Serious severity

Retinal Detachment

The light-sensing retina peels away from the back of the eye, causing sudden vision loss. Often a sign of underlying high blood pressure and a genuine emergency.

⚠️ Common symptoms

Sudden onset of blindness — bumping into furniture, hesitance on stairs, reluctance to move in unfamiliar placesWidely dilated pupils that no longer respond well to lightBleeding visible inside the eye, or a cloudy or reddened appearanceDisorientation, clinginess or vocalising from a cat that can no longer seeSigns of the underlying cause, such as increased thirst (kidney disease) or weight loss (hyperthyroidism)

Retinal detachment is one of the reasons a cat can appear to go blind almost overnight. The retina is the thin, light-sensing layer lining the back of the eye, and when it separates from the tissue that nourishes it, the affected part of the eye can no longer form an image. Owners often notice their cat suddenly bumping into things, freezing at the top of the stairs, or navigating a familiar room with unusual caution, and the pupils are typically very wide and unresponsive to light.

In cats, the single most important cause is high blood pressure. Hypertension is common in older cats and usually develops secondary to chronic kidney disease or an overactive thyroid gland. The elevated pressure ruptures the delicate vessels behind the retina, and the resulting bleeding and fluid lift the retina away — sometimes in both eyes at once.

This makes retinal detachment as much a whole-body warning as an eye problem. A cat that has lost its sight to hypertension is also at risk of strokes, heart damage and worsening kidney injury from the same high pressure, so measuring and controlling blood pressure is urgent regardless of whether vision returns.

The outlook for sight depends heavily on speed. If a freshly detached retina is diagnosed and the blood pressure brought down within a day or two, the retina can sometimes settle back into place and useful vision return. Once the detachment has been present for longer, the loss is usually permanent. The encouraging part is that cats cope remarkably well with blindness when their environment is kept consistent, and controlling the underlying disease can add years of good-quality life.

🔍 Causes

The most common cause in cats is systemic hypertension (high blood pressure), which is itself frequently driven by chronic kidney disease or hyperthyroidism. The raised pressure damages the small blood vessels behind the retina, causing bleeding and fluid to build up and lift the retina away from the underlying tissue. Other causes include inflammation inside the eye, trauma, certain infections and, occasionally, cancer.

🛡 Prevention

The key to prevention is catching and controlling the diseases that raise blood pressure. Older cats should have regular veterinary check-ups that include blood-pressure measurement and screening for kidney disease and an overactive thyroid. Treating those conditions promptly, and monitoring blood pressure in any cat known to have them, is the best way to protect the eyes before the retina is affected.

💊 Treatment

Retinal detachment itself is treated by urgently finding and controlling the underlying cause — most often high blood pressure, which is managed with medication such as amlodipine. If a detached retina is diagnosed and the blood pressure lowered quickly, vision can sometimes be restored; delay usually makes the loss permanent.

When to see a vet: Treat sudden vision loss as an emergency and contact your vet the same day. The window in which a detached retina can reattach and sight be saved is short — often only a day or two — so rapid diagnosis and blood-pressure control give the only real chance of recovery. Even where sight cannot be restored, finding the underlying high blood pressure is vital to protect the cat's kidneys, heart and brain.

⚕️ Medical disclaimer

  • This information is educational only and is not a substitute for veterinary advice.
  • Symptoms overlap between conditions — only a vet can diagnose accurately.
  • Never withhold treatment or self-medicate based on information found online.
  • When in doubt, call your vet. Early intervention almost always leads to better outcomes.

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