I know it's been a while since I posted - seems like every time I do lately
it gets pretty much ignored (did I get kill-filed by everyone for something
I wrote???)  But since I really miss my rpca friends, I figured I'd give it
one more try.  So, here's a story of feline bravery and perseverance.

Bandit is now 17 years old and totally blind.  She is still in good health,
has a great appetite, and can maneuver her way around the downstairs part of
my home pretty darn well.  What's interesting to me is her method of
navigation.  She spends most of her time napping on my bed
(http://www.possibleplaces.com/CatNipped/Bandit18/DCP_2454.jpg), but of
course, there are a few things she can't do from up there.  So when she has
to take care of any bodily function this is what she has to do...

She walks to the bottom of my bed and then starts feeling around with her
paw for the top of the cat tree that is pushed up against the foot of my bed
and that the carpeted ramp leans against
(http://www.possibleplaces.com/CatNipped/Bandit24/100_0307.jpg).  Then she
slowly makes her way down the ramp and keeps going straight until she bumps
her nose into my chest of drawers.  Once she gets there she knows to turn
left and walk straight to reach the water bowl and Drinkwell fountain
(keeping her right whiskers brushing against the chest of drawers or the
wall for correct navigation).  Once she gets to the Drinkwell fountain she
knows to take another left until she gets to her food dishes.  Since this is
across an open doorway she can't use the 'whiskers brushing against the
wall' trick to keep straight, so she sometimes ends up missing the dishes
and continuing on until bumping her nose against my night stand or my bed,
in which case she knows to turn *right* and keep her left whiskers brushing
along my bed or night stand until she gets to the food.

When it's the litter box she's seeking she has an even more daunting
journey.  The first part is the same until reaching the Drinkwell fountain,
but at that point she has to continue walking against that wall, around the
door jam and to the closed garage door.  When she gets to the door she keeps
going until her whiskers reach the opening cut into the door for the cat
door which she then has to push through in order to get into the garage.
After exiting the cat door on the garage side, she has to turn left and keep
her left whiskers brushing against the wall until she has journeyed half way
around the circumference of the garage to the litter boxes on the opposite
wall.  After finishing her business she has to take the long trek back in
reverse.  [I deliberately don't keep a litter box in my bedroom for her yet
since her "trip to the john" is the only exercise or mental stimulation she
gets, and she shows no difficulty in making the trek - if she ever does have
a problem, I'll move the box closer for her at that time.]

There are times when she "misses her mark" and has to continue on a long,
long journey against a wall until she gets to a familiar landmark to then
start over again.  Because of this, I think, she *HATES* to be picked up -
what if someone picked her up and put her somewhere unfamiliar and not
against a wall!!!??  So I try to let her have her dignity and allow her to
make her own way to the food bowls when I call her to breakfast or dinner,
no matter how long it takes her to get where she needs to be.  I try to help
her along just by talking to her and clinking her dishes so she can use the
sounds to home in on her destination.

What's sad, and at the same time funny, is what happens when Sammy "gets in
her face".  Sammy is sometimes like a big, friendly, uncoordinated puppy.
She loves Bandit to pieces even though Bandit has been mean to her her
entire life, so she's always trying to give Bandit nose kisses.  Bandit,
suddenly confronted with a giant, invisible, cold and wet cat nose on hers
will start hissing, spitting, and swatting at the air in front of her face
(Sammy has long since retreated out of range), then she'll sit back with a
huff as if to say "what a rude young hooli-kitten, I guess I taught her a
lesson!"

Anyway, I just hope I will be as brave and dignified in my old age and
infirmities as my brave little Bandit is.  I also hope my brave little
Bandit is here to fuss at us all for a long, long time yet!

Hugs,

CatNipped