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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / January 2006Blind Kitten advice.
Hi. Last week upon returning home I found a 7-8 week old blind, dehydrated, 1lb 2oz kitten. It was below zero out and I was not about to leave her outside. Been to the vet twice and probably the states best pet optomologist (sorry for bad spelling). Apparently her mother must have been ill during pregnacny- her right eye had ruptured and resealed and is non-light reactive. Her left eye is severly damaged, and somewhat light reactive. On top of all this, there are NO upper-eyelids on this kitten for any of the lens layers (the outside one exists, but it is the inner ones that are used to moisten the eyes). On top of this, roundworm (normal for outdoor wild cats). The veterinarian suggests removing the eyes when she reaches 5-6 months old (if no improvement), and until then, placing in eye drops to keep them moist 3-4 times daily Now for the few dilema's I have. I have raised cats all my life, have 2 college degrees in Animal Science (not in spelling), and have delt with older cats who have lost their sight over their lifetime. 1: How do I handle this situation?!?. She cannot see more than 4 inches from her face. She is playfull and will pounce depending on sound, but she misses regularly. She has gotten stuck on a second layer of a cat tree, and doesnt realize she can get down. She is in a spare bedroom in quarenteen (due to the roundworm), and has partially explored it. She still runs into objects, but takes it in stride. Introducing her to a 3 story house will be an interesting challenge at best. 2: I have 2 other cats- one kitten I adopted the day before finding the blind one. She is 4 months old. Today I attempted to let them meet to slowly get them aquainted. The blind one puffed what furr she had, then went on her merry way- not realizing the other kitten was still there unless the kitten made noise. The meeting was not a success (not that I expected it to be). 2A: I do not want to let her out until she and the 4 month old are friendly- I have a 1 1/2 year old who it took a week to acclimate the older kitten. I fear what he will do the the little one. Without sight, her only defenses are her ears and smell. Both the older kitten and the adult can be pretty stealthy. (I may get bells for now for their collars). 3: At this point, the kitten may only be a foster. I am willing to pay the medical bills to get her fixed up, but as it is I may not be able to keep her. We rent the house, and as it is, pets are not allowed (as you can see, we are breaking this rule already). One of the people I am sharing the home with had no issue with a second kitten, but thinks three cats is pushing it. I know finding a home for a blind kitten will be near imposible (though I know other people willing to foster her). Any suggestions on raising her? I do not want her bullied by the other two cats (which I dont see happening after they set the pecking order). The house is already kitten proofed, but it looks like I will need to do more; I am afraid of the kitten falling through a railing or down the stairs. All advice on this would be welcome- Thanks Derek > Hi. Last week upon returning home I found a 7-8 week old blind, > dehydrated, 1lb 2oz kitten. It was below zero out and I was not about [quoted text clipped - 54 lines] > > Derek Oh my! Well, I sure hope that MaryL sees this. She has a cat she adopted who was blind from birth. Though he was an adult when she got him, she will have very good advice for you on this. She will tell you (and show you ;) ) how marvelously Duffy gets along. I think there is great hope for this little one. Since it is SO young, I think you will actually have a good chance of a good introduction if you take it slowly. I would just try to look at the room kitty is in and try to baby proof as well as possible. I too would keep her safe there until she is older and familiar with everything. I would guess she will adapt more easily than you imagine because she does not know that being blind is "different". Good luck and please keep us posted. Minerva is doing very well. She is super playful, loves her toys (when she can find them)- and has explored about 50% of the room she is in (she still hugs the walls, but has memorized a few things such as her box, litter, food, etc). The second she realizes you are in the room, her engine starts up. We started giving her eye drops a few times a day- she gives little struggle, but the purr always continues. I think her one eye may be looking a little better. Her eyes changed color this week from kitten blue to whatever the new color is (hard to tell with what is left of her inner eye-lids up). She has managed to get stuck a few times; I have found her on top of a three-tier cat-tree a few times- she doesn't even try to get down. At least when she is on the second tier, she realizes now she can jump off without damage. We had company over on New-Years Eve, and probably everyone spent some time with her. She would hiss now and then, but always ended in purrs. Socially, she will be fine (so it seems). Per the other cats..... Our other new arrival Athena (4 month old kitten); we introduced them prior to my original post and they both freaked. Apollo on the other hand (our 1 and a half year old) has pushed the door open on his own a few times to say hello (only when we are in the room- he is a jealous mush). The kitten will hiss if he gets too close, but Apollo doesn't care at all. He will come over and watch Minerva, giving her some space. He seems interested, but knows right now to back off ((It took him a week to get use to Athena- there was a lot of spitting and hissing on both there parts, but now he plays with Athena, and I caught him washing her the other day)). Athena has entered in following Apollo, but is still afraid of the Minerva (btw, both names, Athena and Minerva are for the same goddess, One Roman Myth, One Greek). Athena tried staring down Minerva when they first met, but staring down a blind cat seems to defeat the purpose, so she lost :-). I will keep you informed as time goes on. When we are in the room, Minerva always gives silent mews. I am wondering if she is meowing when I am not around and we don't hear it, making her horse. I had a radio playing in the room, but shut it off to try to hear her if she makes noise (I unfortunately have never been blessed with good hearing). We shall see Write to you folks later- Derek > Hi. Last week upon returning home I found a 7-8 week old blind, > dehydrated, 1lb 2oz kitten. It was below zero out and I was not about [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > old (if no improvement), and until then, placing in eye drops to keep > them moist 3-4 times daily <snip> > Thanks > > Derek Hi Derek, You are really facing two separate issues here: (1) blindness in a kitten and (2) how to slowly -- and safely -- introduce two cats. Item #2 is particularly important in your case because your kitten is blind. I adopted Duffy a little less than 2 years ago, and he is pure delight. I can assure you that a blind cat can lead a full and active life. I will send private email to you this evening (email because the message will be lengthy and most will duplicate information I have previously posted here). In the meantime, please do *not* try to introduce your two cats at this early date. You will find links to two "albums" under my signature. The first shows the pictorial history of how I introduced Duffy to Holly. The second shows more up-to-date photos -- the "transition." If you will scroll part-way down in the second album, you will see some pictures of Duffy on his cat tree. He is like a little gymnast, and will swing himself from one pole to another. So, the problems you described about your kitten running into objects are temporary and will probably be overcome as your kitten grows and becomes more familiar with his surroundings. Like you, 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). In Duffy's case, I actually thought that he might have some sight because he has compensated so well. 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 pressed together, and there is no space between them. This probably happened before birth and possibly was caused by infection in the mother. I am delighted that you are willing to give this little kitten the opportunity for a full life. Too many people hear "blindness" and view it as an unsurmountable handicap -- and, for many, the next step is death. In actual fact, Duffy is active, healthy and happy. MaryL (take out the litter to reply) Photos of Duffy and Holly: >'o'< http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly) http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in") >Too many people hear "blindness" and view it as an unsurmountable handicap -- and, for many, the next step is death. In actual fact, Duffy is active, healthy and happy.< This is a perfect spot for me to tell you all about Jasper. Also known as Dudley. It doesn't much matter what we call him because he cant hear us. Nor can he see us. Jasper's mom died in August. She was an old lady with 2 cats (Jasper and Max...who didnt get along very well.) Her dying wish was to have her cats put down upon her own death. (!!) The old lady's daughter is a dear friend of my mother-in-law, named Linda. And at the wake, Linda asked my husband and me if we wanted another cat. After having gone through a bad situation with a cat we had adopted from a shelter and deciding not to keep him...our hearts were already battered and we feared another cat would just be another let down. We figured our cat Luna just really needed to be the queen of her domain forever. Well, Linda said that Jasper was a great cat and we should just go see him. I caved. We went. Mind you...this is just a few blocks away from the old lady's funeral. The 2 cats were still in her apartment. We come in and see Jasper. I start petting him. He starts purring. He looks so sad. He was very close with the old lady. I knew we had to get him out of there. He's an older cat (probably around 12, but we're not even totally sure) and the other cat was younger, so we figured he would be easier to adopt out. They were definitely not a "bonded pair" even though they lived together. I decided we would take Jasper and even if it didnt work out with our cat, Luna, that we would take the responsibility of finding Jasper a new home. We kept Jasper quarantined for almost week until Tim could get him to the vet for a checkup before being introduced to Luna. In this week, we discovered that Jasper didnt seem to see much. Or hear much. So, to make a short story long.... ;) We kept Jasper. He is a gorgeous cat. very dark siamese. And he is blind and deaf. And he has terrible breath and bad teeth and cant really eat anything but wet food. And we absolutely adore him. He gets around quite well considering his handicaps...plus...his NOSE SURE WORKS!!! ;) He does bump into stuff sometimes...but only when things are out of place. He really knows his way around and is quite content. People often look at us in shock when we say we adopted a 2nd cat...who is both blind and deaf. Like I said, we didn't even know this when we rescued him from that apartment. But what a joy he is. His purrs are the best. And when you get home from work and say hi to him, it startles him and he squeaks. It is the best. I feel kinda bad, but there is no way to not startle him. He cant see or hear your approach. Poor guy. But right after the squeak, he starts purring because he is so glad you are there. Then he rolls over on his back and starts doing this swimming thing with his paws while you just rub and rub and rub his tummy. :) that's my happy story. happy new year 2005 kitty lovers. Pam p.s. here's a pic of jasper back in august on his first day with us!!! :) http://public.fotki.com/kitkatluna/miscellaneous/random/jasper.html "Enjoy every second of your life...it may end at any time and you may come back as some loser with bad taste." -my friend JoeyJojo ***notice spam blocker*** >> Too many people hear "blindness" and view it as an unsurmountable handicap -- > and, for many, the next step is death. In [quoted text clipped - 56 lines] > > http://public.fotki.com/kitkatluna/miscellaneous/random/jasper.html Awww. How old is he? >Awww. How old is he?< We are not exactly sure. The vet's guess is between 10 and 12, but closer to the 12. Apparently before living with the old lady we got him from, he lived with *another* old lady, who also died on him. :-( So, his history as well as his age is kind of a mystery. Of course, I'm hoping that my husband and I do break the cycle that Jasper has been thru. We'd like to outlive him..if it all possible. ;) pam "Enjoy every second of your life...it may end at any time and you may come back as some loser with bad taste." -my friend JoeyJojo ***notice spam blocker*** >> Awww. How old is he?< > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > ***notice spam blocker*** If he is just 12, and if you run a blood test and all comes back well, I would sure have his teeth cleaned. Bad teeth can lead to worse health problems and so he will really benefit from this. If your vet is uncomfortable, I would look for a feline vet, whom I'm sure have done many older cats under anesthesia. He's a beautiful color! > >> Awww. How old is he?< > > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > uncomfortable, I would look for a feline vet, whom I'm sure have done many > older cats under anesthesia. He's a beautiful color! I agree, 12 is not old at all.  SignatureI.P.Freely >>> Awww. How old is he?< >> [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > uncomfortable, I would look for a feline vet, whom I'm sure have done many > older cats under anesthesia. He's a beautiful color! This is good advice. It is important to have the blood tests first, but bad teeth can lead to still more health problems -- and the fact that Jasper has bad breath leads me to think that he has *very* bad teeth (if that is the only health issue). Many cats live to be much older than the estimated age for Jasper, and it would not be in his best interests to face years of untreated dental problems. MaryL Here's a second to the "get his teeth cleaned" recommendation. Orientals are prone to gum disease and teeth problems anyway, and older cats usually need this kind of support. Our 15 year old Burmese's kidney problems have gotten *way* better since we had his teeth cleaned. A good vet won't put a cat under without doing blood work that day so, while it is always risky to give a cat anesthetic, it really can make all the difference in an older cat's overall health. And purrs to you for being such a loving kitty mom! dragon > I feel kinda bad, but there is no way to not startle him. He cant see or > hear your approach. Poor guy. Maybe you could walk heavily or tap the floor so he feels it? Signaturehttp://www.mindspring.com/~slywy/pages/hodge.html >> I feel kinda bad, but there is no way to not startle him. He cant see or >> hear your approach. Poor guy. > > Maybe you could walk heavily or tap the floor so he feels it? I agree. My cat Tiffy is deaf and she "feels" me enter the room through the floor. Even so, she is often startled. SignatureFlippy in Melbourne, Australia. My Cats: http://www.flippyscatpage.com > >Too many people hear "blindness" and view it as an unsurmountable handicap -- > and, for many, the next step is death. In [quoted text clipped - 53 lines] > > http://public.fotki.com/kitkatluna/miscellaneous/random/jasper.html Wonderful story! One suggestion, though. Have you had Jasper's teeth checked (in fact, a thorough physical exam)? A cat should not have bad breath, and this is often a sign of medical problems. You did mention that he has "terrible teeth." Has your vet made any recommendations? Thanks for adopting Jasper and taking care of him. MaryL >Wonderful story! One suggestion, though. Have you had Jasper's teeth >checked (in fact, a thorough physical exam)? A cat should not have bad [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > >MaryL We did have him examined thoroughly by the vet right after we got him. I didn't want him hanging around Luna until we were certain he was okay. As for the teeth, the vet said they likely just needed a good cleaning but that cats have to be put under for that procedure and that at Jasper's age and considering his frailty, it was probably not in his best interest. What do you think? Does this sound fairly accurate? It is a little frustrating having a cat with so much history that we are not aware of. And I tried to get his vet records from the previous family, but they were not so cooperative. The past 6 months have been kinda crazed for me as well. I started a new job in August, right after getting Jasper and also just got married in December. Maybe now that things are a little back to normal, I can try and pursue those vet records once again. Pam "Enjoy every second of your life...it may end at any time and you may come back as some loser with bad taste." -my friend JoeyJojo ***notice spam blocker*** I think it's fantastic you gave a blind and deaf cat an opportunity for such a wonderful life. Too many people would not have done so. I once had a deaf cat although she made up for her handicap by being extra alert with her other senses. She purred at full volume too! sarah >She purred at full volume too! Jasper sounds like a motor when he purrs...it's quite relaxing. :) pam "Enjoy every second of your life...it may end at any time and you may come back as some loser with bad taste." -my friend JoeyJojo ***notice spam blocker*** "sarah" wrote... >I think it's fantastic you gave a blind and deaf cat an opportunity for >such [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > sarah That's cute, Sarah. My Tiffy doesn't purr very loud, but she does meow at full volume. MEEEEEOOOOOOOOOW!!! Sure gets my attention. LOL! -- Flippy in Melbourne, Australia. My Cats: http://www.flippyscatpage.com > We did have him examined thoroughly by the vet right after we got him. I > didn't [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > Pam If you can't get the vet records from the previous family, perhaps the vet would be more cooperative. When I adopted Tiffy the vet gave me their original vet records because I live on the other side of town. SignatureFlippy in Melbourne, Australia. My Cats: http://www.flippyscatpage.com i have a blind kitten named sniff. i got her while working for a local vet. She was brought in by a local shelter who said a guy dropped her off because she was wondering around and her eye was out. I was really looking forward to her coming in, i have never seen such a young animal with this type of problem and plus it was definitely different than the spays/neuters we have come in all the time. When she came in i couldn't imagine how she could have survived for as long as she did. She weighed almost nothing, her left eye was more than half way protruding out and had to have been like this for sometime because it had already scabbed over and you could smell the infection and the other eye was squinted making it look almost closed. While i was waiting for Dr. Ford i put my hand in the box and kept it still. Before i knew it she walked over to my hand and started sniffing it. i couldn't help but to be amazed at how she found my hand with just a sense of smell. I knew we were going to remove the left eye and fatten her up, but for what? As we talked we kept running into the same dilema: where will she go afterwards? She couldn't stay at Dr. Ford's because we needed all the room we could get, the shelter offered to take her back with them, but they were worried how long she would sit there before getting adopted. "I'll take her" is what came out of my mouth before i knew it. I have never been a cat person, but that day i became one. We kept her in the surgery room until I was able to take her home and Dr. Ford even suggested that she probably be penned up until she was 4/6 months old. Boy was she WRONG! The day i took her home i was driving on the interstate coming around a curve that alot of people wreck at and she was climbing out of the box onto me as we were riding. I couldn't keep her in the box, instead i let her ride in my lap. Her initial "Homecoming" wasn't the best either. My boyfriend freaked out. Because the surgery hadn't been that long ago, she was really starting to heal as far as the removal goes. That side of her face was shaved with a 40 blade and you could tell that it wasn't a pretty site. It was scabbing over and at times she would scratch at it so hard but it didn't seem to bother her. The other eye never came at all. There is nothing there in that socket, and it's been that way since i first saw her. I tried to convince my boyfriend that after she heals that scab covering half her head would be gone and her hair and whiskers will grow back as if nothing happened. (It helps that she is a long haired cat because it really helps hide the scar that could be showing.) It didn't take much convincing because he overlooked the scab and was soon nicknaming her. As far as her being blind goes, you couldn't tell. She definitely makes up for her loss of eyesight with her sense of smell and hearing. I was going to keep her up like Dr. Ford suggested, but it was near impossible. She leaerned her way around our house in no time, occasionally bumping into things. She still does that, especially when she's excited and running around playing. She learned how to use the litter box the first night. Although she didn't understand at first because she tried to eat the litter. She is so much like a dog it isn't funny. She comes when her name is called. You can be another room away and not paying any attention to her and she'll come running in the room ready to play or relax. She pretty much makes herself welcome any where. You can try to keep her out of the room, but if you don't have the door shut all the way, she's charging in, literally. She's a very social cat. She's always where every body else is in the house. She also loves to lay on just the floor of our house, no carpet any where. She knows when there are other animals in the house because she'll follow them around as if she can see them. She's defeinitely different. Having been around dogs and horses primarily, she was a first. It's amazing how they can adjust even after losing one of the most important senses. I am glad however that she has been this way since birth because it would be harder coping with a cat over 2 years in age because they were used to sight and now they have none. I'm glad to have had this experience and to have found other people who share the same. I knew I wasn't the only one with a blind kitten, just the only one i know. My advice would be to let her do what she feels comfortable with. She isn't going to do something she does not feel sure about. I promise. Sniff has gotten to where she'll climb on the counter as long as there is a chair close by to get up/down from. I don't know how she figured out how to do that. She would climb in our laps while we were sitting at the bar and climb on the bar but that would be it. Now she's learned to do it with out our help! She loves to play and she will get pretty mean while playing but that's her way. It's partly my fault too, i played with her too rough from the get go and now that's how she plays. I'm the only one that will let her get ruthless about it.Her favorite toy is simply a foil ball. She'll chase that thing around forever, really! She'll push it across the floor and take off! Totally amused, it's like a game to keep up with it and follow the sound. Like any cat, she hates a bath, but she gets them anyways. She'll let you know when she's hungry and she acts like a crackhead when she hears that Whisker Lickin package open. She's a converstation piece, people have to look at her twice when we say that she has no eyes. I'm happy with the way she has turned out. Even with no eyes, you'll still have a hard time keeping up with Sniff! We have one too! Little Angel was dumped off in the field beside our house when she was only a few weeks old. Both eyes were destroyed. Apparently from some kind of virus.So she's never known sight. But she does everything the other cats do. She even loves going outside & exploring the yard.Of course we keep her under pretty close supervison. She likes to go up on top of the garden shed & "watch" the horses on the other side of the fence & believe it or not, she's a real tree climber. Of course coming back down is another story. We keep a ladder handy to rescue her. She loves the smells outside & the sound of the leaves scrunching under her paws & will even chase & try to play with them. She's just a delightful & loving little creature who doesn't at all miss what she's never known. We could all learn from these little guys who were so short changed in life. We think Heaven is gonna look great to us...Imagine what it's gonna look like to them. Bless em' all. Patty. >i have a blind kitten named sniff. i got her while working for a local >vet. Congratulations! And thank you for adopting Sniff. You will never be sorry -- you have given Sniff a good home, and Sniff will bring you unimaginable joy. My wonderful Duffy has been blind since birth (but never needed the surgery you described). He was estimated to be between 3 and 5 years old when I adopted him. Duffy can do almost anything that a sighted cat can do, and he is truly a happy little cat.. His vet said this week that he thinks Duffy must have a guardian angel looking over his shoulder because of all the remarkable things he can do without sight. You did not ask for advice, but I hope you won't mind a few suggestions. First, it would be a good idea to try to keep all furniture (especially furniture with hard edges) in its place until Sniff becomes adjusted. I soon found that wasn't necessary, but it's good practice while a blind kitty is learning his or her way around. Also, please consider getting a tall and sturdy cat tree. I call it Duffy's "vertical space" because one of the few things he can't do like Holly is run at full speed through the house -- for obvious reasons, that is his one limitation. However, Duffy is like a little gymnast on the cat tree. He will dash up and down the tree, swirling from one pole to another. He will head straight down like a little squirrel when he starts the descent, then swivel his hips and rapidly back down the rest of the way like a little bear. I think you would find that Sniff would love one. Be sure to get a cat tree with beds that have a raised "lip" or edge because you would not want Sniff to become disoriented and fall off when she falls asleep (and those beds are among Duffy's favorite spots for a nice nap). A Turbo Scratcher is a great toy for a blind cat. It has a ball in a fixed track with a corrugated cardboard scratching surface in the center. Your cat can always locate the ball because it will always be in one location (and the sound of the rolling ball is a real attractant). Even without sound, though, you will probably find that Sniff will locate little toy mice and balls (especially those with catnip) and play with them. You can easily find Turbo Scratchers on the Internet or pet stores, and I think WalMart carries them. So, this is the beginning of a happy time for you. Thanks, again, for adopting Sniff. Far too many people look at blindness as a "defect" and will automatically assume that a blind cat cannot live a "normal" life. Nothing could be further from the truth! 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 > However, Duffy is like a > little gymnast on the cat tree. He will dash up and down the tree, swirling > from one pole to another. He will head straight down like a little squirrel > when he starts the descent, then swivel his hips and rapidly back down the > rest of the way like a little bear. Sounds like he has a better memory than I do! Do you have any long, straight hallways or other areas? You could perhaps convince him to chase you, since you would determine the course (and keep roadblocks out of his way). SignatureWeb site: http://www.slywy.com/ Message board: http://www.slywy.com/phpBB2/ Journal: http://slywy.blogspot.com/ >> However, Duffy is like a >> little gymnast on the cat tree. He will dash up and down the tree, [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > perhaps convince him to chase you, since you would determine the course > (and keep roadblocks out of his way). Oh, I didn't mean that he doesn't run at all. In fact, he's very confident when moving around and will come running to me from wherever he is. He trots through the house with head and tail high making these happy little "mrrup, mrrup" sounds. I just meant that he doesn't get up the full "head of steam" when running like Holly does -- he's a bit more cautious when running. On the other hand, he *will* go tearing through the house if Holly is in front of him. I sometimes call Holly his "seeing eye cat" because Duffy loves to chase after her. The funny thing is that Duffy "tackles" Holly with some regularity. He loves to involve her in a little mini-battle -- sort of like hoomin brother and sister. I Holly runs one direction around a chair, he knows to go the *other* direction around the chair to meet her as she attempts her "escape." Still *climbing* is great love, and that is where he can be seen rapidly climbing and descending, moving back and forth from one pole to the other, etc. (If Holly *really* wants to escape, she will suddenly leap high onto something he can't climb -- like the mantel. Then he's left down on th floor, looking up with this puzzled look, like "how did she do that"?) MaryL hey mary, thanks for your advice! I know it sounds crazy, but this cat is near about invincible! you can't stop her. The furniture in the house has never been moved around on her, so she knows the house better than we do it seems. I love how she is so independent but at the same time more social thatn most cats i have seen. Everybody thought i was crazy because i even thought of taking on such a challenge. But She has proved to be no challenge at all. Sniff does alot of climbing too. Except she climbs places she shouldn't, like on the counter. I always rescue her when she is up there. I finally became smart enough to move the chairs from around the bar so she can't get up there. I will defeinitely look into one of those trees you were referring to. i haven't let her out side, although every time the door is open she wants to go and is waiting on you when you return. We live to close to a primarily busy road, maybe not as busy as it is negligent. I have caught her coming out of the door and going under my boyriends truck which is lifted up and i'm glad i did. I just don't want her to get scared of hearing the cars going up and down the road, and our drive because we live on a private drive and not to mention the dogs that we have. i just dont want to risk her getting out. She really is a blessing to our home, now at 8 months old she has definitely found her niche and she isn't going any where.I think she knows that too. talk to you soon -kimberly- > hey mary, thanks for your advice! I know it sounds crazy, but this cat is > near about invincible! you can't stop her. The furniture in the house has [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > niche and she isn't going any where.I think she knows that too. > talk to you soon -kimberly- Hi Kimberly, I had not checked this thread for the past week, so I just now saw your response. It sounds like you are going to have a *great* time with your kitty. By all means, be super-cautious and do not let your cat outdoors. Even though blind cats can do remarkably well (as you are already learning), they can become disoriented in unfamiliar surroundings and would be left with no protection. Duffy loves to climb, as I think I described. That's fine with me -- it is fun for him and good exercise. On the other hand, it is important to make sure that there is nothing dangerous in his way that he might not be aware of because of his lack of vision. So, for example, I had a handyman create a carpet-covered pole and mount that parallel to the top of the hutch. That gives Duffy something to grip when he climbs up and plays (which he does regularly -- you can see some pictures of him hanging out backwards from the top of the hutch if you look at Duffy's "album"). Other than that, I have not needed to take any specific precautions. It's remarkable to see how agile he is and how he manages to climb among all sorts of objects without ever damaging anything. You mentioned a cat tree. I have two great ones and bought them here: www.createacatcondo.com. This company builds each tree to your specifications. I learned with my first tree that I do need one extra pole so it will be on the outside of the upper bed and extend just a few inches above it. That way, Duffy can find his way down. Without it, he could not feel the pole that the bed is mounted on because the basic configuration has the pole mounted on the middle of the underside of the top bed. You can probably see what I mean if you look at the album. Again, the man who does lots of handyman projects for me created that extra pole. However, I ordered the second one with that same configuration, and they made the changes exactly as I wanted. Duffy loves them! He is like a little gymnast on "his" trees. Please let me know if I can be of any help. My email addy is valid except that you first need to "take-out-the-litter." 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 > Like any cat, she hates a bath, but she gets them anyways. If you keep her indoors only, probably better would be to simply comb/brush her. Since she's blind and relies heavily on her sense of smell, using an air purifier might help. Good luck. I got your email - thank you- see the reply to the prior post for current update. I will reply to your email in private, and thank you again for your advice. I am sure I have a long road ahead of me, keeping the kitten or not. (I will foster her until the eyes are taken care of). TTYL Derek
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