Our kitten is 12 days old,her eyes are matted shut,what can be done to get them to open?

Question

If her eyes don't open, she could go blind.

Answer 1

Kittens are born with their eyes closed. They usually don't open until about 14 days. If there is a discharge present then you should use the warm, wet cotton ball treatment others have mentioned here. If there is discharge there may also be infection which will require treatment.
Call a vet. I have many questions. How many are in the litter? Is there a mom cat? If not, how are you feeding this kitten? If there is a mom cat, sometimes the vet will treat the mom with antibiotics and she passes it on to the kittens through nursing.
There are topical anitbiotics available that can be used on the eyes to clear up infection. This kitten is likely to show other signs of an upper respiriatory infection which can be deadly in a kitten this young.
It is important to contact a veterinarian soon to get the proper answers. Kittens this young are very, very fragile. I have fostered literally hundreds of orphaned preemie kittens over the years and I am concerned about this baby because you don't give enough information.
In the meantime, keep him warm. You don't want him to expend energy trying to stay warm as it will zap his resources quickly. If there is a mom cat, watch to see that see is caring for all of the kittens and allowing them to nurse. They will push away sickly kittens in order to reserve resources for the healthy ones. It's frustrating, but it's nature.
You can put the mom cat and kittens in a box or crate for the night and put a heating pad on low underneath the box or crate. Do not put the heating pad inside the crate as this can be dangerous.
Good luck. I hope for the best for you and the baby kitten.

Answer 2

I have had this problem with a few kittens and older cats before. After the kitten opens its eyes if the problem persists wash the eyes gently with a warm wet rag. Once the eyes are open I use Bacitracine on the outside of the eyes where it is usually red and a little tender. You should wash the eyes 2 to 3 times a day gently and reapply the Bacitracine each time. If after a week the condition is still present or has gotten worse then you should definitely see a vet. BTW Bacitracine is an antibiotic ointment that People use for cuts and scrapes but dont use Neosporin or any variant of that as it is also medicated and will make the kitten sick. Hope this helps and if you have any other questions about this you can email me and ask.

Answer 3

If Mom is still around, she may try to lick the eyelids, because it will stimulate whatever causes them to open. The kitten is only 12 days, and they usually open them anywhere from about 7-14 days, so I'd wait a few days until you worry. Also, call a vet, and tell them the situation, the receptionist will then ask the vet if an office visit is necessary, or they may tell you what you yourself can do to get them to open. Overall, I think it's a bit too early to worry too much. Good luck. Kittens are such a joy!

Answer 4

If she's only 12 days old she's not old enough for her eyes to open. They will open on their own when she gets older. If you try to make them open now, before they are ready she could go blind. They don't open their eyes for 2 to 3 weeks old. So just wait, they should open soon.

Answer 5

It takes time for the kitten's eyes to open, the solid signal is that there is one open to this point. purely provide it time and do not rigidity the eyelids aside because the interest might want to be less than-developed. If it would not open in yet another week or so, possibly verify in which includes your vet. in my opinion i have seen a similar ingredient, and the interest opened some days later, at one factor purely being 0.5 open.

Answer 6

One article I read said their eyes open between 8-14 days...If they aren't open on day 16 or so...take the kitten to the vet...don't try to do anything yourself.

Answer 7

The kitten is sick!!! It needs antibiotic eye ointment!!! The mother may need treatment and any littermates too!!! The kitten can go blind if it does not get proper treatment!!!!!! Do not try and fix the problem yourself!!!!!!

SEE A VET!!!!!

Answer 8

Get the kitten to a Vet, I wouldn't try anything at home, A vet doctor is a much safer choice.

Answer 9

Never heard of a kitten going blind, I just usually gave mine time....If you are truly concerned you'll go to a vet.

Answer 10

Wash them with a wet warm cloth and if that doesnt work ...put a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda in a glass of warm water and wash the eyes with this mixture.