Purrs for Hobo, I'm sure he'll adjust well. I've only met one blind cat, he
was 23 years old. I was sitting on the floor where normally he had a clear
run, I think he was surprised to find a lap there, he climbed up and purred
up a storm.

I know how bad that feels - I think Frank was deaf or nearly deaf during
his last year, and I felt so bad for him. But you know, I don't think
cats 'miss' a sense that they've lost. They're hard-wired to just get on
with it, whatever their disability. I think I felt worse than Frank did
about his hearing. Purrs that Hobo will not miss his sight too much. He
will still be able to listen to the birds and to the household. Glad to
hear his diabetes and kidneys are under control.

Jeanne,

I am re-posting a long message that I wrote a couple of years ago.  It was
intended to encourage people to adopt a blind cat, and that part obviously
does not pertain to you.  Moreover, Duffy has been blind since birth, while
you are concerned about helping Hobo adjust to the gradual onset of
blindness.  Nevertheless, I am posting it again in the hope that you will be
able to "sift through" and find information that will help you (and also to
continue with part of my original purpose -- that is, to help people
understand that blindness in a cat does not necessarily lead to a "loss" as
people think of it).

Hobo's circumstances are obviously different.  Duffy was born blind, so he
has never known any other life.  Hobo has had sight, and will need to learn
how to adjust.  Nevertheless, I think that the fact that this is a gradual
onset of blindness will help him compensate.  He will no longer be able to
see birds, but he will be able to hear.  That might seem as if he will be
frustrated when he hears something that he cannot see, but I have never seen
any signs of that in Duffy.  I think you will find that Hobo will adjust
very well because he has a loving hoomin who will help him make that
adjustment and who we know will provide resources to make his life richer.

Here is my original message from a couple of years ago.  I apologize if it
seems inappropriate to attach it to your request, but I do think you will be
able to adapt some of what I learned to your particular set of
circumstances ---

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Why you should adopt a blind cat...

Some of you may have seen blind cats or kittens at a shelter and wondered if
the "quality of their life" made it worth saving them.  Others have
questioned whether they should adopt a blind cat.  The answer, in both
cases, is a loud and resounding "YES"!  Blind cats can function as well as
sighted cats, and many of them maneuver so well that it is difficult to even
realize that they are blind.  They certainly are not "handicapped" in the
traditional sense of that word, yet many of them are destined to be
euthanized simply because potential adopters are afraid that they will be
"too much trouble" to care for or they have fears that the lives of such
cats are somehow diminished (and therefore not worth saving - or some will
even consider it "cruel" to save these little lives).
Nothing could be further from the truth!

This is the story of Duffy, my wonderful little blind cat - a truly
remarkable, delightful, loving companion.  People who had seen him at the
shelter and rejected him were simply "blind" themselves; they couldn't see
past their perception of his so-called "handicap."  I first saw Duffy's
picture on Petfinder (www.petfinder.com).  His picture just tore at my
heart.  He had been at the shelter for several months, and I knew that he
probably would not survive once kitten season arrived and the shelter became
overcrowded.  So, I decided to adopt Duffy and do whatever was needed to
introduce Duffy to my resident cat, Holly.  I had not had any previous
experience with a blind cat, and I expected when I adopted him that I would
need to make many accommodations for my "special needs" kitty (such as slant
boards so he could get up on the bed and chairs).  I soon learned that he
can do almost anything that a sighted cat can do except that he can't tear
around the room like Holly does (for fear of running into something), and he
needs to be able to "feel" something (such as a shelf) so that he can make
his way back down after climbing.  Other than that, his life is much like my
sighted cats' lives have been, and he is an absolutely dear, sweet, loving
companion.  I expected to be extra-careful not to move furniture or to do
anything else to disorient him.  In actual fact, I soon learned that Duffy
had adjusted so well that I didn't need to do very many "extra" things for
him.  In fact, I have had visitors who didn't realize for some time that he
is blind.  He does love what I call his "vertical space."  He dearly loves
to climb and is like a little gymnast, so I bought a cat tree with several
poles and "stations," and he will go whipping up and down those poles faster
than I ever imagined possible.  They do need to be carpeted because he can't
see to jump from one level to another; instead, he makes great use of his
claws to climb up *and* down.  He will even run at a pretty good rate of
speed if Holly is in front of him.  For this reason, I sometimes call her
his "seeing-eye cat."  The two are hilarious to watch at times.  One would
think that Holly might pounce on Duffy in play, but it is usually the
reverse.  Duffy will stalk and tackle Holly, the two will roll around
together; this will be repeated a couple of times, and then they will both
stretch out for a well-earned rest.

Duffy is an extraordinary little cat.  He has adjusted so well to his
blindness that it often takes visitors awhile to realize that he can't see.
He even notices tiny little insects.  He gets around so well and is so alert
to changes that I thought he might have a small amount of vision.  I
arranged for an evaluation by an ophthalmologist at Texas A&M University
College of Veterinary Medicine because I wanted to see if there was some
vestiges of sight (and, if so, what I should do to preserve it).  There, I
learned that Duffy is completely blind and that he has a condition known as
"anterior cleavage syndrome." There should be space between the iris and the
cornea.  In Duffy's case, the two components are adhered, and there is no
space between them.  This probably happened before birth and possibly was
caused by infection in the mother.  He is content, active and happy.  I
suspect that the fact that he has been blind since birth helped him to
compensate for his blindness - he has never known anything else, so it is
normal to him.  I overuse the word "delightful" when I talk about Duffy, but
it's the perfect description - he is adorable and an absolute delight.

What precautions should I take?

Let's be realistic about this.  Not every blind cat will adjust as quickly
as Duffy did, just as not every sighted cat adapts immediately to a new
environment.  So, what precautions or actions should a person who adopts a
blind cat expect to take?

First, it would be wise to set one room aside as the new cat or kitten's
room and give him or her *lots* of time to adjust before you try to
introduce her to other areas of the house.  Once you do begin to acclimate
her to the rest of the house, do it with "baby steps."  For example, I first
closed off all doors except one so that Duffy could feel his way around the
hallway and that one room.  You will probably find that it is natural for
your blind cat to "hug the walls" for awhile as she becomes accustomed to
her new environment.  It is also a good idea to set your cat down in
familiar areas for the first few weeks.  That is, after holding your cat for
awhile, set her down beside a chair or sofa that she can use as a point of
reference.  Don't just set her down in the middle of the room as we might do
with other cats because she may not recognize the location.  During the time
your new cat is kept in a single room (and for awhile even after letting him
roam throughout the house), it is helpful to keep a radio on in her room,
tuned to easy-listening or classical music.  She can use that to always have
a way to return to home base, and it will also help to prevent loneliness
when you are not around.  I think you will find that your kitten will
gradually become more and more accustomed to taking care of herself.

As I mentioned earlier, I did not need to take any special precautions
concerning the placement of furniture.
Nevertheless, it is important to at least start out with furniture in one
location and keep it there.  Your cat will use furniture as a reference
point, and you will want to watch him for awhile to see if he has any
difficulty maneuvering around furniture and other objects.  Likewise, be
wary - at least in the beginning - of placing books, dishes, etc.  on the
floor because your cat will not be able to see (and avoid) them.

I recommend that you buy a tall and very sturdy cat tree.  This provides
"vertical space" for a blind cat and accomplishes the dual functions of
providing play space and exercise.  Be sure to get a tree with carpeted
poles (not bare wood) because a blind cat needs to be able to climb up and
down the poles; he will not be able to leap from platform to platform as a
sighted cat can.  In fact, I added an additional pole to mine so that one
edge of the pole could be attached to the edge of the upper-level bed.  The
pole was centered underneath the bed when I bought the cat tree, but that
meant that Duffy could not find his way back down because he could not
"feel" where the pole was.  I also was careful to get one with beds that
have a raised lip all around and not one with open edges.  Duffy loves to
climb to the very top and will often sleep there.  He will also roll around
and play while up near the ceiling - so I think it is important not to have
an open edge where he could slip off if he wakes up and forgets the height.
I bought my cat tree at www.createacatcondo.com.  Their product is very
sturdy and well-constructed.  It also comes fully assembled, and the cost of
shipping is included in the price quoted at their web site.

Have a selection of toys available, in a variety of configurations.  Then
watch to see which types are most attractive to your cat.  Duffy frequently
plays with catnip toys and a little squeak-n-play mouse.  However, his two
favorite toys are toys that he can always find because they are always in
one place.  You might want to consider the same.  That toy is available as
an individual mouse (or some other little animals), or you can buy one
attached to a pole so you can drag it in front of your cat.  If you get the
pole-mounted version, be sure to put the pole away whenever you are not
attached to the other end - a precaution that should be used with *any* cat.
You can see a picture of a squeak-n-play mouse here:
http://tinyurl.com/6ouzd Duffy especially loves his "turbo scratcher."  It
is a round toy with a corrugated scratcher in the center.  It has a track
around the outer edge with a ball permanently mounted.  Duffy will jump back
and forth over the toy, tackle the ball, hit the ball back and forth (using
both paws so that he will often change directions).  I bought mine at
WalMart, but you can see a pictures at these locations:
http://store.yahoo.com/worldpets/blitturscrat.html and
http://tinyurl.com/4qjqg.  Duffy's other favorite toy is even cheaper...it's
free.  I'm sure we all have noticed how cats like to play with paper bags
and boxes.  Duffy created his own toy from a cardboard box that held some
items my sister gave me for Christmas.  I noticed that he would frequently
get in the box to play (not just to sleep).  There was another very small
empty box inside (a little larger than the size for lipstick), and he
frequently gets in the larger box and bats the smaller one around.  As a
result, I now have an empty cardboard box as part of the permanent decor in
my computer room!  As with the turbo scratcher, this gives him a toy that is
always in place and where he can knock the little box around without losing
it.  You can see a picture of "Duffy in a box" if you scroll down through
the pictures in the second link under my signature.

Toys that make noise are also good choices (the squeak-n-play mouse, for
example).  Again, this makes it easy for your cat to follow its path.  Duffy
particularly likes those little balls that are made of a very heavy
foil-like material.
They make a little "clicking" sound as they are rolled around the room.
Catnip-filled toys are also helpful.  Many cats like catnip, and it will
give your blind cat another way to locate and identify a favorite toy.

One thing I did notice after the visit to the A&M vet was that Duffy was
somewhat disoriented after we returned home.  It was an all-day trip, and I
had to show him where the litter box was.  He soon learned his way around
again, and all is back to normal.  But I have learned that one adjustment
that needs to be made is to make sure he knows what "home" is after I remove
him his environment.

Take it very slow, and don't try to rush things.  Remember, your blind cat
will need some extra time to adjust because he will not be able to use sight
to help him learn.  He may be fearful or intimidated when you first adopt
him.  After all, he has to learn about his environment, just as any new cat
may need to go through this period of adjustment; but he will have to do so
without one of our most important senses, sight.  I used Feliway during the
process of introducing Duffy and Holly, and I found it to be very helpful.
You may also find it to be useful.  Feliway is a behavior modification
spray.  It is frequently used to calm cats in stressful situations and is
used to prevent marking and spraying.  I bought three diffusers when I
adopted Duffy because I knew that Holly had become agitated in the past, and
I wanted to create a calming effect.  Each bottle lasted slightly more than
two months before needing a refill.  Here is a study from Ohio State
University that explains the methodology:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/11/001129074611.htm.

I don't think that Duffy even has any awareness that he is supposed to be
"handicapped."  No one has told him he "can't" do things, so he just goes
right ahead and does them.  He is fearless and can climb to the most
unlikely locations.  For that reason, I took steps to make certain areas
safer for him - basically, I "Duffy-proofed" the house in much the same way
that some people "child-proof" their homes.  I didn't need to worry about
damage because Duffy has never damaged anything, but I did have concerns
that he might become disoriented and fall and injure himself.  Therefore, I
installed a carpeted pole on the side and top edge of the computer hutch to
give him something to grasp, and I was careful to buy a cat tree that had a
raised, carpeted rim all around the edges of the beds were stationed on each
level.  On the other hand, my original assumption that I might need to
install slant boards so Duffy could climb up onto a bed or chair now seems
laughable.

It is very important to keep a blind cat *indoors* and *not* to declaw him.
I oppose declawing any cat, but this is particularly important for a blind
cat because declawing would impose a *double* handicap by taking away much
of his climbing ability.  Climbing is one of Duffy's greatest sources of
pleasure - and is good exercise.

In conclusion...

Don't every be afraid to adopt a blind cat.  Duffy is content and happy, and
I really can't imagine life without him.  I thought when I adopted him that
I would be doing him a kindness by adopting a cat that others had bypassed.
I soon realized that Duffy gives me far more than I can give him.  He has
brought incredible joy to my life.

Please give one of these glorious little animals a chance!

I hope this helps!  Please keep us updated.  Also, please feel free to
e-mail me if I can answer any questions for you.  The e-mail attached to
this message is valid except that you need to "take out the litter" to
reply.

MaryL

Photos of Duffy and Holly:      >'o'<
Duffy:  http://tinyurl.com/cslwf
Holly:  http://tinyurl.com/9t68o
Duffy and Holly together:  http://tinyurl.com/8b47e

Purrs for Hobo, and for you.  I've never had a blind cat, but I had a toy
Schnauzer that went blind.  She adjusted just fine.  It is usually a gradual
process, so the adjustment is ongoing.  If they were suddenly stricken
blind, they'd no doubt have a hard time, just as a person would, but since
it happens so gradually, adjustments are made as they go along, and it isn't
that traumatic.

Joy

You might get some bird and insect sounds on tape and start playing
them. Sometimes they can be very happy just hearing noises.

Over the last couple years my dog has gone blind and deaf. I think she
still sees a bright light at night, when she goes out, and maybe she
hears high pitched sounds a bit. But she copes well. However, when I
am boning a chicken and giving out bits and peices, I have to touch
the food to her nose; if I just put it on the floor in front of her
she wouldn't know it was there and Sheba would get it. But she has no
trouble finding her dish as it is in the same place as always. Outside
she navigates by smell.

I am sure Hobo still has a good sense of smell. A cracked open window
could maybe give him the smell of the birds and squirrels and the
outdoors, which would be pleasurable for him. And maybe lace his toys
with catnip. Feathers on a stick could have something added to make a
bit of noise for him to hear it. or maybe just catnip is enough for
him to find it.

--
CATherine

Lots of purrs for Hobo.

I don't have any advice to offer but we're sending purrs that Hobo
adjusts to his blindness with little effort and gentle headbutts to his
worried Meowmy as well.

Julie, Hobbes, Lacey, Sam and Barnabus

I feel qualified to answer as I've had old dogs that were losing sight as
they aged, and have had pretty severe sight problems myself.
I doubt he will take any time at all to adjust as his sight is reducing
slowly he will get used to it gradually with no trauma at all.  It will seem
"normal" to him.
Yes, keep his food and water dish where he expects them to be, and also his
bed and litter box.  Don't change the position of any.  He will manage fine
if you do this.
If he likes to go outside, you don't need me to tell you that it will now
have to be supervised only.
Another thing, don't suddenly touch a person/animal who is blind with no
warning of your approach.   It is totally freaking.  Speak first and warn.

Tweed

Coming into this thread late; you have already had some great advice.
Ted (RB) was mostly blind for the last several years of her life.  She
could determine strong contrasts - bright outside and shadow, which
helped her navigate around the edge of the house, find doors, etc, but
otherwise she was blind.  To be honest, only DH and I knew - everyone
else who visited or stayed with us never noticed because Ted behaved
normally in every way.  DH and I only noticed when we occasionally
shifted furniture around, but even then Ted's whiskers did a very good
job as an early-warning system.  By that time Ted was old enough that
she no longer hooned around the place, so her whiskers gave her
adequate warning that an object had appeared in her path.  Of course,
once we knew she was blind we avoided changing the furniture.  Having
said that, she coped with not one, but *two* house moves just fine.  As
far as we could tell, she never missed being able to see, except when
the kittens got excited about birds outside, and even then she couldn't
be bothered to get het-up. Never underestimate the power of a cat's
whiskers!

Tish

being a human that lost sight slowly I can tell you that he is already
adjusting, it is a series of small adjustments, and I think not nearly so
hard on a day to day basis as losing it all at once, one think you might
try, I keep a radio on most of the time, I do it partly because I like NPR
but I also realized recently that since I never move that radio it is a real
cue when I sleep on the couch and wake up in a fog and am disoriented, I
sort of know where I am in relation to the radio like when you first wake up
and look around.  It works no matter if I fall asleep in the recliner, love
seat or futon.  Not sure if it would work for a cat but I think a stationary
sound really might help, be it a radio, water fountain or something else,
Lee, who does miss rainbows and birds

I'm so sorry to hear Hobo is going blind, but we send lots and lots of
purrs and best wishes for him to adapt well and hugs for you Jeanne,
Polonca and Soncek