There are medical causes for dilated pupils which should be ruled out if you notice the pupils are persistently large. They will look not only at the eye but looking to rule out any other potential causes of large pupils. Your vet will perform a physical examination of your cat. If your cat’s eyes are persistently dilated and there doesn’t appear to be an obvious cause, then it would be prudent to arrange a check-up with your veterinary surgeon. The pupil would likely be constricted rather than dilated. If the eye itself is painful it would usually only be the affected eye that is different. Persistently dilated pupils could be a clue that your cat is experiencing pain somewhere in its body. If the pupil remains dilated for an extended period of time it is important to rule out any underlying problems. A more relaxed sedate cat may not often dilate its pupils due to excitement. A young playful cat is much more likely to display wide pupils because of excitement or fear as they are naturally more inquisitive and playful. As the cat relaxes the obviously large pupil should return to a smaller size. Changes that occur due to excitement or fear should be relatively short lived. However, fear or surprise could also lead to the same result. There are a few possible causes for this: An excited or playful cat may have wide dilated pupils as they get ready to play. There are medical causes for dilated pupils which should be ruled out if you notice the pupils are persistently large.Ī cat’s pupils may be dilated at times other than dim lighting giving them a wide-eyed starry look.If the pupil remains dilated for an extended period of time it is important to rule out any underlying problems.An excited or playful cat may have wide dilated pupils as they get ready to play.If their pupils appear dilated even in bright light, Sinn says this could convey stress, fear, or concern. Kitty pupils dilate in low-light situations to improve their vision-in fact, cat eyes are designed to dilate into full circles, giving cats excellent night vision. Large, Dilated PupilsĬonversely, pupils get larger in the dark to allow more light in-hopefully allowing the viewer to see better when light isn't present. In other cases, a small or slit pupil might simply mean that your cat is relaxed. When the eye (feline or human) is exposed to bright light, the pupil will shrink in an effort to protect the eye and keep light out. Remember that pupils can change not only based on emotion but because of light. In contrast, their parasympathetic nervous system allows them to relax, or "rest and digest," and the pupils will constrict. Think of this as their "fight or flight" response, says Sinn. In a stressful situation, your cat's sympathetic nervous system causes their pupils to dilate. "There are muscles that surround the pupils that either dilate or constrict based on emotional feedback." Have you ever noticed that your kitty's eyes look different based on the situation they're in? "Pupils constrict and widen not just in response to light but also to emotion," says Leslie Sinn, DVM, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist and member of the Daily Paws Advisory Board. RELATED: Why Do Cats' Eyes Glow in the Dark? What Are a Cat's Pupils Trying to Tell You? There are, however, a few ways to translate how your cat is feeling through subtle body language cues. In the wild, they live alone, not with other cats, so they have little need for communication," says DeVoss. "Cats have evolved as a solitary species. While a dog may wag their tail, a telltale sign of excitement ( usually), cats conceal their emotions and often wear a "poker face." According to Molly DeVoss, Certified Feline Training and Behavior Specialist for Cat Behavior Solutions in Dallas, this is completely normal and in their nature. Close up of a cat's face focusing on his eye why do cats pupils change?Ĭat behavior is not as easy to decipher as dog behavior.
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