"silknsox" wrote in message
...

Can anyone tell me a little bit cats & cataracts please?

I have a lady who's cat has obvious cataracts. I know that in humans we have
to wait until the cataracts are ripe & then only when they're ready to be
lasered away. And, additionally,only one eye can be treated at a time..?

Is the process the same with cats?

She didn't exactly plan on having a cat- she moved into her new flat & found
her new lodger waiting on the doorstep every evening It would seem the last
tenants left him to fend for himself. Humans can be shameful cruel.......

I must say for a cat who's virtually blind, he has an amazing ability to
find his way around his own little kingdom~jumping from window sill & on to
his radiator cat bed...no problem locating his litter trays or negotiating
his way around the entire house for that matter. I know alot is attributed
to his sense of smell, hearing & balance. He's only 4 yrs old. This is the
first time anyone has ever asked me about cataracts-I've dealt with blind
cats & all manner of other problems & challenges..But never cataracts. No
appetite problems,oozing with confidence & he is SOOO friendly.He hardly
seems phased at all. He's a Big fat tabby cat (Yes, I fell in love
immediately- of course I am green with envy )

Nevertheless, Clearly they need attending to.Does anyone have any personal
experience that may help this young lady's cat, "Frazer". I'm sure she would
appreciate the advice the group has to offer, especially with making his
life a little easier during this transitional period

Many thanks in advance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
My cat, Duffy, is blind and can do almost anything that a sighted cat can
do. I have not had any experience with cataracts in cats, but I thought you
might want to look at these articles:
http://pets.webmd.com/cats/cataracts...atment-options
http://www.petwave.com/Cats/Health/E...Treatment.aspx

Are you sure the cat has cataracts? You said the cat "has obvious
cataracts," but you did not say this was diagnosed by a veterinarian. I
hope this is not something the owner has simply decided for herself. If
that is the case, please ask her to have an examination for her cat ASAP.
Has the cat's blood pressure been checked? High blood pressure can cause
blindness in cats. It must be treated *immediately* to avoid blindness.

Incidentally, it is no longer true that humans have to wait until the
cataracts are "ripe" and has not been true for many years. My grandmother
had cataracts removed a great many years ago. Just as you said, she had to
wait for them to be ripe. In fact, she was nearly blind before the
procedure could be done. By contrast, my parents and eventually myself also
had cataracts removed. We did not have to wait for that stage--the surgery
was performed when we felt it would be helpful. I had no cut/no stitch
laser surgery, but I am sure that would not be available for cats. I did
wait about two weeks between having the surgery on my left and right eyes.
It was completely painless and done on an outpatient basis. Quite a change
from my grandmother's era!

MaryL