Gimo is a cat celebrity. He is a Scottish Fold with big, wide-open eyes. It is his eyes which contribute to his celebrity status. There are many pictures of this cat on the Internet and particularly on the Bored Panda website.

In nearly every picture Gimo’s pupils are wide-open or nearly so (fully dilated) as if this cat is in a darkened room. But he is not. Even when he looks up, which means looking at quite a bright area, his irises barely constrict. We know how sensitive a cat’s eyes are too light. Their irises constrict quite readily in normal and bright and light leaving a slit or oval pupil.

However, this cat’s pupils constrict only very slightly. The wide-eyed appearance of his large eyes is enhanced by the fact that his pupils are dilated.

Underlying illness?

My conclusion is, therefore, that this cat might have an illness causing a condition called feline mydriasis. There are various causes of this condition: brain trauma, thiamine deficiency, retinal detachment, tumors, feline dysautonomia (ailure of the autonomic nervous system), low blood calcium, certain drugs and plants and Key-Gaskell syndrome. In addition I’ve just read that it can be caused by feline leukaemia. There might be one other issue: Scottish Folds do inherit health issues. I wonder if there is a connection.

Some of these conditions are serious but others much less so. The cat’s owner would know whether her cat suffer from the more serious conditions. However, he may inadvertently suffer from thiamine deficiency, for example, without the owner being initially aware.

I’m not a veterinarian but this cat’s eyes look abnormal to me. There is definitely a pupil dilation issue. Gimo has cute cat characteristics. However, it would be nice to hear from the owner as to whether he has or had suffered from any of the above conditions.

Associated: Information about the Scottish Fold’s health.