Kittens often get a matted eyes when they are young. It’s important to see a veterinarian to determine if the problem is something more. Matted eyes with pus could be a sign of infection or disease. In the meantime, you can offer you kitten some relief with these steps.
Table of Contents:
You Will Need:
- Warm water
- Soft cloth
- Blanket
Steps to Clean the Kitten Eyes:
- Some kittens are cuddly, and others are frightened by handling. If you kitten is jittery, wrapping it gently in a blanket will help prevent scratches and keep the kitten calm.
- Moisten a soft cloth with warm water. Take caution not to make it too hot.
- Place the moist cloth on the matted eyes. Hold it there until the matted crust begins to loosen. This typically takes a couple of minutes.
- VERY gently wipe the eye. Do not apply pressure or pull at the matted crust.
- If needed reapply the cloth to soften it more.
- If it is working, and the kitten is tolerating it well, continue applying the cloth until the eye is able to open.
- If the kitten is agitated or it is not showing improvement, stop and allow the kitten to rest. Try again the next day.
Additional Tips and Advice
- Do not rub the eyes or pull at the matted build up. You don’t want to damage the eyelid or eye.
- When in doubt, contact a veterinarian. They will be able to give you the best advice for your particular situation.
To clean a kitten’s infected eyes, brew one teabag worth of tea. Don’t add sugar, of course. Dip a corner of a soft clean cloth into the tea while it’s still lukewarm, and don’t squeeze it out much. Swab one eye, then use a different corner and do the other. Store the tea in anything with a lid and keep it in the fridge. Warm just enough for one use at a time. My kitten eyes were both full of infection, and sealed shut every few hours. I did both eyes last night, and this morning one eye was clear and the other was much better!
Another great way to do this, is to run a paper towel under warm water and wipe the gunk away. Do this several times a day, to keep the kitty’s eyes clean. With in a few days they should have clear eyes. Of course if they aren’t, you should head to the vet to get some eye drops!
OMG!! I just wanted to add here that just yesterday afternoon I went online and Googled how to clean my kittens eye that was all watery and gunky. I read the tea bag thing and decided to try it. When I did I noticed the other eye was beginning to look gooey also so I cleaned out making sure some of the tea got IN his eyes. I did it again before we went to bed and this morning it’s like a miracle his eyes are completely better! I also want to mention that tea bags work miracles on diaper rash. I learned this when my niece was in the hospital as a baby and she had a rash the nurses put tea bags on her bottom and it cleared right up. I later tried it when I had my kids and found that it worked better than ANY diaper ointment out there!
First off, Thank-You Elizabeth for your suggestion of using tea bags. I just got through treating 4 of the feral kittens (which I love, & my husband said it was divorce if I brought them inside). That’s how we got our 3 cats now, plus we have 2 pugs and my 15 year-old cat, Punky. Oh yeah, and my Mom who lives with us, she has Alzheimer’s disease, so needless to say my plate is full… lol. We’ll see this evening if there is a change in my lil’ angel eyes. Thanks again and for all you people who say go to the vets… shame on you for presuming everybody has the money to do that… home remedies have cured people from the very start of time!!!!
Thank you so much.. I Just got a baby kitten 2 days ago and its eyes were really matted I thought i was going to have to take it to the vet but I used the tea bags yesterday and this morning I could tell a huge difference in the cats eyes. They are still a little matted but it didn’t take me 30 minutes of wiping the eyes to get them open like the morning before. It only took a couple of wipes and they were open. I’m using the tea again today, hopefully they keep getting better.
I will try the tea next time but I have always kept a tube of kitty eye ointment on hand and I clean the matting and pus off and then use the ointment. But I recommend that you hold the warm cloth to the eyes and let it soften up the gunk so you don’t rub the eyes so much or so hard. I have all but 3 of my outside cats spayed and 4 neutered – the other 25 are all altered ( I have my own Shelter ). My Vet comes to the house and does my annual shots for them. Anyway, lo and behold I was talking to my cousin on the phone about a Mama and 2 kittens she had rescued and I told her that I hadn’t had any kittens in awhile but I knew I still had a few chances waiting to happen. I hung up went to the back door and there on the deck was a little long-haired buff/orange female kitten about 5 weeks old (has little teeth) so I doctored her eyes and gave her a little milk and rinsed her for fleas (no shampoo used) and the next morning I put her back on the porch for her Mama to get. That was night before last and I didn’t find her last night. I will look again this evening though. I love cats —– obviously.!!!!!!
Your local pet store probably sells kitten eye wash around 6-8 dollars. Most of the eye washes have a small amount of boric acid in them this will help with itching and irritation. You can soak cotton balls in the eye wash and use them to clean the gunk from the eye area. You can order the kitten eye antibiotic off the internet or pick it up at at local pet/feed store for a fairly inexpensive price around 10-15 dollars. I know the Pet Club stores here carry it.
Terramycin
If there is no improvement or other symptoms, of course, see a vet.
Thank you so much for the Tea Bag tip! I am sitting the neighbors animals and there are 4,3 week old kittens that have their eyes mattered very bad. I did the tea wash in the eyes and will find out in the am how it did. Thanks again!!!
I just wanted to say that giving a cat only milk to drink will cause kidney stones to form. My friend only gave her cat water to drink. It may have had milk at times.
FYI, humans… used tea bags are great for cold sores. Place a wet used one on a cold sore for 15 minutes 4 or more times a day and they should disappear in 3days. Sore leakage is also minimized, as is pain.
It works really well actually. All five of our kittens have crust eyes and we use the tea bags every night before bed, and in the morning we just use warm cotton balls.
I can’t imagine how bad there eyes would be w/o it.
What tea should you use? I have green tea – will it work?
I just wanted to say thank you so much to everyone for discussing and confirming the tea bag trick! I just got 2 8-week old kittens (brother and sister) from a farm and my lil’ guy Bear had matted eyes right when we got him home! I was so upset because I instantly fell in love with him when we got them and thought something was seriously wrong!! I saw this forum at work yesterday and went home and tried it… ALL BETTER!! Once again, thanks!!! Bear is bright eyed and smiling!!!
-Angel
Thank you so much for the tea tip!!!! I tried it on my kitten and after two treatments, no more eye problems. I’m so thankful I found your tip, I just lost my job and didn’t have the funds to take her to the vet.
The feral cat I adopted had five kittens, and the three littlest ones all have crusty eyes. I have been using warm water and lubricating eye-drops, but the smallest ones eyes are not getting much better. I will try the tea bag this evening and keep my fingers crossed!! I am also feeding him with a medicine dropper and kitten milk (he will not take a bottle). They are five weeks old and I cannot get him to eat food yet. Think he is going to be my favorite – he is just so small and sweet!!!
I went to the vet and she said it was an infection so I went home and had 5 with matted eyes. I took one capsule of minocycline 100 MG and mixed with a eighth of can of cat food. Gave them two doses one at night and one the next morning with a plastic knife and gave each like 3 mouthfuls. Cleared them up and they have been that way for a week. Amoxacillion or just about any medicine for infection will do. Just give them a small amount at a time. Vet just wants to charge big money for a simple cure.
What kind of tea should I use? I would like to try this on my baby kitten.
Mine was using an antibiotic mixed in a eighth or quarter of a can of feed. I have had cats for 20 years and live on a farm. It clears them up within two days even if their eyes are full of infection. One 100 mg capsule of like amoxicillin will treat 5 cats for two treatments. Just clean their eyes with a warm damp cloth so they can see and give them a antibiotic. The vet says it a respiratory infection that does that to their eyes. Let me know how they do after you treat them and it will clear their eyes up. Good luck . If you don’t have any antibiotic ask a friend or a neighbor.One pill goes along way. If not the vet will sell you some. Good luck with the Kittens.
Hi, I have 5 kittens they are 2 weeks old now and last night I noticed 1 of them had an eye shut. I looked at it and it was sealed shut with what looked like crust. I panicked because this is all new to me so when I looked on this page this morning I thought I’d give the tea a go.
I made a pot of tea, left it to cool, then I dipped a small piece of cotton wool in the tea and gently wiped my kittens eye. A load of yellowy matter came out, so I’m hoping that is OK.
I’m going to try the tea again this afternoon, then gently wipe the matter again with some lukewarm boiled water and see if that helps. If anyone can help would you please let me know what else I can do?
Thanks for the tea bag suggestion! I JUST did it to my two 8 week old kittens! I hope it works!!!
Thanks again!
Hi, I tried the teabag trick yesterday on my kitten with the matted eye and this morning I went in the bedroom to check on it and it’s eye is a lot cleaner and better/ It can now open it, so thank you so much for the teabag idea – its brilliant.
Will try this. Have been trying to rescue cats and save them from the pound and ended up with a litter and their eyes keep getting crusty. Been cleaning them twice daily and will try the tea bags, thank you for the advice! And thanks for caring about our furry little friends…
So far I have tried the tea method and it has not worked for me. Been cleaning my kittens eyes out for the past week twice a day. What else could I do, as it is to young to be taken to a vet?
Just use a little infection medicine like ammoxacillan and give it two small doses of it like a a tenth of a pill. Their eyes have a respiratory infection in them. It will clear them right up.
Use a Luke worm wash cloth and wipe their eyes, but do this every coupe hours.
We live in the country and our home is on a hill in the woods, and we just found a kitten. She’s about 6 or 7 weeks old and healthy except for the fact that her eyes are closed shut. We are going to try the tea bag trick now. We used a warm wash cloth and most of the gunk is out but its coming back. Thanks for the tip. I’ll let you all know if it works tomorrow =) So glad I searched about this!
I was at my great-grandpa’s house and there was this cat always hanging around. she was kinda mean so I named her Rosalie since she ignored me (you know, from twilight) and then like a month or two later of her coming around we were doing some work in his garage and me and my dad heard meowing. I saw Rosalie, but then I saw little tiny heads poking out of the garage behind her. she had babies in my grandfathers garage! So it was so hard to get them all out because they have matted eyes and they were hiding. I’m taking them all to an animal shelter because I already have 2 cats and they’re boys. so they would end up having a domination match, but luckily the animal shelter doesn’t put their animals down in case they don’t get adopted. Anyways, thank you for the tea bag trick I will use it on them and that way people will want to adopt them in a heartbeat! Thanks!
I cleaned their eyes out several times with chamomile tea and this morning I woke up and they had clean wide eyes. It does work very well. Just make sure it’s luke-warm, not too hot or too cold, b/c it will bother the kittens. Thanks for the advice.
The tea bags REALLY WORK! I tried it with my two kittens and it really worked. Today when I woke up their eyes were wide and they could see clearly!
Thanks to all of you for your responses! This did work as far as the tea bag goes! But, now I have a new problem so, How do I get fleas off of her as she is to young to got to the vet??? She is only 8 weeks?
I have 4 new kittens that are 4 weeks old and a couple of them have matted eyes. I clean them with water and that helps, but I’m going to try the tea thing before I call a Vet. Thanks!
I have a Kitten and he had matted eyes and… tea works just dip a paper towel in the tea and it works. But remember never put sugar!!!!
I tried the tea on my 2 ten week old kittens and it is working. Thank you.
Going to try the tea bag thing tonight but Renee in regards to the fleas we used Dawn on our kittens and a fine comb. If they will let you dip them in water than rub them with the dawn and let it sit on them for at least a couple of minutes. Then wash it out. Warning the fleas will jump off so if you can I would do it outside and use rags you can throw away outside or they will get in your house. Use the fine tooth comb like a head lice comb to comb out the dead ones and live one. The fleas will go to their head and try to go in their month and nose so keep watch.
Just tried it on a 5 +/- week old kitten who has had matted eyes for about 2 or 3 weeks now and finaly got them cleaned up, got them open and she can apparently still see. So I’d say the tea bag method works. Gonna clean her eyes later tonight before I go to sleep if I can find her. So yea. Thanks for the method.
My mom and I just found two kittens and one of them had a matted eye. We tried wiping it out with a warm rag, and it worked, but in a few hours it was closed again. I just read about using tea bags, and we are going to go and buy some, and try it tomorrow. I hope it works, because we don’t have the money to go to the vet. Thanks for the advice!
I have a new white Persian kitten 12 weeks, tears stains are bad, what can I do?
After a little Google searching, I’ve found reference to both Green & White tea as having both antibacterial & anti-inflammatory properties. If you don’t have either type of tea, try getting a tea bag from a neighbor or friend. Both types of teas are wildly popular these days, someone is sure to have some on hand.
I’ve always heard that you can use a soft cloth with peroxide to wipe the tear stains & with repeated use & time they will fade away .Be sure not to get it in their eyes. Also, one of my clients said she only gives her Maltese & Persians bottled water. She said that something in city water causes the stains. Her animals had no tear stains AT ALL!!! If that don’t work, they have a product on the market called crystal eyes, you can get it at most pet stores (I manage Petco & we carry it). It’s not very expensive. Maybe 4 or 5 bucks. Good Luck!!!!
My kittens had matted eyes both eyes. I used the tea theory I learned here and I want to say thank you. It cleared their eyes. Just for FYi, if you treat them once a month it’s also a preventative.
What kind of tea do you use??
We just got a little boy kitten last night & his eyes are matted w/ green leakage. I was reading all the responses & I’m going to try the “tea” thing tonight. Send luck this way! I really hope it works, I feel awful for him. I cleaned his eyes last night & this morning but hopefully the tea works (minus sugar).
Thanks for the advice b/c we have no $$ for a vet.
For fleas on kittens:
You can only give mommy Frontline Plus. Make sure this is where she can’t lick the back of her neck and ingest.
Any kitten under 8 weeks is not recommended to wash if not absolutely necessary. If you have flea problems, buy Adams flea spray. Make sure you get the kind for cats. This is about 12 bucks. Remove and wash bedding. Then, under new bedding, spray the Adams flea spray. DO NOT spray directly on the surface of the bedding the kittens and mommy will be on. I sprayed a towel with it, then placed an un-sprayed towel over it. Then take one kitten at a time, (usually best to do this where mommy cat can see) and VERY lightly spray a hand towel. Wrap the kitten in the hand towel, but make sure the entire head is out of the towel. If they get it on their face, they can lick or inhale it, or pass to the teat thwarting the kittens from nursing. Hold each kitten in for about 2 minutes. Discard or wash the towel when done. This should only need to be done once, twice at most. Chamomile or green tea should work on the kitten eyes, wipe VERY gently, a few times a day, more important to dampen the crust so it wipes away easily. Use a different part of the tissue for each wipe or eye. The fresher the tea is and the more natural, like crushed tea leaves, the better it will work. Make sure it’s not too cold, or too hot. Hope this helps! If the eye goo or crust ever has a green or yellow look, get to vet ASAP. It is normal for a kitten to get a little crust when opening eyes, and does need to be tended to, but pussy, runny, yellow, or green is not good and is a sign of an infection. Good luck everyone!
Brenda, I have the same problem with some of my kittens also. I have used warm water and a little bit of opticlear – it is sold in pet stores. I just want to know if I can do any more and if it will clear up.
I used a very damp tissue and I let some water drip 1st so that the crust will soften and it will be easier to wipe, then I just wipe them and help them open their eyes with my hands (thumbs). You have to repeat this process every time they sleep because they usually don’t open when they take a long nap. If you don’t clean them, they will get more infected and they could lose they vision. Please clean them asap.
I have kittens that are three weeks old. I notice my white kitten had puffy eyes. They were very crusty as well. I used baby oil to make the crust soft. All of a sudden globs of pus started draining out. A week later my second cat has the same problem. Now I keep there eyes soothed with baby oil and I also use warm water at times, because I don’t want their eyes to get infected or worse. I begin to put antibiotic drops in their eye as well. It would be wise to clean their eyes before they go to sleep.
Brenda just use HOT water and salt in a small bowl and do that at the same time every day at the same time for a week or two.
Thanks everyone for the Tea Tip! I just saved a little kitten from my pap’s farm and she had a cold in her eyes. I have been wiping them clean with a wet warm cloth but it just isn’t clearing up 100%, so I’m going to try the Tea and see if that does the final trick! Thanks a million!
Have the tea bags helped?
First, it’s called a cold, this happens when a cat gets sick, and the eyes crust up and they can’t open them – but it may not get this bad.
What I find works 99% of the time is:
YOU WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING
*KETTLE WATER
*Cup or bowl
*Black tea
*Pinch of salt
*Some tissues or toilet paper
Boil the kettle and let it cool until its warm. Always use kettle water so it kills any bugs from in the water. Put the water in the bowl or cup, add the tea bag and the pinch of salt. Stir well.
Get the tissue and put half of the tissue in (it does not need to be dripping wet). Put 1 drop over the kittens eye (shut 1 or both) and let sit for a little so it softens. Then wipe as much as you can.
repeat daily until symptoms are gone
Can I use Epsom salts instead of table or sea salt?
One-forth teaspoon of boric acid found in drug stores and 32 oz of water. Boil the water and add boric acid making sure it mixes well. Let it cool, then clean their eyes with the mixture 3 to 4 times a day using a cotton ball. If you have a dropper this is better – a few drops, than wipe the eye or eyes never using same cotton ball.
The tea bag trick worked on my kitten in just one use. I was amazed. Thanks again!!
I am definitely going to try the tea bag idea…I was using contact solution…just the storage solution for the lenses…someone gave me this suggestion, and it too works well, and is alot cheaper then pet store alternatives…I would flush their eyes twice a day with the contact solution…
For fleas on kittens…. I used warm water and dish soap. Leave the dish soap on for about 5 minutes. Rinse the kitten and pick off the dead fleas. It worked for me!!
Will Earl Grey tea work? I’m out in the country and thats all I have for tea.
Can you do this teabag trick on kittens whose eyes are crusty and swollen badly?
Talk about the benefits of tea bags (black, green or Jasmine). My dog broke a tooth off, so before going to the vet, I heated a tea bag and placed it over the tooth. She appreciated the pain relief so much, she would bring me the tea bag to heat up again, AND she would hold it over her broken tooth until it was cold, then we’d start over. I tried it on a tooth ache, and it really does help. I find Jasmine is better for pain relief, black and green teas are better for infections. Give it a try!
I used jasmine tea-dipped cotton balls and held them to my kitten’s eyes, and they opened up within a matter of minutes.