Why Do Cats Squint Their Eyes at You (The Real Reason!) (2023)

Have you ever wondered “Why Do Cats Squint Their Eyes at You”

Your cat will be staring at you and will be squinting

Or maybe your cat will go to the place where you keep the treats and will just stare at you squinting

What does it all mean?

Why do they do that?

If you’re interested in knowing why and the different reasons then you’re going to love this article

Sound good?

Let’s get started!

Cats can be mysterious at times, and their actions depend on how close they are to you.

Have you ever notice your cat squint their eyes at you?

It’s so cute right!

Or you may have looked at your cat – and you’ve squint your eyes

And your cat does the same back to you

Too adorable right?

What does it mean though when a cat squints their eyes at you?

What if your cat doesn’t squint back at you?

Is it an indication he hates you?

Let’s find out…

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Why Your Cat Squints Their Eyes at You

Purring, bumping head on you, and rubbing against you are only some of the cat’s way of showing affection.

However, cats are reserved type of pets.

They will show their love and affection to those who they trust

Another way your cat shows that he/she loves you is by squinting their eyes at you

Let me tell you

My Cat Tigger,

He uses this squinting his eyes as a way of getting things from me

He’s so clever

He’ll go by the treat drawer and then will start to meow and purr at the same time

Once I make eye contact with him

He’ll squint his eyes at me

Boy, it’s so adorable and very hard to say no to that!

So I give him a treat

He sure knows how to pull the strings of my heart! lol

You see, your cats eyes says a lot about how they feel

One way is showing affection to you and in a way telling you he/she loves you

But squinting eyes is not just a means of saying I love you

There have different reasons too

Let’s look at the different reasons why a cat squints their eyes

What You Should Know When Your Cat Squints at You

Your Cat Trusts You Enough

When they feel comfortable and safe around you, they will go near you and squint their eyes at you.

Try to squint your eyes to your cat, and he might squint back at you.

It will tell you a lot about your relationship with your cat.

The slow-blink or squinting means he lets his guard down with you because he knows how that nothing bad will happen when he is with you.

Ultimate level of trust

And of course

Squinting at you is a way for your cat telling you he loves you

They are so cute right when they squint their eyes

It’s part of your cat being cute

I talk about cats being cute in my article – why are cats so cute

Health Conditions

If your cat is excessively squinting and blinking their eyes then this can mean something is wrong with your cat

It could potentially be a eye disease so you should take your cat to the vets as soon as possible

Here are some of the health issues associated with eye squinting:

Eye Trauma

Eye trauma could happen if there are foreign objects in your cat’s eyes.

Other possible reasons are scratches if he fought with other cats or if he accidentally punctured his eyes by mistake

These could be obvious if you see bleeding, swelling, painful, or reddening of the eyes.

Uveitis

This eye problem could be the effect of other health illnesses, such as metabolic disorders, trauma, tumors, or autoimmune diseases.

The clear symptoms could be the eyeball swelling, cloudy eyes, too much mucus discharge, or small or uneven pupil.

Blepharitis

Blepharitis or eyelid inflammation are usually caused by different triggers.

These could be parasites, viral infections, allergens, or bacterial infections.

If the eye problem is severe, you’ll see your cat severely itching their eye

If you see this condition in your cat, it is best to take your cat to the vets

The veterinarian will be able to tell you the main cause of blepharitis, and it will help you to address the problem immediately.

Conjunctivitis

This eye problem is common among kittens.

You’ll notice excessive blinking, reddening of the eyes, a lot of mucus around the eyes, and squinting.

Some of the common causes are allergens, eye infection, or other viral infections.

Glaucoma

Although this eye problem is very rare in cats, this condition could still happen, and can be serious if not treated immediately.

The causes could be severe, such as tumors, trauma, infection, or anatomic anomalies.

When not treated, this could cause blindness or vision loss.

Squinting, painful eyes, and cloudy eyes are some of the common symptoms.

This eye problem can be treated

If you see notice any symptoms, it is advisable to go to the vet clinic immediately, and have several checkups.

Corneal Ulcer

This can be a serious cat eye problem.

Some of the early symptoms are eye discharge, buildup of mucus, and cloudy eyes.

The causes that could trigger this eye disease are infections, anatomical anomalies, injuries, and insufficient tear production.

If you see you cat’s eyes getting dried up easily, you can buy eye drops that your vet will recommended.

Yes, cat squinting at you are one of the cutest thing you’ll see from your cat

However, it is important to be weary of any signs that could be a eye infection or any other disease

When you see some abnormal eye squinting, take your cat to the vets immediately to address the problem quickly.

Importance of Showing Your Cat You Love Them

When your cat squints at you and you know they’re doing it out of love and affection to you (It should be easy to notice the difference between an eye condition due to squinting or squinting to tell you he loves you) it’s important to show the same love back

You should squint back at your cat as a way of telling your cat you love them

How cute is this right?

Communicating with your cat through eyes

It’s a great way of communicating with your cat

I always say, we as cat parents should build a bond with our furbabies through communicating with them

Yes, we can buy toys and spend time with them

But what about the emotional side

That’s very important

To be able to understand your cats body language

What is your kitty trying to tell you

This will build such a sweet bond and relationship

You should check out my article

How to show your cat you love them

Wrapping It Up

Cats can’t literally tell you they love you so they show you through body language

Purring, rubbing their head against you, these are all signs your cat loves you

But when a cat squints that’s your cats way of telling you “I love you and trust you”

Too cute!

So when your cat squints at you make sure you do the same back

That way you’re telling your cat I love you too

But also do remember, a cat that is squinting continuously or has discharge can be a sign of a infection or disease

So be careful of that

If you notice your cat squinting too much then make sure you take your furbaby to the vets to get your cat checked up