wrote in message
...
our 15 year old cat suddenly went blind last week, and seems to be
having a lot of trouble adapting, any experience that can be shared
would be appreciated.

thanks


First, before I go any father: Has your cat been seen by a vet since you
first noticed this quick onset of blindness? If not, *see a vet ASAP!*
Sudden blindness can be a symptom of other problems, such as high blood
pressure. High blood pressure can be treated, but it must be done quickly
to overcome problems such as blindness. For that reason, be sure to go to a
vet who can measure blood pressure (many cannot).
http://www.fabcats.org/owners/hypertension/info.html

I have a wonderful blind cat, Duffy. I adopted him 8 years ago, when he was
estimated to be 5 years old, so he is now approximately 13 years old. When
people first learn that Duffy is blind, their first reaction is almost
invariably to think (and often say), "Oh, the poor little thing." Actually,
Duffy is one of the happiest and most active cats I have ever seen and he
has brought incredible happiness into my own life.

Here is a major difference: Duffy has been blind since birth, whereas your
cat has been a seeing cat who is learning to adjust. However, I think I can
offer some advice even though our circumstances are different. First, do
not assume that your cat will live an unhappy life. Cats are remarkably
resilient creatures, and 15 is really not all that old. My other cat,
Holly, will be 16 in June. My first cat lived to be 20, and we have readers
on this group who have had cats that lived much longer lives. Second, buy
some toys that your cat can easily find-toys that are crinkly or make
noises. One of Duffy's favorite toys is a turbo scratcher. It is always in
the same location, and he loves to hit the ball in its fixed track. He is
ambidextrous and will often hit it first with one paw, then catch it as it
rolls around and hit it back with the other paw. If your cat shows any
inclination to climb, be sure to get him/her a cat tree. Duffy is a little
gymnast and can probably outclimb almost any sighted cat. Third, try to
leave all of your furniture in a "routine" arrangement. That is, do not
move it around because your cat may not be able to recognize those changes.
That has not been necessary with Duffy, but it is important to do this until
you can determine whether your cat becomes disoriented. Finally, do not
pick your cat up in one location and set him down in another. Once again,
he can become disoriented. Like Duffy, he may adjust so well that this is
unnecessary, but it is important until you determine what is needed. When
you do pick your cat up, try to place her as close as possible to that
location when you put her down, except that it is a good idea to place her
*against* a piece of furniture so she can use that to orient herself.

Here are some sources on the Internet that may help

http://www.petpeoplesplace.com/resou...-blind-cat.htm

http://www.petplace.com/cats/living-...cat/page1.aspx

http://www.dailypuppy.com/articles/h...5-46d5ce7d8303

http://cats.about.com/od/amyshojai/a...-blind-cat.htm

http://www.helium.com/items/1520973-...or-a-blind-cat

Please let me know if I can offer any assistance.

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
Duffy conquers the Christmas tree: http://tinyurl.com/clal7