I have to say I was shocked to hear that there are actually people that will consider putting their cat down when he goes blind. They worry about the quality of their cat's life, and somehow think it's kinder. I want to tell everyone that a blind cat can have a very good quality of life if his family is willing to help him out. Here are some tips for families that have a cat that went blind:
First of all, going blind is scary. If your cat is an outdoor cat, or an indoor/outdoor cat, you need to make him a permanent indoor cat. If you have a fenced in yard, you can let your blind cat outside, but you must make sure you supervise him. It is easy for other animals to get into your fenced yard, and you don't want to leave your poor kitty defenseless.
Keep the litter box and food bowls in the same place. When I first went blind, I "mapped" the house. That is, I walked around and around using the walls and furniture and even the carpet and bare floor as my guide - until I remembered where everything was. As long as my litter box and food bowls remained in the same place, it was easy for me to find once I memorized the rooms and furniture.
Help your cat out with sound. My family learned that I would follow sound, so they would snap their fingers or clap their hands. When I would want to get off the sofa, they would pat the ground so I could hear how far down it was for me to leap. Once I got used to the distance, it was easy for me to leap down without their help.
Block off dangerous areas. I got stuck behind the refrigerator. Now there's a baby gate leaning against that area to prevent me from accidentally wandering behind it again.
Keep dangerous things off the floor. Plastic bags are a big one - it's easy for a blind cat to get their heads stuck in the loops. Keep wires behind computers and TVs as well. If you have to stretch a wire across the floor, make sure it's lying flat. Anything a person can trip over, a blind cat can as well.
Help your cat out, but don't do things for your cat. It was important for me to learn to find the food and water, so my family would guide me, but they would not carry me to it. Also, when you pick your cat up and carry him into the next room and put him down, you've got to remember he will be disorientated. I always have to take a moment to try to figure out where I am - I do this by the feel on the bottom of my paws, and by the smells and sounds in the room I'm in. My family does try to always put me back down in the same place I was when they picked me up. This is very helpful to your blind kitty.
Cats are very smart, so once your cat becomes adjusted to being blind, you will not have to do as much for him. Cats are also independent, so while we appreciate help, we also want to do things on our own.
If you have a blind cat and want to ask me some questions, please comment below. Remember, there is no need to put your blind cat down. A blind cat can live a full, rich life, and we are really not much trouble once we all get used to our new situation.
First of all, going blind is scary. If your cat is an outdoor cat, or an indoor/outdoor cat, you need to make him a permanent indoor cat. If you have a fenced in yard, you can let your blind cat outside, but you must make sure you supervise him. It is easy for other animals to get into your fenced yard, and you don't want to leave your poor kitty defenseless.
Keep the litter box and food bowls in the same place. When I first went blind, I "mapped" the house. That is, I walked around and around using the walls and furniture and even the carpet and bare floor as my guide - until I remembered where everything was. As long as my litter box and food bowls remained in the same place, it was easy for me to find once I memorized the rooms and furniture.
Help your cat out with sound. My family learned that I would follow sound, so they would snap their fingers or clap their hands. When I would want to get off the sofa, they would pat the ground so I could hear how far down it was for me to leap. Once I got used to the distance, it was easy for me to leap down without their help.
Block off dangerous areas. I got stuck behind the refrigerator. Now there's a baby gate leaning against that area to prevent me from accidentally wandering behind it again.
Keep dangerous things off the floor. Plastic bags are a big one - it's easy for a blind cat to get their heads stuck in the loops. Keep wires behind computers and TVs as well. If you have to stretch a wire across the floor, make sure it's lying flat. Anything a person can trip over, a blind cat can as well.
Help your cat out, but don't do things for your cat. It was important for me to learn to find the food and water, so my family would guide me, but they would not carry me to it. Also, when you pick your cat up and carry him into the next room and put him down, you've got to remember he will be disorientated. I always have to take a moment to try to figure out where I am - I do this by the feel on the bottom of my paws, and by the smells and sounds in the room I'm in. My family does try to always put me back down in the same place I was when they picked me up. This is very helpful to your blind kitty.
Cats are very smart, so once your cat becomes adjusted to being blind, you will not have to do as much for him. Cats are also independent, so while we appreciate help, we also want to do things on our own.
If you have a blind cat and want to ask me some questions, please comment below. Remember, there is no need to put your blind cat down. A blind cat can live a full, rich life, and we are really not much trouble once we all get used to our new situation.
I got up on the sofa today! Gram told me that Fenway was up here, too, so I was careful to stay in one place so I didn't accidentally step on her.
She gets mad when I do that.
She gets mad when I do that.