Blindness in cats – when should I see a vet?

Updated 2026-09-30 · 1 sources

Based on: PDSA

Book a vet visit

This is not usually an emergency on its own – contact your vet if it lasts, gets worse or your cat seems unwell in any other way. Blindness in cats can have many causes, including cataracts, glaucoma, uveitis, retinal detachment and eye injuries.

When to contact a vet What to do now

Contact a vet if you see any of this

Cloudy eyes
Uneven or very wide pupils
Disorientation or bumping into things, especially in low light
Trouble finding familiar objects such as the litter tray or food bowls

What you can do now

Contact your vet
Note when it started, how often it happens and what else you see
Take a photo or short video to show the vet
Let your cat rest somewhere calm

Don't

Do not give any human medicine
Do not wait if it gets worse

What it can mean

Blindness in cats can have many different causes, and some are treatable while others are not.^[1] Sight loss can be gradual or sudden, depending on the cause.^[1] Many cats cope well with blindness, especially when they have lost vision gradually and adapted well.^[1] Blindness is usually permanent, but some causes may be reversible if caught very early.^[1]

Other signs that can come with it

Walking slowly or cautiously with the legs wider apart
Reluctance to jump or misjudging a jump
Hiding away or becoming nervous
Not wanting to go out at night

Possible causes

Cataracts
Glaucoma
Uveitis
Retinal detachment
Optic nerve disease
Brain disease
Eye injuries
Eye infections
Bleeding in the eye
Head trauma

What the experts say

“Blindness is usually permanent but there are some causes of blindness in cats where it may be possible to reverse the blindness if it is caught very early. Your vet will be able to guide you on your cat’s individual prognosis.”
— PDSA [1]

If your pet is struggling to breathe, has collapsed, is having a seizure or can't stand up: go to the nearest vet now.

Not sure how serious it is?

OkPaw asks a few quick questions about your pet and tells you in 30 seconds whether it can wait. Free on Google Play for Android.

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Common questions

What can cause blindness in cats?

It can be linked to eye injuries, retinal detachment, uveitis, eye infections, glaucoma, cataracts, optic nerve disease, brain disease or tumours in the eye.^[1]

Can blindness in cats start suddenly?

Sight loss can be gradual or sudden, depending on the cause.^[1]

Can cats cope with blindness?

Many cats cope well with blindness, especially when they have lost vision gradually and adapted well.^[1]

Sources

PDSA

How this page was made: written with the help of AI from the sources below, then checked claim by claim against those sources. Urgency levels follow OkPaw’s fixed safety rules. It is guidance, not a diagnosis. How we write our pages

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