FAQs – Cats with Anophthalmia or Microphthalmia
If you are thinking about adopting a cat with Anophthalmia or Microphthalmia (The absence of one or both eyes. Both the eye ball and the ocular tissue are missing from the orbit, or abnormally small eyes) DO IT! It will be life-changing.
Anophthalmia and Microphthalmia are quite rare. When I adopted Swiss, there was very little information out there on his condition. I spent a lot of time on the phone with the vet, and did a TON of research myself. Thankfully, with the few resources I was able to find, he grew up to be the most handsome, well behaved little boy.
I could not find statistical data for cats and anophthalmia, but here are some human statistics:
- 3/100,000 Births
- 2/3 Cases are found to be genetic
- Accounts for 3-11% of blindness in children
I don’t want anyone to have to worry as much, or search as hard as I did, so here are some frequently asked questions that I get about cats with anophthalmia and microphthalmia. With questions/concerns please feel free to email me at [email protected].
What causes anophthalmia?
- Genetics – Anophthalmia is autosomal dominant, and can be caused by a mutation of the SOX2 gene. The mutation prevents the gene from producing an important protein that leads to the development of the eye. In order to inherit this mutation, the animal only needs the mutated gene from one parent. There are 33 different mutations of this gene, and not all will cause microphthalmia, or anophthalmia.
- Missing Chromosome – Occasionally anophthalmia and microphthalmia have been found to be caused by the deletion of chromosome 14. Other characteristics of the deletion of chromosome 14 are undescended testes, a small tongue, and other bodily growth retardation.
- Infection *MOST COMMON IN CATS FOR MICROPHTHALMIA* – Anophthalmia and microphthalmia can be caused by a virus during fetal development; most commonly, toxoplasmosis and certain forms of kitty influenza.
- How does the pregnant mother get toxoplasmosis:
- Coming into contact with, or ingesting, an infected animals fecal matter.
- By eating infected meat.
- ***TOXOPLASMOSIS IS WHY PREGNANT WOMEN ARE NOT RECOMMENDED TO CLEAN LITTER BOXES***
- How does the pregnant mother get toxoplasmosis:
Does is hurt the animal?
Yes, if an infection is still present. But otherwise, no – these are not painful conditions. The cat likely doesn’t know that there is anything wrong.
Does the animal have a hard time finding its food, or its litter box?
No, these animals use sensory substitution. This means they use sensory information from other parts of the brain to make up for the the visual deficit. It is possible that they will have more brain development in the auditory processing areas, and they do have heightened auditory spatial abilities.
Basically, these are almost normal animals! They may occasionally get stuck and not know how to get down when they climb on things, but you can feel comfortable knowing that you don’t need to feel sorry for them. They are happy and healthy, and EXTRA cute. =) They will amaze you on a daily basis with the things that they can accomplish without sight, like hunting bugs, and running through the house at full speed! Don’t write them off due to their facial abnormalities.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional.
References:
Tabry, V; Voss, P.; Zatorre, R.J; (2013) The influence of vision on sound localization abilities in horizontal and vertical planes. Frontiers in Psychology 2013: 4(932) DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00932
Shiell, Martha; (2014) Tonotopic organization of v5/mt+ in congenital anophthalmia: Implications for auditory motor processing and meta-modal cross modal reorganization. The Journal of Neuroscience 2014: 34(11) DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0150-14.2014
The Amazing Dr. Gray at Gentle Vet Animal Hospital, Green Bay WI.
I can absolutely recommend adopting one of these cats. My beautiful Katie was amazing, adorable, ridiculously capable of doing anything she wanted and, without a doubt, the best cat I was ever privileged to be owned by (and I have been owned by quite a few). I would not hesitate to adopt another.
More specifically where you got the info of causes of this condition?
I adopted my baby Jax a couple weeks ago. Honestly, his little eyes are what drew me to him. He’s incredibly affectionate and sweet and funny and smart. I love him so much and am so happy he’s mine.
Thanks for the info.I was going to set up an appointment with the University of TN to confirm if my cat had microphthalmia but after these readings I am convinced and I will enjoy him for the way he is. He is extra special to me.
I have 3 kittens born in my house . They are 16 days old. 2 of them already have open eyes . The third still totally closed . I have a doubt that he has anophthalmia.. i was sorry for hem really . But your article is very helpful. Thanks
Elizabeth, this is fascinating. I was looking for your last name. Though I’ve followed Safe Haven most of 4 years, the FB posts always come to me. This is the first time I actually looked at the website and didn’t realize you write blogs; will read them all. This particular topic was very informative. <3 I AM A CAT LOVER. We had several in our family over nearly 60 years, but I haven't had one of my own in a while. They remain dear to my heart.
I agree 1000%!!
I once had a cat who was born with microphthalmia. Zeke lived to be 16yo and earned the nickname “Man Whore” for his friendliness towards everybody. His favorite place was in the bathroom sink, which he got to/from by climbing on the toilet seat (leave the seat *down*, guys!) He’s waiting for me at the Rainbow Bridge. ??
In March 2016, my husband and I found a 7 month-old kitten crying in our yard. He came straight to the sound of my voice and I noticed his eyes were swollen shut. I was horrified to think that someone had hurt him intentionally. As a cat rescuer and TNR volunteer, I had dealt with sick or injured cats, but this was new to me.
A trip to the vet to be neutered and the infection treated revealed he had been born with no eyes. I was not prepared to care for a blind animal. My vet had never seen the condition. Well I wasn’t prepared to fall completely in love with Simon but we did! This precious little cat has been an inspiration and joy to us. He doesn’t know he is blind. He is remarkable and amazing in all that he does. His sense of hearing is amazing and he knows how to “hide”. We love him more than words can express. Everyone loves him. He is tender, affectionate and loving. Don’t ever hesitate to adopt a blind cat. Just love them and they will love you back.
I adopted a 6 year old kitty in January with these issues. He is amazing he knows where everything is in my home, where the treats are kept etc. he loves his sibling and plays with many toys. You would never know his condition. I hope more people adopt and give these special kittys a chance.
I think that our new kitten has this condition in her left eye. The eye seems underdeveloped. It keeps having thick discharge. But the eye is tiny or nonexistent. The right eye has an incomplete eyelid. Some of her hair sits on her eyeball. Tried some antibiotics. Make need a different antibiotic series. Thought she was blind. But she focuses and follows now.
Thank you for this information . I have a new litter of kittens and two kittens have no eyes and the other two are blind. They are gorgeous kittens and will live in total comfort all of their lives.
Hi there I have a lovely girl orchid my son found her when she was about 2 month he loved her and when he found out she had no eyes he goes mum you know what that means I said I know we have to keep her he goes yep so glad I did my son passed away 6 weeks later and she has been a blessing to me she is almost a yr now my sweet orchid
I have a kitty with microphthalmia. He and his two sisters were Foster fail bottle babies. He is the only one affected, although they are all small. I never treated him any differently than the other two. He is amazing. Every day I see him do something that really amazes me. Yesterday he was jumping up by the window chasing a fly. He runs through the house and up the stairs and makes a big bunny jump up the last two! He even chases the other cats. He is truly one of a kind. I’m blessed to have gotten him and his sisters as fosters.
Thank you for this information. I am adopting a 6 month old tortie tomorrow and she only has one eye and that has very limited vision. I couldn’t believe when her foster mom said she finds the litter box and food easy. She is however very clingy and needy, THat is why I wanted her. I love a cuddle buddy and that is her. I hope someone gives her sister a home too which shows it is genetics as she was born with no eyes.
Are cats with this condition mean
Corinthia, I have had 2 cats with this …years apart and not related…and both very sweet. They act just like any cat, they just have no eyes so depend on their ears and nose to get through life
I adopted a kitten with microphthalmia and he is the sweetest kitten I have ever encountered. I have 4 cats and babysit a lot for friends and family.
I started caring for an outdoor cat, when I took her to the vet they me she had this condition and that she was blind. I knew at the very least her vision was impaired, but I honestly couldn’t believe she was blind, because of the way she would run around the farm. Mind you after keeping a close eye on her, I did notice she would miss the first step of my deck occasionally. But still loves being petted, playing with a string, chasing leaves, and would still leave me a lovely gift of dead mice and moles at my front door ?. These cats are truly special!
I have one with micropthalmia and she’s been nothing short of amazing. She’s 20+ years old now and not doing well. Her vet and I believe she has some sort of intracranial issue causing seizures. But I wouldn’t trade the last 20 years for anything. I’ve seen her catch mice, catch flies, and function better than any other cat with eyes. She can be a bit cranky but we have a sweet bond. The moment I found out about her condition, I knew she would be mine. So many people said to put her down once they found out she was blind. But I knew she would be amazing. And 20.5 years later, she’s proven me right.
THANK YOU so much for this.
I was given a 6-7 wo kitten with strange eyes. She is now 14-15 wo and runs around like a nutcase but if something has been moved in the house she will bang into it. We saw vet yesterday to ask if I could do more for her but he diagnosed this condition. One eye is better developed so she does have limited vision. And yes she is a totally adorable character and my 3yo cat loves to play with chasie and hide n seek her.
We have an 8-month-old tuxedo cat with what appears to be this condition. She has one good eye. The other is tiny and totally nonfunctional. Her whole face is just a little different, with a crooked nose. But she’s shown herself to be a capable mouser. We do wonder if her balance is a bit off. She always sticks her chin in the water to make sure it’s there. She also incredibly affectionate and sweet. I never had a moment’s regret keeping little Phoenix. She blends in well with our other seven cats.
My kitten is 4 months now. What do you do for the black crusting from the tears?
Sometimes it glues Honey’s eyelids together, especially after a sleep, and she doesnt like me touching her eyes to wipe them clean.
so some clarifying questions, microphthalmia, is that when they have little eyes? and how is that related to anophthalmia? is it a type of anophthalmia?
My calico cat gave birth to eight kittens about 18 months ago. When they were 6 months old, we gave all but one to close friends who love cats. We kept the one because it had no left eye. We were afraid that children might abuse it because it looked different. One-Eyed Jack is now a full adult cat that does everything just like any other cat. He even seems to know what colors he is because he always finds some laundry with white and black fabrics to go to sleep. Occasionally, he will leap from the ground to the garage roof and walk out onto a tree branch only one inch wide to capture a bird.
This year, our calico gave birth to five more kittens. One of them has no eyes at all, but seems to be doing just fine. It puzzles me how he is able to chase and pounce on a string being dragged across the floor. He always catches the string and tears it to shreds. He accurately chases the red dot made by a laser pointer pen, even if it goes up the furniture.
I adopted a stray with microphthalmia. He is mostly white with some tabby spots along his back and head. Is this condition also associated with hearing or voice issues? He doesn’t really “meow”, he kinda squeaks/whines. Is microphthalmia also associated with the white dominant gene?