...

Others probably know better. I think it depends on whether you are
patient and understanding enough. I guess worst case is medical
problems become too difficult to cope with. Good luck.

In the event you do. I would definitely consider bringing the
outside sounds inside using an infant room monitor or whatever
device. A blind cat probably would feast on being able to use its
ears. I would go very slowly though, starting with the volume turned
way down and see whether the cat is attracted or seems to pay
attention comfortably.

I think cat's very much enjoy using their senses, not just eyesight.
When I open the window, my new male cat jumps up and (besides
listening) starts actively smelling the air. It's almost like he's
drinking.

Others will probably know more, but my understanding is that cats adapt
very well to being blind. My parents have a cat with sight in only one
eye, but you would never know it. She's compensated very well.

You should be able to play with her almost like a regular-sighted cat.
For instance, if you dangle a Cat Teaser, she'll be able to "feel" it
with her whiskers and hear the location of it.

Someone here once posted this link: http://www.specialneedspets.org/

There is a section (under physically disabled pets, then, living with a
disabled cat) about blindness and cats. Perhaps this will give you more
info.

Follow your heart. . it sounds like she's needing a good home.

Rene

[snip]

If you're considering adopting her, which it sounds like you're doing,
you might want to let the staff at the shelter know, unless you're sure
it's an absolutely no kill shelter.

Priscilla

You need to contact the ng user who adopted the blind cat named
'Duffy.' I bet she has a wealth of knowledge on special needs
adoptions.

MaryL that posts here has a blind cat named Duffy. I know she won't be
able to post until tomorrow but you can get an idea of how her blind cat
is and things to expect by reading this thread:
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/rec.pets.cats.health+behav/browse_thread/thr
ead/3ab4da6053dc771d/6931677e9ba7bc88?q=blind+cat+duffy+maryl

Megan

                                   

My Jasper is both blind and deaf...talk about "special needs"!!!
However, you wouldnt even realize he was blind unless I told you. It is
simply amazing how well he gets around. He must have a great internal
map of our home, plus an incredible sense of smell (he smelled me from
across the room when he was at the hospital a few weeks ago!!!) and of
course his whiskers. He does bump into stuff but just lightly...again,
he uses his whiskers to guide him quite a bit. I've never seen him fall
off the bed or a chair or anything like that. He is cautious and I think
that makes a difference. When he comes into the bedroom at night, he
walks around the bed...like he is sizing it up...before he makes his
leap up to us!

I would say that if the cat's temperament seems to jive with yours...GO
FOR IT. Having Jasper has been a real treat. Sometimes people ask me why
the hell I would want a blind and deaf cat (we inherited him this way)
and I just say "You just have to know him!" Jasper is such a lover. I
feel so good that we were able to give him a comfortable, loving home to
live out his senior years.

Pam

Sounds like you got pulled in. They just sort of reach in and grab
when you aren't expecting. She must know you're a good deal :)

I had one cat that went partially blind when she was older. She was
okay with most everything. She did have trouble jumping on the counter
since she couldn't see the edges as well, and she had trouble with
confusing two cats that looked alike. One was her buddy and one was
her enemy. An older (darker) frostpoint and a younger blue point. They
were almost identical at that time. Fortunately, Fiona, the friend,
didn't mind the hissing and would approach slowly and wait for Darcy
to recognize her.

I did have a dog that went fully blind for the last 5 years of her
life. The main thing is to keep things consistent. Furniture, food,
etc. Playing is a bit harder. With my dog, I put bells on her rope
toy, and she took great pleasure in shaking it violently. I guess the
sound made her feel tough. Unfortunately, she would unknowingly beat
the crap out of legs with the knots if we were close by :)

Bells in balls are uselss. Once the ball stops moving, it is no good.
Catnip would still be good if she responds to it. Most do, but some
don't. She might like tug of war. Get a wider string toy, like a tie
from a robe, and see if she will grab on and play tug of war. As long
as she has a grip on it, she could actively play without having to see
it.

She's obviously not entirely blind- she can see a potential slave coming!

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

Hi David,

This will be an extremely lengthy reply (...my apologies if I am overdoing
it). Some of this is new, but much of it is cut-and-pasted from some of my
previous messages. I thought this might be a good opportunity to "pull
together" some of my thoughts on adopting a blind cat in the hopes that it
will encourage you and others who may be reading it to take this important
step. At the same time, please be aware that this is really anecdotal
information based on my "one cat" experience with Duffy, my delightful blind
and resilient kitty.

Your message really rang a bell with me because your description almost
exactly duplicates my original contact with Duffy (except that I first saw
his picture on Petfinder). I adopted Duffy on Jan. 31, 2003. He had been at
the shelter since November - just as in your message. However, he was in a
kill shelter and was really lucky to still be alive. That shelter keeps
animals for at least 14 days, but the staff obviously wanted to find a home
for Duffy and had kept him far longer than the norm.

I have divided the message into 2 basic components - first a description of
life with Duffy, then some suggestions for caring for a blind cat. I hope
your questions will be answered in the process.

THE STORY OF DUFFY - OR - 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.

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. First, he 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. Again, this makes it easy for
your cat to follow its path. Duffy especially 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!

David, I hope this helps! Please keep us updated and let us know if you
decide to adopt (and know that I have my fingers crossed that you make that
decision). 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 (pictorial history of Duffy's integration into our
household):
Duffy, Part I: The Introduction -- http://tinyurl.com/8y54
Duffy, Part II: Life at Home -- http://tinyurl.com/8y56

By the way. I bought some of those Cat Dancer toys at PETsMART for
three dollars apiece. At Wal-Mart, I bought some golf ball size
plastic bell balls. Those very small plastic bells inside of the
bell balls are extremely light and have a tiny plastic ring on them.
With a little effort, you can slip the bell on through the holder
end of the Cat Dancer wire. I suggest that will be your best shot at
getting her to play. The cost is about five dollars to try (assuming
those stores are available).