Persian kittens eyes run.

Question
Hi! My little 9 month old kitten's eyes run and it's a dark brown crusty stain by morning. I clean her eyes a couple times a day.  Does her diet cause this? Why isn't the drainage 'clear'?  Can I change her diet and make it clear?  Please advise.

Answer
Hi Ramona,

This doesn't have anything to do with diet. You should get her checked to make sure she doesn't have a cold in her eyes. but most likely it is something that is inherent in the breed. I have two purebred Persians also and they both have that problem. It is because of the way their eyes are set in their faces. Their eyes are more exposed than regular cats and they produce an excessive amount of tear flow. This is the discolor you see. There are products on the market that can clean the area. Here's one link to some. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3261+16804+7592&pcatid=...
But there is nothing that can be done about the problem. This goes with the territory of owning a Persian. Good luck.

Ciao, Karen