First aid for cat : how to bandage an eye ?

This post is also available in : French German Italian

Reminder :
BEFORE helping an animal, you need to :
– Protect yourself, protect the present persons, and protect the animal : held the animal, establish a safety zone, or go away from a danger zone, and put gloves on.
– Give warnings : warn the veterinarian, and if needed the police or the fire brigades.

An eye wound is one of the only cases in which we cannot put a muzzle to the cat !

How to bandage an eye ?

Immobilize the cat by means of a Clipnosis clip for example.


Rinse the eye as good as possible with some physiological salt solution, and be careful that the liquid doesn’t pour into the other eye. The eye to be washed has to be on the floor side, and the rinsing must be made towards the outside. Wet a compress with some physiological salt solution and put it on the wounded eye. Provide some physiological salt solution to moisten the bandage afterward : the eye should never get dry !

An about 2m band (6.5 ft) is needed to bandage a cat eye. Any bandage begins with a holding turn to hold the beginning of the band in position. For an eye, the holding turn is made on the forehead and passes in front of ears and on the bones of the jaw.

  • Begin from the TOP of the head and go BEHIND the ear opposite diagonally.
  • Go UNDER the neck and join the back of the other ear.
  • Go to the summit of the head and come down in diagonal in the direction of the snout covering the first eye.
  • Go UNDER the snout and go back up in diagonal towards the top of the head covering the second eye.
  • Go BEHIND the ear and go back under the neck.
  • Repeat.

Our friend Fluffy friendly agreed to help us to make this video :

At the end of the bandage, attach the end of the band at the summit of the head, and fix well with the plaster.

Why to bandage both eyes while a single eye is hurt ?

The cat’s eyes don’t move independently of each other : the muscles of both eyes work simultaneously. If an eye looks in a direction, the other, even bandaged, will follow the movement. The movements of the free eye could aggravate the hurts of the already hurt eye which would also move, reason why it’s always necessary to bandage both eyes in case of lesion in one eye.

See also :
First aid for cat : the bases
First aid for cat : how to bandage a paw ?
First aid for cat : how to bandage an ear ?

16 thoughts on “First aid for cat : how to bandage an eye ?

  1. Edie Chase

    Thanks for posting this information. I didn’t know that cat’s eyes moved together. The videos are really helpful. I hope I never need to use this information.

  2. da tabbies o trout towne

    pixie N zorro…OUCH…..tell claire thanx for postin but we hope we never knead a bandage….this is good two noe tho…..~~~~~~ ♥♥☺☺

  3. Eastside Cats

    Good info to know about cat’s eyes! I was thinking about your first aid info, when Patty O’Malley turned up with a bald patch on his neck. It’s been over a week, and fortunately, the thing is looking okay…enough that I’m sure I won’t have to wrap it up.

  4. Deziz World

    That’s very innerestin’ awnty Claire. We bet the poor kitty would be fur sure skeered. We luv learnin’ this stuffs, but we’re not sure what plaster is. We asked google and Alexa but they both said is was like a cast and we don’t think that’s right. That’s not the kind of stuffs normal peeps would have on hand. big hugs

    Luv ya’

    Dezi and Raena

  5. Michelle

    My sweet kitty recently lost an eye. Should I bandage both eyes since she doesn’t have an injury but a missing eye?

    1. The Swiss Cats

      We’re talking about first aid emergency situations, and we’re not vets ; in this case, as said above, it’s always necessary to bandage both eyes in case of lesion in one eye, rush to the vet and follow his instructiions.

Comments are closed.