Expert: Tomay - 7/17/2006

Question
Hi there,

My little cat (one of two- sisters) has daily tearing that leaves a kind of light mahogany spot under both eyes every morning. Her sister doesn't have this. Any ideas of what to do?

She has been to vet and has all shots, etc. Eyes don't seem to bother her in any way.

Answer
Hello,
The enzymes in tearing and saliva is what causes the mahogany staining that you see.  Sometimes this is a kind of allergy to something, either enviornment or diet related.  Usually this kind of tearing does not present anykind of health risk, but is just unsightly. Wiping her eyes each day, with just a washcloth with warm water will help, or you can take a Q tip and put a little vaseline on it, and roll it under the eye area to help the tears slip off the coat.
Hope this has been helpful,
Thank you for your inquiry and your intrest in this site.
Tomay