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#1
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Feline blindness
Hello, Group:
Within the past ten or twelve days I noticed some odd behavior in my six-year-old female cat Alice -- she won't stay on the floor or any other place she considers "too low". She stays on the refrigerator, on a dresser, on the mantle or any place high. None of this has been normal for her in the past. The few times she was on the floor recently she was acting a little fearful as if she thought something was in the room with her. July is the month for her yearly physical so when I took her to the vet I intended to ask about it. While waiting for the doctor to come into the exam room, I noticed that when she made an attempt to jump from the floor to the exam table, she fell short and back to the floor. Twice more she looked at the table top, trying to judge the distance, then backed off from trying the jump. On the third try she succeeded. I realized at that time she must be having trouble seeing. The vet examined her, did some rudimentary tests with her fingers around the cat's eyes (blink test, mainly) and agreed but she doesn't know why. They did a sophisticated blood test of some kind and she's clear of any problems there. The vet says her retinas appear to be OK but wants me to take her to a specialist, an opthalmologist. I'm all for that, the sooner the better. The vet told me she did speak with the specialist before the blood test results came back and that the specialist didn't seem to think it was anything serious. The specialist asked my vet to call her again after the results of the blood test came back. My vet did call but the specialist hasn't gotten back to her yet. Has anyone here ever had a cat that exhibited similar symptoms? Any input would be most gratefully received because I'm really concerned about Alice. I lost quite a bit of sleep last night just thinking about her because I don't know what's wrong. Thanks so much. George |
#2
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Cats can be just as near-sighted as the rest of us. Try checking into that.
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#3
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Cats can be just as near-sighted as the rest of us. Try checking into that.
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#4
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Thanks for the reply.
My question about near-sightedness would be: why would it begin manifesting in only a week's time? She was fine, then over a period of about five days she's acting very, very different. I have been nearsighted for many years and it did not come on overnight. One thing that I did not mention in my first post is this: I made a trip out of town for about four days during which my neighbors (whom I trust very much) watched her for me as they have for several years. Before I left on my trip, Alice was acting normally in the respect she would meet me at the door when I came home from work. The day I returned from my trip she did not meet me. She was sitting at the end of the mantle, watching the door. She has been in that spot every day since my return. Over the next three weeks she pretty much acted as she always had. Except for not meeting me at the door, she was still sleeping on the bed with me, rolling around on the floor, playing and so on; then this past week she won't do any of that anymore. She sleeps on the dresser across the room, and she will not stay on the floor even if I get down on the floor with her. The only place on the floor she still goes to is her litterpan. Otherwise, if she does go to the floor it is only to run to the next high spot. I had to put her food and water up high because she wouldn't go near it. It is really strange. George SBroad2300 wrote: |
#5
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Thanks for the reply.
My question about near-sightedness would be: why would it begin manifesting in only a week's time? She was fine, then over a period of about five days she's acting very, very different. I have been nearsighted for many years and it did not come on overnight. One thing that I did not mention in my first post is this: I made a trip out of town for about four days during which my neighbors (whom I trust very much) watched her for me as they have for several years. Before I left on my trip, Alice was acting normally in the respect she would meet me at the door when I came home from work. The day I returned from my trip she did not meet me. She was sitting at the end of the mantle, watching the door. She has been in that spot every day since my return. Over the next three weeks she pretty much acted as she always had. Except for not meeting me at the door, she was still sleeping on the bed with me, rolling around on the floor, playing and so on; then this past week she won't do any of that anymore. She sleeps on the dresser across the room, and she will not stay on the floor even if I get down on the floor with her. The only place on the floor she still goes to is her litterpan. Otherwise, if she does go to the floor it is only to run to the next high spot. I had to put her food and water up high because she wouldn't go near it. It is really strange. George SBroad2300 wrote: |
#6
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The only reason for sudden blindness that I know about (not that there
aren't more - this is the only one I'm familiar with) is when the retinas detach due to untreated high blood pressure. If the high bp is treated soon enough, the retinas can reattach & the cat's sight is restored. Cathy "majus" wrote in message ... Hello, Group: Within the past ten or twelve days I noticed some odd behavior in my six-year-old female cat Alice -- she won't stay on the floor or any other place she considers "too low". She stays on the refrigerator, on a dresser, on the mantle or any place high. None of this has been normal for her in the past. The few times she was on the floor recently she was acting a little fearful as if she thought something was in the room with her. July is the month for her yearly physical so when I took her to the vet I intended to ask about it. While waiting for the doctor to come into the exam room, I noticed that when she made an attempt to jump from the floor to the exam table, she fell short and back to the floor. Twice more she looked at the table top, trying to judge the distance, then backed off from trying the jump. On the third try she succeeded. I realized at that time she must be having trouble seeing. The vet examined her, did some rudimentary tests with her fingers around the cat's eyes (blink test, mainly) and agreed but she doesn't know why. They did a sophisticated blood test of some kind and she's clear of any problems there. The vet says her retinas appear to be OK but wants me to take her to a specialist, an opthalmologist. I'm all for that, the sooner the better. The vet told me she did speak with the specialist before the blood test results came back and that the specialist didn't seem to think it was anything serious. The specialist asked my vet to call her again after the results of the blood test came back. My vet did call but the specialist hasn't gotten back to her yet. Has anyone here ever had a cat that exhibited similar symptoms? Any input would be most gratefully received because I'm really concerned about Alice. I lost quite a bit of sleep last night just thinking about her because I don't know what's wrong. Thanks so much. George |
#7
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The only reason for sudden blindness that I know about (not that there
aren't more - this is the only one I'm familiar with) is when the retinas detach due to untreated high blood pressure. If the high bp is treated soon enough, the retinas can reattach & the cat's sight is restored. Cathy "majus" wrote in message ... Hello, Group: Within the past ten or twelve days I noticed some odd behavior in my six-year-old female cat Alice -- she won't stay on the floor or any other place she considers "too low". She stays on the refrigerator, on a dresser, on the mantle or any place high. None of this has been normal for her in the past. The few times she was on the floor recently she was acting a little fearful as if she thought something was in the room with her. July is the month for her yearly physical so when I took her to the vet I intended to ask about it. While waiting for the doctor to come into the exam room, I noticed that when she made an attempt to jump from the floor to the exam table, she fell short and back to the floor. Twice more she looked at the table top, trying to judge the distance, then backed off from trying the jump. On the third try she succeeded. I realized at that time she must be having trouble seeing. The vet examined her, did some rudimentary tests with her fingers around the cat's eyes (blink test, mainly) and agreed but she doesn't know why. They did a sophisticated blood test of some kind and she's clear of any problems there. The vet says her retinas appear to be OK but wants me to take her to a specialist, an opthalmologist. I'm all for that, the sooner the better. The vet told me she did speak with the specialist before the blood test results came back and that the specialist didn't seem to think it was anything serious. The specialist asked my vet to call her again after the results of the blood test came back. My vet did call but the specialist hasn't gotten back to her yet. Has anyone here ever had a cat that exhibited similar symptoms? Any input would be most gratefully received because I'm really concerned about Alice. I lost quite a bit of sleep last night just thinking about her because I don't know what's wrong. Thanks so much. George |
#8
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I too have a cat whose eyesight I question. The Vet has done some casual tests
& looked into her eyes with a flashlight in the dark, and has pronounced her 'normal'. I think it is odd that this cat can walk past a glass door (inside) and not notice or react to a flock of birds feeding on the other side (outdoors), even when they are only six inches from her nose. Her sister goes ballistic over those birds. The Vet suggested it might be a "mentation" problem, like maybe a brain tumor. I severely hope not! If a cat is kept strictly indoors & can find the foodbowl & the litterbox, poor eyesight isn't the end of the world, I guess. |
#9
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I too have a cat whose eyesight I question. The Vet has done some casual tests
& looked into her eyes with a flashlight in the dark, and has pronounced her 'normal'. I think it is odd that this cat can walk past a glass door (inside) and not notice or react to a flock of birds feeding on the other side (outdoors), even when they are only six inches from her nose. Her sister goes ballistic over those birds. The Vet suggested it might be a "mentation" problem, like maybe a brain tumor. I severely hope not! If a cat is kept strictly indoors & can find the foodbowl & the litterbox, poor eyesight isn't the end of the world, I guess. |
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