If you live with one or more cats, surely at some point it has seemed to you as if your cat was crying when it meows, and that is when you have been able to ask yourself, Do cats cry?
Well, these charming felines have a peculiar way of communicating with humans, and it is through this type of meowing.
Surely you already distinguish the different sounds of cats, in order that you do something that they need.
Although there are other times when they do it to convey suffering, as if they wanted to let us know their emotions.
If you want to know more about crying cats, beyond the famous crying cat meme and why they do it, continue reading this post. You will be surprised by the reasons.
Do cats cry?
Well, to answer this question we will use a yes, cats do cry. But they do it for reasons other than ours. That does not mean that cats feel emotions, even if they do not express them like we do.
Humans, in general, when feeling some type of emotional or physical pain, secrete tears (tears are the result of a physiological process by which the eyeball is cleaned, protected and lubricated).
Although the reason for this is not yet known for sure, what is known is that when a person feels a lot of happiness, sadness or anger, they tend to expel tears as a form of expression.
Cats, for their part, also have their way of expressing themselves, and this is through meows that are very similar to crying , although their crying is not accompanied by tears.
If at any point you discover a watery eye in your cat, this may indicate a condition in your kitty’s eyes
Why can a cat “cry”?
Before knowing the reasons why cats cry, it must be taken into account that these whining-like meows are a form of communication, they are a way of informing the human that they need something.
Through these cry-like meows, cats will be demanding your attention, so that you satisfy any of their needs. This is why you cannot punish them, nor can you ignore them.
Pay attention to them and try to understand what they mean to you. Next, we will tell you some other cause of seeing cats crying.
If your cat is still very young, it will surely begin to complain and cry to call its mother for food, warmth or just company.
Also, if it is not so young, arriving at a new home can feel somewhat uncomfortable and strange, perhaps with some fear and they tend to cry a little.
For this reason, you should give them time and make them feel comfortable so that little by little it can adapt to its new home and the people who live in it. You will see that once it adapts his attitude will improve, it will stop crying.
Another very common reason for your cat to cry is when it is hungry, for food, or because it wants a little more of it.
When cats are very adult, they can also cry if they suffer from a disease that causes them pain.
Like, for example, some arthritis, kidney failure, etc. If so, take your cat to a vet as quickly as possible.
Another reason that makes your cat cry is going to be heat. During this time, your cat will want to go out to meet other cats, it will be very active and even somewhat irritating.
These occasions may begin to cry at night, or at the door.
Type of tears in cats
Although we already know that cats are capable of crying since in that way they manage to express themselves and try to communicate something specific to us, it has also become clear to us that crying is not accompanied by tears.
If your cat is crying you should be concerned, as this may be a disease or discomfort in your cat’s eye. And depending on the type of tear, you can know what to do. Let’s see it
Excess tears due to blocked lacrimal:
Tears can be caused by excess tears due to an obstruction in the tear tubes. This tear tube is located in the corner of your cat’s eye, this tube is responsible for directing the tears towards the cat’s nose.
But if this channel is blocked, tears will come out of the cat’s eye or eyes. A scab will appear around the eye or the area will noticeably darken.
Lacrimal blockage is usually caused by a previous infection, such as an allergy or conjunctivitis. Another cause of the blockage of the lacrimal canal is the growth of an eyelash near it.
There are some breeds of cats, such as the Persian cat, which, due to the shape of their face, have a lot to suffer from this type of situation. Another reason for an obstruction of the lacrimal is due to an entropion, or rather a malformation of the eyelid.
If any of these situations is occurring with your cat, it is important that you go to a veterinarian, since it will tell you what to do, the treatments are not usually complicated and in many cases a surgical intervention is not necessary, unless they attempt against the integrity of the cat’s vision.
Cats crying clear and not very abundant tears:
The cause of this type of tears can be a foreign element in the eye. And tears of this type are usually to expel said element.
It is also likely that your cat’s eye has some irritation in the eye that causes these tears: irritation caused perhaps by:
- Some product that you have used, or by
- Some particle of sand from your litter box
- Maybe it hit its eye a little playing
- That it has accidentally scratched themselves.
If it is any of these cases, there is not much to do, because these types of tears will disappear by themselves. At most we can help our kitten by lightly cleaning the eye with a clean gauze.
Cats crying tears with yellow or greenish color
If this is happening with your cat, which is tearing in yellowish or greenish tones, well, it can be a clear sign that your cat has some disease or infection.
It can be something as simple as a cold or pink eye, as well as something much more serious.
In such cases, it is much more important that you go to a veterinarian, who will give you an exact diagnosis and a treatment to follow to cure your cat’s eye disease.
Lacrimal Related Diseases in Cats
If there are real tears in the eyes of your cats, it is very common to associate them with some disease in the lacrimal or eyeball.
Eye diseases in cats are mainly characterized by the appearance of secretions, excessive tearing, redness, inflammation, among others.
This type of signs and symptoms can indicate the existence of a viral or bacterial disease due to some of the most common diseases we can find:
- Corneal ulcers
- Dendritic ulcers
- Conjunctivitis
- Uveitis
- Glaucoma
- Nasal tear duct obstruction
