Expert: Jessica - 10/29/2010

Question
my girlfriend has a 6 month old russian blue female. her eyes are yellow/green mix, green closer to the pupil. this morning, however, the green of her eyes changed to blue for a few minutes, then back to green. any ideas?

Answer
Hi Joe,

The appearance of light-colored eyes, especially green and blue, often seems to change temporarily, and this is because eye color has a lot to do with light reflection.  Green and blue eyes are the result of a lack of pigment (to different degrees), and when light reflects certain ways, or when light reflects off of other surfaces onto the eye, it can impact the appearance of the eye's color, although the iris has not actually changed.  This is why green eyes can appear very vibrant in some light and less vibrant in others, and green eyes may even appear blue in some lighting.  I suspect that your cat's change in eye color was probably due to the lighting she was in at the time, and that when she changed her position or location, they returned to their normal appearance.

However, if you notice long-term changes, or especially if her green eyes begin to turn completely yellow or rust colored, she should see a vet right away.  This is most likely a medical condition such as uveitis, an inflammation of the globe of the eye.  Uveitis is most treatable when noticed and addressed right away.  If it goes untreated for days, some sight is often lost and scarring and other complications are more likely to result.

Best wishes!

Jessica