cat, eye problem

Question
My five-year old female cat has recently developed a small, cloudy spot on her eye.  It is slightly transparent, which made me at first think she had a bit of dust caught in there, but it has been a week, and it is still there.  She is not experiencing any pain, and as far as I can tell, her eyesight has not been compromised.  Do you know if this is a common thing in cats, and if so, is there a way I can treat it, or does it require a visit to the vet?  I prefer not to go to the vet, as I have found most small ailments can be treated at home.

Answer
Hi Michel!  Well, I am going to say something you probably don't want to hear....a vet visit is required!  The only things that will cause this cloudy spot are either a cataract or a corneal abrasion/ulceration. Because of her age, I would lean more toward a corneal abrasion or ulceration which can easily be treated with some eye drops from your veterinarian.  Your veterinarian will perform an eye stain, in which eye drops will be administered into the eye.  The eye will then be studied under a black light as the drops look flourescent under a black light.  This will decifer whether or not this is a surface problem, like an abrasion, an ulceration, or something different (cataract/glacoma).  Treatment will be administered accordingly.
I hope this helps and please keep me posted!
Hilary