What Color Is a Cat’s Eye Discharge?

1 Overview

Eye discharge forms daily; if it suddenly increases, washing alone won’t fix it—find the cause.

1. White or semi-transparent

Usually normal; wipe it off each morning or it dries and discolors.

2. Yellow: heat/internal heat

Long-term single dry food or too much goat milk in kittens causes vitamin/fiber deficiency and low water, leading to heat and inflammation, more discharge. Make homemade food and increase water.

3. Yellow-green: inflammation

Infection causes much yellow-green discharge, reddening eyes, more secretion, sticky; untreated the eye won’t open, even photosensitivity. See a vet, use cat eye drops.

4. Dark-red jelly-like: injury

Eye injury (often in multi-cat homes) causes more discharge, dark-red jelly or yellow with blood streaks. See a vet.

5. Black discharge

Usually dried discharge is black; judge by its pre-drying color.

Much discharge and tearing

Cat flu causes much discharge and tearing, with sneezing, runny nose, higher temperature or fever. Seek a vet promptly—take it seriously!