Natural Remedies for a Virus in a Cat's Eyes

A cat's viral infection of the eyes can have different causes. One is viral rhinotracheitis, which is a common cold. Another cause is herpes keratitis, which is a form of the herpes virus that causes cold sores in humans. A third cause of feline eye infections is viral conjunctivitis, which is similar to human pink eye.

  1. L-Lysine

    • This treatment is a natural, nutritional, oral supplement that stops herpes viral production in the eyes. This enables a cat to fight off the infection better and experience less recovery time. It is important to carefully read the dosage instructions because they vary according to the cat's weight. This treatment will be less costly than a trip to the veterinarian.

    Tea Bag with Saline Solution

    • A teabag held gently on a cat's eyes is soothing and helps to lessen redness and inflammation. After holding the teabag on each eye for 30 seconds, flush each eye with a sterile saline solution. This will rid the eye of mucus and pus. If the inflammation and watery eyes persist after trying this home remedy several times, a trip to the veterinarian may be necessary. The vet will want to culture the cat's discharge and look at it under a microscope to make sure a secondary bacterial infection has not set in.

    Warm Water

    • Flushing the eyes with warm water and drying them gently with a soft towel will help to relieve itching and inflammation. An eye dropper or medicine syringe will help you to put the warm water directly in the cat's eyes. Do this several times a day. Be sure to wash your hands before and after handling the ailing cat, as it is possible to spread the infection to other pets.

    Herbal Remedies

    • Aconite, sanicula, euphrasia, chamomile, calendula and eyebright are all herbs that can help soothe and lessen viral eye infections in cats. Check with your health food store for the routes of administration and dosage instructions. Also, contact your veterinarian to make sure he is familiar with herbal treatments and endorses them.