I will never, *EVER* understand the way cats think - *IF* that's what you
can call it!

Bandit is 17 years old and totally blind (she's been blind for a little over
a year now - see below).  She manages to make her way around the downstairs
of my home quite well using the walls and familiar "landmarks" to figure out
where she is and where she's going.  I have a ramp for her to make her way
on and off my bed (the place she spends most of her time):

http://www.possibleplaces.com/CatNipped/Bandit24/100_0307.jpg

But even if she is comfortable roaming around in the dark I can't see why
she would do something like this!

In my garage there is a 4.5 foot tall workbench that runs the entire wall
that abuts the house:

http://www.possibleplaces.com/CatNipped/House/DCP_1667.jpg.

Since this picture was taken (but, after thinking about this I recalled,
before Bandit became blind) we moved the coffee table that we're refinishing
(lower left-hand corner in this picture) right next to the workbench.

The other day, Bandit went into the garage (I'm presuming to use her litter
box) but decided to jump up onto the coffee table.  From the coffee table
she jumped up to a box that was butted up to the coffee table and the
workbench.  From there she jumped up to a higher box, and from there jumped
up to the workbench.  Well, getting up there was a breeze, she just put her
paws on the next higher surface and jumped up.  However, she didn't consider
how she was going to get down again!  She tried reaching out to feel for the
last surface she jumped from but couldn't stretch far enough down to reach
even if she hadn't moved from the spot where she first jumped from the
top-most box..  She was afraid to just jump down blindly, and was well and
truly in a pickle!

I was upstairs when I heard a terrible yowling - it sounded like a banshee
in torment!  I rushed downstairs to see who was being tortured and killed
and found Miss Bandit standing in the middle of the workbench waiting for me
to rescue her.  All that would have been fine except the little bit*h had
the nerve to bite me when I picked her up to put her back safely on the
floor!!!

OK, I suppose in her mind it was all my fault for having moved the coffee
table.  However, I have not moved the stool in my bathroom since we moved
into this house three years ago, yet while I was in the shower yesterday
Bandit came into the bathroom and jumped up to my stool then onto my sink,
and found herself in the exact same predicament!  [At least this time I was
prepared for her "gratitude" and kept my fingers, hands and arms out of
reach of her teeth!]

I'm worried that she may be growing senile or that her brain is
malfunctioning (see below re cause of her blindness), I can't figure why
else she would start doing such stupid things!  I'm afraid she might do
something like this when I'm not home and either be stuck or try jumping
down and hurt herself.  I hesitate to keep her confined to one room where
she can't jump up on anything, I'd rather see her keep as active as possible
for as long as possible.

I've already talked to her vet and she didn't have any advice except to
suggest keeping her confined.  Her last check-up was just a few weeks ago -
she is in great health for a cat her age (BUN and creatinin levels are fine,
blood pressure is great, she's eating heartily and drinking enough water).

The vet said that the blindness is probably caused by a tumor growing on the
front, underside of her brain (her retinas are not detached and all the
blood vessels in her eyes look healthy).  I didn't take her for further
testing to confirm or refute the brain tumor theory since, if it's there,
there is nothing that can be done for her and at her age I didn't want to
put her through the stress of more poking and prodding for no good reason.

Anyway, does anyone have any other suggestions about how I can keep her
safe?

Hugs,

CatNipped