Tears may fall from their eyes, but they are always a result of a medical condition.
Cats do, however, have their own way of sharing their emotions.
This article will explain what will cause tears to fall from a cat’s eyes, and how we can decipher their emotions.
Cat’s Tears
The main reason for tears falling from your cat’s eyes is that they are sick or injured.
The tears are not usually caused by sadness. The tears could be a result of irritation if any dust has made its way into their eye.
Their eyes could also be tearing up after a fight with another cat, and the other cat may have scratched your cat’s eye.
In this case, it’s best to take your cat to the vet as soon as possible so that it can get its eye checked out.
Some other reasons why your cat’s eye may be tearing could be as follows:
Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye)
This is one of the most common eye disorders that cats experience.
It is when the mucous membrane that lies in the inner surface of a cat’s eyelid becomes inflamed.
As well as tearing of the eye, your cat may experience discomfort, inflammation, and perhaps blurred vision.
The good news is, that this illness is very treatable and most cats will experience a mild bout of this at least once in their lifetime.
Allergies
If your cat is allergic to certain substances, this can cause glassy or watery eyes, as it does for humans!
Your cat may be allergic to certain pollen, mold, dust, certain cleaning products, and perfumes.
Keeping your cat away from what it is allergic to can reduce this issue.
However, if you are not sure what the allergies are from, then a trip to the vet can solve that issue.
Eye Infections
Apart from conjunctivitis, there are other infections that can affect your cat’s eyes.
Symptoms include redness around the eyes, discharge, swelling, and tears.
The minute you notice any of these symptoms in your cat, you should make a trip to the vet right away, so they can determine the best kind of treatment moving forward.
Sinusitis
Another common problem that impacts cats’ eyes is sinusitis.
They can become infected through the nose, which causes them to sneeze, and sometimes even have a runny nose.
Your cat might also scratch themselves because of this infection.
You can help prevent this by keeping your cat away from allergens such as dust mites and dander.
You can also keep their environment clean, especially if they spend time outdoors.
Dry Eye Syndrome
Dry eye syndrome occurs when your cat’s tear glands don’t produce enough moisture.
This results in dry eyes, which can lead to more serious issues like corneal ulcers.
Treating this condition requires regular visits to the vet. There are medications available that can help alleviate the symptoms.
If you are noticing that your cat’s eyes are tearing up, it is important to note that this is not them expressing their emotions.
It is a sign that something is medically wrong with them.
A trip to the vet is crucial if you notice teary eyes, and while most reasons for watery eyes are minor, some may become serious if treatment is not given to the cat.
Do Cats Have Emotions?
Cats do have feelings, just like us. They feel pain, happiness, anger, fear, and love.
So, yes, they do express emotion but they don’t really show it on their face.
Instead, they use body language to communicate their emotions.
They may raise an eyebrow, furrow their brow, lick their lips, turn their head, etc.
These actions are all ways in which they let others know how they are feeling.
They also read human facial expressions and experience an array of feelings towards other animals as well as humans.
You will know a cat is happy and content when they purr, play, and rub themselves against objects, people, or other animals.
A cat will express sadness by perhaps losing its appetite, spending a lot of time on its own, and becoming less energetic.
When cats are scared or angry, their tail will puff up, their backs may become arched, and they may hiss and growl at other animals or people.
When a cat is anxious or sad, it may also make sounds that are different from usual.
These sounds are similar to whining from humans, so one could assume that these sounds are a cat’s version of crying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Does My Cat Cry Like A Human?
Cats tend to vocalize what they want to communicate to whoever is around, be that another animal or their owner.
When cats make a somewhat crying sound, it could be for a number of reasons.
Female cats may cry at night because they are looking for a mate.
Another reason cats may cry is that they are asking for food or water.
Sometimes they do this for attention, especially at night when their human companions have gone to bed.
How Can I Stop My Cat Meowing At Night?
If you notice your cat is mainly meowing during the night, it may be because they want attention.
Despite what most people believe, cats don’t enjoy being alone a lot.
You can manage this by ensuring they are busy throughout the day by playing with them. This will use up their energy.
You should also make sure they have plenty of water and food throughout the night.
They could also be meowing because their litter box is dirty, so ensuring that you’ve cleaned it up before going to bed can help.
Lastly, if you know your cat is not in any pain or distress and they are meowing for attention, you should ignore this at night, so they break that cycle and understand that it is bedtime.
Final Thoughts
Cats communicate with each other and with us, using body language.
We can learn about their behavior and understand what they mean by watching them closely.
Although cats do not shed tears when they are sad, they do experience sadness, and this is something we can see through their body language, such as by a loss of appetite, and secluding themselves.
As for watery eyes, if you notice this in your cat, you should make a trip to the vet immediately, as they could have a medical condition that could worsen without treatment.
Before assuming a cat’s strange behavior is down to their emotions, you should always have them checked physically before coming to that conclusion.
I’m Courtney Trent and I hope that I can answer some burning questions that you have about cats, as well as some questions that you’d never have thought to ask before.
I am aiming to shed new light on these amazing pets and hopefully change some people’s opinions on them. Also, let’s talk about wild cats - they’re just as awesome as domestic cats!
So, stay a while and learn more about domestic and wild cats from Windhaven Ocicats.
