Cat eyes

Question
I have recently noticed that my six-year old male cat has more and more rust-brown spots on his yellow eye on the left (the iris).  A few weeks ago he had three or four spots, now he has seven or eight.  He is otherwise healthy, eating well, maintaining his weight, active, and can see with the eye in question.  I plan to take him to the vet for an annual check in two weeks - is there something I should be worried about?

Answer
Hi Jill!  These spots could be indicating bleeding behind the eye, or a detatched iris, or it simply could be caused by an irritation. Your veterinarian will do an eye stain.  This is where drops are put into your cat's eye.  The drops become flourescent under a black light, so the cat's eye is then analyzed under a black light.  This will indicate if there are any abrasions on the surface of the eye, or if the problem is internal.  If the problem is on the surface, simple eye drops will take care of the problem.  If the problem is internal, as in a detatched iris, surgical intervention will be needed.
I wish I could give you a definite answer!  I wish you the best of luck and please keep me posted!
Hilary