Question: Cross-eyed kittens

**Kirsten** · 06-23-2003, 03:04 PM

I have visited Luna's possible little sister today and took a few photos of her, and at home I have noticed she looked extremely cross-eyes in a few of them. Didn't notice that yesterday when I saw her, so I was thinking that she might have been tired today and doesn't have enough control over her eyes yet (she's 4 weeks and three days). Has anyone else noticed something like that in kittens that young?

Noticed somthing else about her yesterday: She seems to have a lot of fatty tissue under her belly, it's hanging down and looks like an udder. I've never seen that in a kitten before! Luna developed that after she got spayed, and the same happened to my Katz (RIP), but Lily is a baby! Maybe she still needs to grow into her skin?

This was Lily yesterday:

This was her today:

Here you can see her little fatty belly:

And this is her cross-eyed while playing:

Kirsten

**kath00** · 06-23-2003, 04:55 PM

... such a cutie !

For her cross-eyes : well she's a bit young I think it's not so bad ! On the last picture we can see her third eyelid. It is OK to see it sometimes but if it is always visible maybe she has a problem.

For her fatty belly : maybe Lily has worms

It's just an idea, don't worry. It may also be normal.

Any way. If I were you I would call my vet (it costs nothing and we can get useful informations....).

**Edwina's Secretary** · 06-23-2003, 08:50 PM

Big-eyed yes, cross-eyed NO! She just looks like a most gorgeous, adorable, cuddlable, personality-laden baby!

That belly thing (which Edwina has) is inherited. If you look at the lions and tigers -- they have tummies like that. It is to store food betwen hunts!

**Steffi N** · 06-23-2003, 09:11 PM

Lily is just precious. What a sweet little face. I do think it would be good idea to have her checked out by a vet before you bring her home.

**Kirsten** · 06-24-2003, 02:19 AM

Yes, it might be a good idea to call the vet.

Kath, what you see in picture No. 4 is not Lily's third eye lid, but the white in her eye. And she is already dewormed, but who knows...

It's not that her entire belly is fat, you can only see some skin hanging down her belly. Maybe it's really inherited (Luna is the same and so was my Katz), but I never thought it would show up in kittens that young.

Yes, I know, I have to find a way to have her checked by a vet before I bring her home without offending the owners (who are friends of mine and who swear their kittens ARE healthy) but I was thinking the tongue of Lily's brother looked a bit pale yesterday; so I will definitely have an eye on that!

Kirsten

**Vio&Juni** · 06-24-2003, 04:59 AM

No, I think she's just being lazy to raise her head, but still wanted to see what's going on. She's very beautiful!
My aunt has been breeding Siamese for some years and I know from her that the crossed-eyed were considered very beautiful.

Originally posted by Edwina's Secretary
That belly thing (which Edwina has) is inherited. If you look at the lions and tigers -- they have tummies like that. It is to store food betwen hunts!

I like how you put it

Juni also has a little and we say that her mom was trying to save some money and bought her a bigger coat

**Lerah021399** · 06-24-2003, 06:30 AM

Kirsten, she's absolutely gorgeous. I've heard that kittens tend to be a little bit cross-eyed until they learn to focus on objects (kind of like babies)...I could be wrong here. And as far as the skin hanging from the tummy...Jack has had that ever since he was a kitten; I wouldn't worry about it.

**Tubby & Peanut's Mom** · 06-24-2003, 10:07 AM

She is soooo adorable! She seems perfectly normal tome, but I would ask Aly since she really seems to know a lot about young kittens.

Here's hoping she's perfectly healthy and she comes home to her big sister soon!

**HayleyRosie** · 06-24-2003, 11:11 AM

She is so cute and she don't look cross eyed to me.

**Barbara** · 06-24-2003, 12:25 PM

If she looks cross-eyed (I too can't see much of it) it may be that there was a siamese among her ancestors (it must have been an Asian prince then

) and if you are worried about her little tummy (to me it looks absolutely ok) you might ask the vet whether it could be a hernia. But even Filou has it and like his girlfriend Juni he's a very slim kitty and does a lot of bodybuilding

Oh I just forgot: Lilybaby is getting cuter every day. I looove the naive look of baby kitties

**Kirsten** · 06-24-2003, 01:59 PM

I saw her again today and she didn't look cross-eyed today, so I guess she was only tired yesterday. Her belly, however, is still hanging down!

BTW, I don't think it's a hernia. It's soft and it#s only skin and a bit fatty tissue in it, but I will ask the vet though...

She's been so cute today and immediately came to me when I called her, and so did her brother. She already seems to know her name!

I so hope she's a healthy little kitten 'cause I would looove to bring her home!

Kirsten

**wolflady** · 06-24-2003, 02:40 PM

Lily is just precious! You know, I have to wonder if photos make their eyes look that way. I know I've had this happen with my cats. They look normal in purrson, but sometimes when pictures are taken of my cats (particularly Scooter), it makes them look like they have "Homer Simpson" eyes: meaning, it looks like they're pointing in opposite directions. I think it has something to do with the reflection of the camera and the lens in the cat's eye.

Has Lily been fixed yet? I wasn't sure, but I know some of our kittens at the shelter have the little belly pouch. I'm sure a quick check at the vet will be good to put your mind at ease, but I don't think you have anything to worry about. Just give her lots and lots of love!

**hugs**
Karen

**catland** · 06-24-2003, 02:56 PM

My Sidney was a little cross-eyed when he was younger. It didn't hurt his ability to hunt or play. It would definately be more noticible when he was tired. But it seems to have gone away now. I don't ever notice him being cross-eyed anymore.

**Kirsten** · 06-24-2003, 04:56 PM

wolflady, no, Lily isn't fixed yet, she's only 4 weeks old! But you could be right about the photos, and maybe the flash isn't good for their eyes? However, today, her eyes looked fine, so it seems to be a temporary thing.

catland, that's interesting about your Sidney. Maybe it's like in human babies and it just grows out after a while...

Kirsten