Said It Here

Does cat squinting mean pain if the vet says they're healthy?

Constant squinting can be a sign of underlying pain even when routine blood work and urine tests come back completely clear. This leaves owners confused about whether the behavior is just a quirky personality trait or a hidden discomfort that requires attention.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

  1. 1
    taking the cat to the vet for blood and urine tests
  2. 2
    wondering if the behavior is normal or sleepiness
  3. 3
    Observing the cat for other signs of calm behavior
  4. 4
    Assuming it is a normal resting position to block light or stay warm

In their words

Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.

r/cats2 people · September 2026

He’s been squinting since he was a baby. His eyes are rarely fully open.source ↗

Just went to the vet last week and he is healthy. Urine and blood checked out negative for anything concerning.source ↗

Is he just weird? I know cats close their eyes when they like you but I also found out that it could also be pain?source ↗

Embarrassed-Grade-41 · r/cats · 5 upvotes

is the way she’s laying and breathing normal?source ↗

Sometimes I get the sense she’s in pain when she covers her face and seems to be breathing deeply.source ↗

stephaniefe · r/cats · 2 upvotes

Where this came up

People with this problem also raised