Newly blind cat--need advice

[pamela435]

Hello-
I am glad to have found this site.
My 14 year old cat went blind a couple months ago. I am fortunate to live near a veterinary opthamologist (a great one at that) and it was determined her retinas had detached. I hope I'm remembering the details and terminology correctly (another of my cats was diagnosed with lymphoma at the same time and things were crazy) but the Dr. said there is fluid behind the eye and thought that possibly with antibiotics and a steroid there was a chance her vision could be restored. 3 weeks later the eye looked improved but she was still completely blind. We started a different antibiotic and went for x-rays and an ultrasound to see if there was infection anywhere else in the body-- there was not. Now a few weeks later still no change in her vision and the Dr. recommends pulling fluid from behind the eye for pathology although he doesn't think there is much chance of vision being restored. He thinks the situation is odd in that she is an indoor cat and he's not sure where the infection came from in the first place as this is unusual with an indoor cat (if I'm remembering correctly).

Here are my concerns. Let me preface this by saying that I am a person who does EVERY possible thing when a pet gets sick before I would even consider euthanasia. I have been through chemo with 3 pets, had 2 diabetics for many years, treated for kidney issues, etc. I definitely do everything until there is no hope or the animal will be suffering. The Dr. and others have told me blind cats can have a great quality of life and I remember having one as a child who was able to walk around the house, sit in the sun, etc. However, my Mallory does NOTHING but lay in the bed I set up for her with her food and litter nearby. She only gets up to eat or use the litter. Of course I get her and bring her to bed and give her special attention but as far as her own actions she lays in her bed constantly. She had blood work and her health is good. I can't help but feel bad for her and am questioning her quality of life. She can't see and sleeps constantly, how can she be happy? I am not sure why I'm writing this as I can't even imagine euthanizing her but at the same time I wonder if this is normal in an older blind cat and if she is indeed content? How can i make her life better?

I'm sorry this is so long and I appreciate any thoughts, insight, advice.

Thanks,
Pam

[GabrielDeafBlindPupFamily]

She's late middle age, early old age, and bein there myself, I can tell you, sleep is something we enjoy. A lot.

Blindness is harder on you than on her. When I first stepped into the blindpet world in 2003, I had an ambitious pup whose win-win attitude changed my entire life. I joined blinddogs and found a lot of folks dealing with their own sadness and despair when their dogs went blind, as opposed to my case, where she was born blind. One reality that really hit home was the humans were taking it so hard that that filtered down to the pups. They KNOW how we feel, and they will pick up onit. Be upbeat, be silly happy, your voice is more importantnow than ever as is your touch. Blindpets CRAVE the sound of our voice and the touch of our hands. Do you know that Helen Keller called Annie Sullivan HANDS? I was dumbstruck, because my cousin had named herself HANDS when dealing with all the lethal whites that have crossed our doorstep. Hands. Touch. The sound of your voice. You would have a difficult time as we all would, adjusting to a dark world, but I can tell you from years of research, that my boy who lives in a dark and silent world has the silliest joy all the time.

Be confident, be joyful, make new games that involve a jingle bell on the end of a feather stick. Smell is also a great 'toy' and a plastic ball soaked in tuna juice will be a thing of pleasure to your kitty. I have to also mention blind cats adjust much better than blind dogs, as they have so much more physical ability and understand wayyyy more vocabulary than dogs do. Start teaching kitty words. I use GOOD BABY! I use sing-song with every other word "Allicks" I also use NO and my personal favorite DANGER. If you visit the blind stickie in this forum, many of the tips will apply to kitty as well as a pup. Especially the tip of gettingon your hands and knees and crawlin around on the floor, slapping the wall, furniture, door, and saying OWIE! Oh, and don't move the furniture. I left the vacuum out today and boy do I feel bad. My deaflblind guy races through the house and bam. I feel so guilty!

Try to relax and not be so sad. She'll adjust, probably much more quickly than you will. That's just the way it is. Pets get on with the business of life, which is love, ability, love agility, love, forgivness for those icky eye drops, love, love, love.

I'd get the play level up. Cuddle & tickle her, let her know everything is ALRIGHT. Get her some sound toys and some stinky toys. WELCOME!

[critters]

Cats tend to find their own way, although she needs time to adjust. She knows her house, and I couldn't agree more about toys. At her age she may not play much, but I'd try playing with her. My monsters think Cat Dancer is GREAT stuff!! While it doesn't make noise, it's tactual and a way for you to have interactive play with her.

[Diana R.]

Pam:

I would be concerned about other underlying causes. Blindness, specifically retinal detachment, is the presenting complaint for hypertension. At your cat's age, she should have her blood pressure checked. There is medication to control this specifically amloydipine or norvasc. I have not heard of retinas being able to reattach but I guess the doctor would know if that is a possibility. I adopted a 15 year old cat who went blind shortly after I got her---she was adjusting to a new environment (from the shelter), my other cats and blindness. She did fine and lived another 4 years. She did have retinal detachment and also had hypertension. Did the blood panel you had done inclued a thryroid check. Hyperthyroidism, as well as renal disease, is associated with hypertension. Diana

[CarolC]

Here are some tips for handling a pet with limited or no sight:

1. Approach with respect. Do not startle the pet by sneaking up and touching her. It helps to speak first, and perhaps touch her whiskers to let her know how close you are, before petting or picking her up.
2. When new in your home, let the pet get used to one room first, then increase her territory gradually, as she builds a mental map of the layout or floor plan. Also, try not to rearrange furniture too often, or too drastically different.
3. If you have other pets in the home, allow them to become friends, if possible. Sometimes a blind pet can be helped by having a "guide" buddy.
4. For exercise, use toys that make noise, or have a definite scent, like catnip.

[GabrielDeafBlindPupFamily]

caretaker, you have a lot of contact with blind families. I encourage you to visit the blind stickie in this forum, as there is a lot of advice you will be able to share. Blind dogs are the same as blind cats, except cats are far more agile and you can add in your cautions, closed doors as opposed to baby gates, and the like. Texturizing floors, scenting areas, you know the drill ...

Please visit the stickie in this forum and SHARE! Thank you for speaking up on behalf of the blinds!

[pamela435]

I wanted to apologize for my note of thanks coming so long after my original post. Since writing that post my life turned quite chaotic - lost my Dad, moved my Mom across country, moved my family as well, lost my other kitty w/ lymphoma, etc. Craziest summer of my life.
Unfortunately, I also lost my blind kitty Mallory. She took a sudden turn for the worse and started rapidly losing weight. My new vet suspected she had cancer, she was extremely anemic and weak. Before we could take any steps to decide how to procede she actually passed away as I was driving her to the vet. We now onder if she had an underlying condition that contributed to the blindness that went undetected in spite of the numerous tests she had done.
Anyway, thank you for your kind words and advice. It was appreciated and the advice used during my kitties last weeks of life. Thank you so much and I wish the best for all of you and your special kittys!
Pam

[Christine]

Oh Pamela, I am so sorry for all of your losses. Please take care of yourself.

[GabrielDeafBlindPupFamily]

I am so very sorry ... Your baby had you though, to help her pass. I am so sorry for all of your losses ..,