Vision is one of the determining factors of a cat's sensitivity. In our impression, cats are obviously much more sensitive to nature than humans. The special eye structure of cats gives them powerful night vision. In addition, their sense of touch all over their body and their sensitive hearing allow them to see everything before danger arrives. However, as they age or develop eye diseases, their vision is often affected. 
Vision impairment requires correction, and our usual method is to wear glasses, especially contact lenses, which are small, convenient, and do not affect the appearance of the face, making them popular. However, for cats, Japan previously introduced contact lenses specifically for cats and dogs. The initial intention was that if a cat or dog's eye is injured or diseased, it might scratch its owner out of fear or pain when applying eye drops. Therefore, some contact lens manufacturers developed these lenses specifically for cats and dogs.
A kitten has now become the world's first cat to wear contact lenses due to nearsightedness. Thanks to these lenses, the kitten can see its surroundings clearly again. The kitten, named Ernest, was injured in a car accident and spent 13 years at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) rescue center on the Isle of Wight in the UK.
Since the car accident, the kitten has suffered from entropion (inward turning of the eyelid). Due to this condition, its eye became infected, its vision deteriorated, and it developed nearsightedness. It often couldn't see its surroundings clearly and even had trouble navigating. It did nothing but sleep all day. The veterinarian was reluctant to perform surgery, worried about the risks involved. Instead, to restore the kitten's vision, the veterinarian custom-made a contact lens for it.
According to Paula Adler, the manager of the rescue center, "Now, Ernest's eyes can open, and he has a new life. Because of Ernest's advanced age and the uncertainty about his reaction to anesthesia, performing eye surgery on him was very risky. Now, the contact lenses have worked a miracle."
In terms of materials, contact lenses are made of the same material as human lenses, containing abundant moisture to protect the cornea from dryness and accelerate treatment. They are also designed specifically for pets, making them less likely to fall out. However, it's important to note that because these are medical devices, they must be fitted by a veterinarian. Improper fitting by the owner could injure their pet's eyes and worsen their condition.
Of course, to prevent nearsightedness, we need to perform regular eye care for our cats to prevent eye diseases that could lead to vision loss. The care method involves cleaning the eyes, checking for any signs of visual impairment beforehand. Use a small clean tissue or cotton swab dipped in baby oil to gently wipe away any dirt, including tears and eye discharge, from the cat's eyes and face, keeping the skin and fur as dry as possible. Use a clean tissue or cotton swab to clean the other eye and cheek. Apply 2 to 3 drops to each eye; a little is unnecessary. Lift the upper and lower eyelids to ensure the medication fully contacts the mucous membrane inside the eye. Have the cat close its eyes and gently push the skin on its face to keep any excess liquid in the affected area. If the amount of liquid seems insufficient or drips, add more. At this time, try to prevent the cat from opening its eyes to avoid the contaminated liquid flowing back into them. Then, carefully wipe the cat's eyes, eye sockets, and face clean with a clean tissue.
Furthermore, in reality, if we could observe the world through a cat's eyes, we would find that their eyesight is actually not very good, at least not to the extent that it would be acceptable to us humans. Proportionally, cats have unusually large eyes. As British anthropologist John Bradshaw wrote in his book *Cat Sense*, a cat's large eyes have difficulty focusing on objects at a moderate distance, causing a visual bias in the eye muscles that is influenced by the environment. Outdoor cats often can only see distant objects clearly, while most indoor cats can only see nearby objects.
Although cats are "nearsighted," they still can't see clearly even when things are very close. Because their eyes are so large, cats can't see objects within a foot of them—but their whiskers can compensate for this deficiency; cats use their whiskers to detect objects they can't see clearly in front of them.
