TOP3 | Amount of discussions (articles) |
|---|---|---|
| Should you seek medical attention immediately if your cat is crying/What to do if your cat is crying and sneezing/Evaluation of internet celebrity eye drops | 18,000+ | |
| Zhihu | Effects of long-term tearing on cats/home care methods/reasons why cats are prone to tearing | 9,500+ |
| Douyin | Tearing cleaning tutorial/Medicine lightning protection guide/Misunderstandings about cats “crying” | 23,000+ |
3. Scientific response plan
1.Preliminary judgment:Observe the cat for abnormal behaviors such as redness, swelling, increased secretions, or frequent eye scratching. If you only shed tears occasionally and have no other symptoms, you can first observe at home.
2.Cleaning method:Use pet-specific wipes or saline to gently wipe around the eyes, paying attention to cleaning from the inner corners of the eyes outward to avoid lint residue.
3.Indications for medical treatment:It is recommended to seek medical attention immediately when the following conditions occur:
| yellow/green discharge | Lasts more than 24 hours |
| Eyes obviously red and swollen | Loss of appetite accompanied by tearing |
4. Preventive measures
• Trim the hair around the eyes regularly (especially for long-haired cats)
• Keep the environment clean and reduce dust
• Avoid using irritating aromatherapy products
• Provide high-quality staple foods to reduce the risk of allergies
5. Special reminder from experts
Professor Li from the School of Veterinary Medicine at China Agricultural University pointed out in a recent live broadcast: "Persian cats, Garfield cats and other flat-faced breeds have special facial structures, so tearing is more common. However, if the amount of tearing suddenly increases or the color is abnormal, you still need to be alert to pathological factors." He also emphasized that the "human eye drops to treat cat tearing" circulated on the Internet have safety risks, and you must follow the doctor's advice.
From the above analysis, it can be seen that cats’ tears may be a normal physiological phenomenon or a disease signal. Owners should make scientific judgments based on specific manifestations to avoid excessive anxiety or delay in treatment. It is recommended to conduct regular eye health examinations for cats to prevent problems before they occur.
check the details
check the details
en
