Why Does My Cat Blink One Eye?[Answered]

When your feline winks at you, your soul is simply delighted, and a single glance into his face may instantly make a bad morning better. However, if you pay attention, you’ll notice that he frequently blinks his single eye. Why does this happen? what’s the reason? Why Does My Cat Blink One Eye?

When a cat winks it’s one eye that indicates a sign of sadness or anxiety. It means they’ve been injured emotionally or they may try to communicate with you. Moreover, it also indicates something is bothering their eyes. It’ll be possible that their eyes will be hurt or infected.

But for most newbie cat owners these additional eye movements, such as winking might be difficult to understand and most of you don’t know when you should be concerned about your cat’s winking. Don’t worry, in this post, I’m going to break down the difference between winks that are healthy and safe and those that require vet care.

Cat Winking: What Does It Look Like?

Cats “wink” similarly like us, except they can only close one eye. However, when we compared cat winks to ours, the winks we did are frequently unintentional eye movements.

According to the situation or underlying reason, a feline’s “wink” can range from normally closing its eyes to even more irregular, flickering closure. Moreover, cats’ winks are a part of their normal eye movement, however, an irregular or flickering closing of one eye signals that there’s some underlying eye problem.

Check Out: Why Are My Cat’s Eyes Dilated All The Time? Here’s What Might Be Going On

Why Does My Cat Blink One Eye? What Does it Mean When a Cat Winks at You?

Although winking isn’t a common cat activity, it may show your cat’s affection. Cats frequently close their eyes at once as a sign of contentment or extreme devotion. Moreover, sometimes, instead of closing both eyes, your cat will just close one of them, which is also known as a “slow wink.”

There are various explanations for felines blinking slowly. Many people think that show blinking is a fostered behavior that cats have learned from humans.  However, some people believe that felines blink slowly to show a threat. Despite its origination, the slow blinking, or wink, is generally considered a sign of a cat’s trust.

However, most winks aren’t quite pleasant. So, if your feline winks regularly or blinks frequently with only one eye, then he may be suffering from a medical problem. There are generally three main reasons why your feline winks at you.

1. They Want to be friendly

It is commonly known that feline slowly blinks to express happiness and friendliness toward the person they’re staring at. Two or three sluggish incomplete blinks—in which the lids don’t completely close—make up the so-called “slow blinking.”

The most slowly blinking feline at kennels are the ones that get adopted quickly. A sluggish blinking usually entails both eyeballs.  However, in some situations in which a feline may choose to wink slowly.

• Their face will probably be rather motionless if they’re leaning over one cheek, letting the other cheek perform the job.
• Face paralysis in felines can be brought on by severe traumas and ear disorders. In that situation, a wink might be produced if one eye blinks more noticeably compared to the other.

2. They’re Having Eye Irritation

Sometimes a dusty crumb may irritate your feline’s eyes which forces them to wink.  Your feline might be winking to get rid of that irritating object. These signs will help you to know this kind of wink:

• Quick or constant wink
• Skin irritation or watering
• Using a paw to scratch the eye

You must check your feline if he gets something in his eyes or call your vet before the situation gets worse. 

3. Their Eye is Wounded or Diseased

Felines are susceptible to a wide range of ocular issues, such as infectious diseases, eye damage, and severe traumas.  Their eye’s cornea is more heavily packed with nerves than their other body parts, so injuries and illnesses make it extremely painful!

Blinking or winking with one eye closed are the most typical initial symptoms that cat owners notice when their feline has eye problems.  Other signs to watch out for are:

• Excess tears
• White, pale, or green color discharge,
• Eyes redness
• Cloudiness on the cornea
• Excessive rubbing

Bring your feline to the doctor if you observe these symptoms or if you think your feline has anything stuck in its eyeball that they’re unable to remove. The veterinarian will check the eye for injuries and suggest a method of treatment.

4. Allergies and Environmental Factors

Cats, like humans, can experience allergies. Pollen, mold, or other allergens could cause itchiness and irritation, prompting your cat to blink more frequently in an attempt to alleviate the discomfort.

5. Conjunctivitis or Pink Eye

Conjunctivitis, or pink eye, is an inflammation of the conjunctiva—a thin, transparent layer covering the front of the eye. This condition can lead to watery eyes and increased blinking, often in one eye.

How to Decode Cat Winking and Blinking?

Good winks are those that look like a slow blink and are accompanied by particular physical signs. our feline won’t be tense or restless, but rather quiet and comfortable. Your cat may be staring at you for a while blinking slowly. Moreover, a partially closed eye also means that the cat is winking at you as a sign of affection or communication.

Is It Normal If My Cat Winks at Me?

If your cat is winking normally and his eyes are in perfect condition, then it’s quite normal and you don’t need to be concerned.

Moreover, if your feline gives you a wink while pretending to have its eyes partly close, it simply means that they’re letting you know that they’re okay when you’re near to him.

It’s however a wise choice to see your veterinarian when your feline is winking frequently or if its winking is accompanied by inflammation, pawing, or ocular secretion. If you’re doubtful, a veterinarian can diagnose the eye disorders and provide you advice regarding what signs are bad for your feline’s eyes.

When is Cat Blinking a Problem?

If your feline frequently blinks, particularly erratically and abruptly, you must watch out for additional signs of an eye problem, such as:

• Redness with swollen eyes
• Tears
• Cloudy eyes
• Scratching or rubbing one’s eyes
• Responsiveness to light
• Your feline is irritated
• Your cat isn’t performing routine grooming tasks.
• Your feline doesn’t eat properly

Since nerves regulate a cat’s capacity to wink, brain functions may potentially be the reason for irregular cat winking. Even though it’s rare, facial nerve dysfunction can prevent a cat from blinking one eye, due to which the cat may also wink.

Moreover, if you find that one eye is closing more frequently compared to the other, you must bring your feline to the doctor, particularly if the winking is irregular, flickering, or if it’s followed by secretion. If you detect a behavioral change, a decline in hunger, or weight reduction, then you must bring your feline to the clinic.

It’s positive if your feline frequently gives you a soft, controlled wink when you’re chilling out. It’s an expression of confidence and love, and you may even slowly blink in response at him to show him that you share those feelings.

Interesting Reading: Can You Use Human Eye Drops on Cats?

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

You finally realize that your felines wink at you to express their affection and concern for you or to communicate with you. You must feel lucky if your feline winks and smiles toward you, as this shows that she adores you. Moreover, it also indicates that she feels secure and content in your company.

Another possibility would be that your feline is suffering from an infestation and need urgent medical attention.  Although if your feline is just resting in her preferred area, use caution when she does it frequently.

You should bring her to the clinic immediately if you suspect that her winking is being triggered by a trauma to her eyeball or her eyes’ thin membrane nictitation.