Stupid question, but what does it mean when you can see the third eye lid?

[Kirsten]

I'm currently catsitting Peggy, my mother's calico girl. My mother and Reinhold are on vacation, and Peggy is kept indoors while they are away, so I visit her every day.

I often noticed in the past that you can see a bit of Peggy's third eye lid, already when she was a kitten, but these days it seems to be especially bad. It's not covering her entire eye, but maybe 25 - 30 % of it, at least at times. Her eyes are not looking inflamed, and she hasn't a runny nose, or a cold. She's looking healthy apart from this, and I know she has been tested negative for Feline Leukemia, and always got her shots.

So why do her eyes look so strange? I don't know much about this, none of my cats had ever had these problems.

Kirsten

[Laura's Babies]

I have heard of the thrid eye lid and I know I use to know but it has long since been gone from my memory.. Maybe someone else will come along that knows.

Meantime check out what it says here
http://animal.discovery.com/guides/cats/body/eyelid.html

Shucks my ISP is running at a snails pace, just search it on the internet, there is a lot out there...

[rg_girlca]

Kirsten, my Poppy's third eyelid is always like that when he is just waking up, or he is tired and even when I am petting him. Maybe this is what it's like with Peggy. She could also be feeling a little depressed by being kept indoors and not having your Mom around.

[Craftlady]

Thumper's one eye is totally covered (96%) by the third eye.
Since she cant blink on her own it's in the protecting mode.

[Kirsten]

Well, so you think it may only be an anatomic abnormality?

I took a picture of it today, not a good one because Peggy is hard to photograph, but you can see what I mean:

http://www.catmom.de/pix/peggy208.jpg

And here's another one of her, I think she is too skinny. But her vet doesn't find this alarming, and my mother says I only refer to her as skinny because I'm used to the sight of my own overweight cats.

http://www.catmom.de/pix/peggy209.jpg

Kirsten

[Craftlady]

Her third eye situation doesnt look bad. Considering it an abnormality, cant say. Check with her vet.

Peggy looks just fine in the weight department.

[catmandu]

I have read in Cat Fancy that it doesnt mean anything is wrong, its just thier way of cleaning thier eyes.

[lvpets2002]

;) Aweee she is Adorable.. Her third eye lid looks ok.. Had she just woke up?? My girls if they just woke or something in the eye the third lid will show.. Hey but still get a Vet to check out..

[moosmom]

It's also an indication that your pet may be sick.

[Venita]

We see this a lot at the clinic I work for. Usually, but not always, the kitty has tapeworms. We saw one the other day with the third eyelid up in one eye only and it was due to head trauma. Sometimes kitties that had a chronic URI as a kitten will have the third eyelid up at all times. I would have a veterinarian check her out just to be on the safe side.

Venita :)

[Kirsten]

Tapeworms? Very interesting. Peggy is regularily getting dewormed, but I really think she should go to the vet!

Kirsten

[kb2yjx]

I have to agree with several of the posts, Peggy's eyes look OK and she looks very nice in the weight department!!! Shw has grown up to be a real looker!

[moosmom]

Kirsten,

Peggy's eyes look okay to me. It's when the third eyelid covers MOST of the eye is an indication that they're sick.