Cross-eyed cats: breeds, why this happens, famous ones, 35 photos

When choosing a pet, most people look for a healthy and attractive animal. But there are exceptions when, behind the superficial imperfections, some people see the zest in a pet and would not exchange their friend for anyone.

Cats with slanted eyes look unusual and cute, but a good owner always thinks whether this is dangerous for their health and why the animal acquires such a defect.

Strabismus in kittens

In veterinary practice, the incorrect location of the eyeball in a cat in the orbit of one or both eyes, when the visual axes do not intersect at one point, is called strabismus. Converging pupils at the nose are called esotropia, and diverging pupils in different directions are called exotropia.

In kittens, this phenomenon occurs most often, because... due to weak eye muscles, the pupil may look in one direction or the other, but there is nothing wrong with that. Typically, early strabismus in an animal goes away after 5-6 months.

But sometimes it happens that the cat’s strabismus remains with it even after a long time. In this case, you need to visit a veterinarian to determine the cause.

If the matter is a genetic predisposition, then there is nothing to be afraid of, the cat will be able to live with this feature. And if your pet develops strabismus as an adult, this is a cause for concern.

Acquired strabismus can be a consequence of diseases such as:

viral infections;
diseases of the nervous system;
benign and malignant tumors;
disorders in the vestibular apparatus;
consequences of injuries.

The veterinarian must determine the cause of strabismus and, if it was acquired as a result of illness or injury, begin treatment in a timely manner. In such cases, strabismus is only a consequence of a disease that can lead to serious problems with the pet’s health.

Most often, strabismus is inherited by a cat from its ancestors.

Strabismus

Diphtheria

Thyrotoxicosis

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IMPORTANT!

The information in this section cannot be used for self-diagnosis and self-treatment.
In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, diagnostic tests should be prescribed only by the attending physician. To make a diagnosis and properly prescribe treatment, you should contact your doctor. Strabismus: causes of occurrence, what diseases it occurs with, diagnosis and treatment methods.

Definition

Strabismus is the deviation of one of the eyes from the joint point of fixation, which is accompanied by impaired binocular vision. Depending on the type of strabismus, the mismatch in eye position can be temporary or permanent.

Strabismus is a fairly common type of visual pathology, which, according to experts, occurs in 2–6% of the population.
Types of strabismus
There are true and imaginary strabismus. The latter is observed when the angle between the anatomical axis of the eye (passes through the center of the cornea) and the optical axis (passes through the center of curvature of the surface of the cornea and lens) exceeds 4°. As a rule, this occurs due to the structural features of the facial skull. Binocular vision is not affected. Hidden strabismus is also possible, which most often occurs due to a slight imbalance of muscle forces and only appears with specialized testing.

True strabismus can be concomitant or paralytic. With concomitant strabismus, the angle between the axes of the two eyes remains unchanged when moving, while in paralytic strabismus, the angle changes when the eyes move. Concomitant strabismus can be permanent or periodic. The eye can deviate outward (exotropia, or divergent strabismus), inward (esotropia, or convergent squint), or vertically - up (hypertropia) or down (hypotropia).

In some patients, both eyes may squint alternately: first one, then the other. In these cases they talk about alternating strabismus.

In paralytic strabismus, the disease is based on paresis and paralysis of the extraocular muscles. This type of strabismus occurs more often in adults and is difficult to diagnose. There are also atypical forms of strabismus: with Duane syndrome, Brown syndrome, due to endocrine diseases, acute orbital myositis, etc.

Possible causes of strabismus

The causes of strabismus can be of a very different nature: congenital underdevelopment of the extraocular muscles, refractive errors (inability to focus an object with both eyes).

In these cases, the shape of the eye changes so that the image does not fall on the retina, but in front of it or behind it.

Strabismus can develop with insufficient development or weakening of the ciliary, or ciliary, muscle of the eye, which provides accommodation of the eye.

Astigmatism is another cause of strabismus. The uneven curvature of the cornea results in multiple focal points, resulting in blurred images. The brain tries to focus only on one eye, which gives clear focus, cutting off signals coming from the other eye. The eye, left without control, stops working synchronously with the other, which leads to strabismus. In most cases, astigmatism is congenital, and its first symptoms are observed at 2–3 years of age. However, acquired astigmatism due to surgery or traumatic brain injury is also possible, which is explained by damage to the oculomotor nerve.

Tumor processes that can lead to displacement of the eyeball and disruption of its innervation should also be considered as a possible cause of strabismus.

A significant group of diseases leads to paralysis and paresis of the eye muscles, which causes paralytic strabismus. In this case, the movement of the eye towards the affected muscle is limited or absent, which distinguishes paralytic strabismus from concomitant strabismus. A characteristic symptom in these cases is a forced turn of the head, which replaces eye movement. Children sometimes even develop torticollis due to the desire to get rid of a blurred image by forcing a change in head position. The cause of paralysis can be tumor, inflammatory and vascular changes, as well as injuries to the brain, orbit and rupture of the extraocular muscle.

A number of infectious diseases (diphtheria, meningitis, etc.), intoxication (botulism), inflammatory processes, leading to damage to the extraocular muscles and nerves, can cause strabismus. Vascular pathologies (aneurysm, vasculitis), leading to disruption of nerve nutrition, sometimes cause paralysis of the optic nerve, causing strabismus. Nuclear, or nuclear, paresis, for example neuroma of the third nerve, becomes a factor of slowly progressive paralysis and is characterized by divergent strabismus. In addition to strabismus, ptosis of the upper eyelid, the impossibility or limitation of turning the eyeball inward and upward, and pupil dilation are noted.

Strabismus in thyrotoxicosis occurs due to severe exophthalmos (“protrusion” of the eyeballs). The disease is accompanied by damage to the extraocular muscles.

Swelling, an increase in the volume of fiber around the eyes and extraocular muscles lead to protrusion of the eyeball from the socket.

Over time, muscle thickening and adhesions contribute to limited upward and outward movement of the eyes and permanent squint.

Which doctors should I contact if I have strabismus?

Diagnosis and treatment of strabismus is carried out by an ophthalmologist. In case of exophthalmos (“protrusion” of the eyeballs), consultation is necessary. In case of paralytic strabismus, treatment should include.

Diagnosis and examinations for strabismus

To make a correct diagnosis, a thorough questioning of the patient about the time of strabismus onset, previous diseases, and factors that preceded the visual impairment is necessary. Sometimes strabismus can be hidden. In these cases, at the initial stage of the examination, a test with closing one eye is used. By closing each eye of the patient in turn, the doctor sees a change in the position of the eye while fixing the image.

It is imperative to determine visual acuity for each eye and perform perimetry (a diagnostic test in which the doctor can detect abnormalities in a person’s visual fields).

For differential diagnosis of the type of strabismus (friendly or paralytic), the volume of movement of the eyeballs and refraction (detection of myopia, farsightedness, etc.) with a dilated pupil are determined.

Binocular vision testing is necessary, which is carried out using a four-point color test. To determine the degree and type of strabismus, one should also measure the strabismus angle according to Hirschberg. Indirect ophthalmoscopy allows you to evaluate the fundus and changes in its structures that can cause problems in the future, it can also be useful for the doctor when examining a patient with subtle strabismus.

In some cases, the tissues and optical media of the eye are examined by biomicroscopy, and the fundus of the eye is assessed to identify pathologies of the vitreous body and retina. If a neurogenic, tumor or endocrine nature of strabismus is suspected, ultrasound and computed tomography of the eyes are performed.

What to do with strabismus

If a child develops strabismus, parents should consult a doctor.

In most cases, childhood strabismus can be managed without surgery.

However, only a doctor can find out its cause and prescribe treatment after a thorough examination. Therefore, consultation is necessary even in cases where strabismus occurs only periodically.

Sometimes this one symptom may indicate more serious diseases: neurological disorders, and sometimes tumors. The reason for immediately contacting a doctor should be the appearance of strabismus shortly after an injury or infectious disease. In these cases, only quick help can prevent serious complications.

Treatment of strabismus

With concomitant strabismus, the main task is to normalize binocular vision, thanks to which the eyes acquire a symmetrical position. As one option, your doctor may recommend optical correction.

This method is aimed at restoring visual acuity and normalizing the ratio of accommodation and convergence using glasses or contact lenses.

Then pleoptic treatment is added to increase the load on the squinting eye. For this purpose, the healthy eye is turned off from the visual process, covering it during the day with an opaque sticker or a screen on glasses. At night, the eye is freed from such a screen. At the same time, the squinting eye learns to fixate the object. When visual acuity reaches 0.4–0.5, orthoptic treatment is prescribed, which helps develop the ability of the eyes to combine images.

At the final stage of treatment, the patient must consolidate the effect of binocular vision in natural conditions, which is achieved with the help of special gymnastics.

Surgical methods for correcting strabismus are prescribed in the absence of effect from conservative treatment for 1–1.5 years, as well as in case of double vision and in case of constant forced position of the head. An indication for surgery is also the presence of a tumor or hematoma that compresses the oculomotor nerve.

Sources:

Neroev V.V., Kashchenko T.P., Aklaeva N.A. Strabismus // National manual “Ophthalmology”. – Moscow, 2008.
Kashchenko T.P. Oculomotor system: Textbook. on eye diseases / Ed. V.G. Kopaeva. – M.: Medicine, 2002. – P. 387–410.

IMPORTANT!

The information in this section cannot be used for self-diagnosis and self-treatment. In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, diagnostic tests should be prescribed only by the attending physician. To make a diagnosis and properly prescribe treatment, you should contact your doctor.

Cat Breeds Prone to Strabismus

Cats of any breed can have strabismus, but there are animals among which it is most common:

Siamese;
Thai;
snow-shoe;
Balinese;
Javanese.

Cross-eyed Siamese cat
This phenomenon is associated with a special gene called “acromelanism”. It is he who gives cats an unusual color of fur and eyes (dark paws and tail, light body and bright blue eyes). But this gene gives cats not only beauty, because of it the optic nerve develops incorrectly, the cat sees everything in double form, and objects look flat. Attempts to put it all together and take a better look lead to the pet acquiring slanted eyes, sometimes the pupils move from side to side.

Reasons for appearance

If this is an acquired phenomenon, then you need to consider the main factors that can lead to a cat getting sick:

presence of injury that may occur from a fall from a height. A severe blow to the head may also be present. The cat's eyes suffer mechanical damage, or the functioning of the optic nerve is disrupted. In this case, any type of disease may occur;
heredity, which is determined by genes. If the deviation is within the acceptable norm, then treatment is not required. Cats from birth get used to this pathology and feel great in the future;
problems with the vestibular apparatus. It causes a distorted perception of the information received by the brain, in particular, the position of the head in space is incorrectly perceived;
various diseases of the nervous system. The interaction between the eyes and the central nervous system is disrupted. This case also includes brain tumors of various etiologies;
rabies, in which the pupil dilates greatly and clouding of the cornea is observed;

otitis media of both the inner and middle ear;
the presence of dropsy in the brain - hydrocephalus;
feline leukemia;
glaucoma;
encephalitis;
meningitis.

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Is correction required?

Hereditary strabismus is only an external feature that does not cause any inconvenience to the cat and does not harm it.

It’s another matter if strabismus was acquired in adulthood, then immediate help from a specialist is needed. To accurately diagnose problems with the nervous system and vestibular system, an MRI of the eye orbits or brain may be required.

For various inflammatory diseases, drug treatment is necessary, which is prescribed by a veterinarian. With proper and timely therapy, strabismus in your cat will be completely cured.

If the problem of strabismus is associated with various injuries or damage to the eye muscles, then there is only one way out of the situation - surgical intervention. The operation will have a good outcome only if the disease is detected at an early stage. Otherwise, the animal will face unpleasant consequences for its health and well-being.

That is why it is so important to promptly contact a veterinary clinic as soon as the disease is identified.

Signs and types of strabismus

Strabismus in cats can be unilateral, when only one eyeball deviates from its normal position, or bilateral, when the disorder extends to both eyes. The eyeballs are mobile, and their joint movement in the orbits is ensured by several small muscles. If, for some reason, the coordinated work of these muscles is disrupted, or the eyeball is displaced relative to its correct position within the orbit, then strabismus occurs.

In many cases the problem can be determined visually , but this is not always possible. If the cat's eyes are oriented differently, the pupils and corneas are asymmetrically located, these obvious signs will indicate strabismus. If the asymmetry is not too obvious or not noticeable at all, you can observe the cat. If, while looking at an object, her two eyes fixate on it differently, she probably has strabismus.

In some cases, strabismus is not accompanied by a clear turn of the eyeball in any direction, while the pupil may have the usual round shape, and the eye is no different in appearance from a healthy one. To check your suspicions and, if necessary, begin treatment, the cat owner needs to contact a specialist.

If the cat's pupils are close to the nose, which is often found in cats of Siamese or Oriental breeds, then this type of strabismus is called convergent. If, on the contrary, the pupils are deviated from the nose in different directions, then the observed strabismus is called divergent. Convergent strabismus is more common and is often congenital. Strabismus that occurs in an initially healthy cat is acquired and can be caused by many different factors.

Mister Cat talks: famous cross-eyed cats

Due to the fact that cats with strabismus look touching and special, their owners do not miss the opportunity to show everyone around their special pet.

For example, the popular cat Spangles from South Carolina. His squint does not in the least prevent him from living life to the fullest, having fun and posing for the camera in various outfits.

Spangles

And here is a ginger cat from California named Jarvis. He was found by his current owners on the street at 4 weeks of age. Apparently, the previous owner, having noticed a flaw in the kitten in the form of slanted eyes, decided to get rid of it in this way. The cat was picked up by a local resident and at first wanted to give him to a shelter, but then she changed her mind and kept the baby with her.

Jarvis

Cat Jarvis gained fame and was loved by millions of people when his owner posted his photos on the Internet. People couldn't ignore such a charming and funny ginger cat. And Jarvis’s owner herself says that the cat has been incredibly smart, active and cheerful since childhood, and she is very glad that she did not give him to a shelter.

Jarvis

Jarvis 1111

Treatment

Strabismus can be corrected with appropriate glasses, exercises, and surgery. Treatment of strabismus is a complex matter and requires great patience from the patient (parents) and vast experience of the attending physician. For a successful outcome of therapy, timely diagnosis and immediate initiation of treatment are important.

Before starting treatment, it is necessary to determine the type of strabismus and try to eliminate its cause. For this it is important:

Carefully examine the patient (collect anamnesis: find out the age of onset of strabismus, find out whether there are concomitant diseases, what treatment was given).
Assess the current ophthalmological status (type/strabismus, angle of strabismus, i.e. degree of deviation of the eyeball, visual acuity, peripheral vision, examine the adnexal apparatus, as well as all structures of the eyeball.

It is important to understand that vision is a complex physiological process; it is the cooperative work of the visual analyzer, pathways and the brain, resulting in the creation of stereoscopic visual images and binocular vision.

Therefore, the main goal of strabismus treatment is not only the correct position of the eyeballs, but also “training” the visual cortex of the brain to work in new conditions and generate high-quality binocular vision.

Treatment of strabismus

With strabismus, usually only the eye that performs vision retains the ability to see normally. An eye deviated to the side sees worse and worse over time, its visual functions are suppressed. Therefore, treatment should begin as early as possible.

Treatment for strabismus may include:

optical correction (glasses, soft contact lenses);
increasing visual acuity in both eyes (treatment of amblyopia) using hardware procedures;
orthoptic and diploptic treatment (development of binocular vision);
consolidation of achieved monocular and binocular functions;
surgery.

Usually the operation is resorted to as a cosmetic remedy, since in itself it rarely restores binocular vision (when the brain combines two images received by the eyes into one). The type of operation is determined by the surgeon directly on the operating table, since during such an operation it is necessary to take into account the particular location of the muscles in a particular person. Sometimes both eyes are operated on at once; in some types of strabismus, only one eye is operated on. Surgery is aimed at strengthening or weakening one of the muscles that move the eyeball.

Surgical treatment to correct strabismus is performed in a “one-day” mode, under local drip anesthesia. The patient returns home on the same day. The final recovery takes about a week, but after such a surgical operation, doctors strongly recommend a course of hardware treatment for optimal restoration of visual functions.