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Aside from perfecting the art of sustaining soulful glances, loving stares, and unfathomable gazes, there is a wealth of information about cat eye ailments and general health to be gleaned from looking into the eyes of your cat.

Cat eye health, or feline ophthalmology, is especially challenging because, in general, cats fall prey to diseases particular to cats and tend to have their own unique responses to illness.

Pupils of a cat's eye react to light just as our pupils open to catch lower light and become smaller when light is more intense. Normally, both pupils are the same size, and pupils of different sizes might indicate a number of feline eye problems that should be brought to the attention of a veterinarian.

COMMON EYE AND VISION CONDITIONS IN CATS

* Untreated feline hypertension is the greatest cause of "sudden blindness" in cats. Hypertension accompanies diabetes, hyperthroidism, and kidney disease. Dilated pupils that do not respond to light and the appearance of blood in the eye are two early symptoms that might not be masked by symptoms of the disease itself. Currently, the best treatment of sudden blindness is treatment of the underlying condition.

* Horner's syndrome is a group of signs that occur when muscles of the face are not stimulated by certain nerves. This is usually the result of an accident, tumor, or a foreign body. These signs might also appear as the result of treatment (for example, ear cleaning) or medication. Look for small pupil size, protrusion of the third eyelid, droopy upper eyelid, and a sunken appearance of the eye. There are eye drops to ease discomfort, but the underlying cause of the syndrome must be identified and treated.

* Any eye injury generates an emergency and requires the immediate attention of a veterinarian.

* Feline Leukemia may be contracted by prenatal kittens or at any stage of a cat's life. Because of a compromised immune system, an infected cat is vulnerable to a variety of eye conditions.

* Tumors seen in cats include melanoma and growths on the eyelid. They might arise at any time during the life of the cat.

* Progressive Retinal Atrophy is a genetic condition that acts slowly but eventually results in blindness. Onset may occur as early as five weeks of age, but many cats seem to adjust to this gradual loss of sight and lead successful and happy lives.

*Conjunctivitis, or viral cat eye infection, is an inflammation of the pink membrane lining the eyelid. A likely cause is the herpes virus, which is recurring

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