'Baby", our 20 year old shop cat recently went blind.

[babycakes]

It saddens me to think that our shop cat "Baby", who we call "Baby Cakes" has gone blind. about a week and a half ago it was noticed that her pupils were dilated. We did not know what to think. Baby's story is that she was found curled up in a hole in a cement block as a kitten by some other people but decided she liked our food better and just started hanging around our shop. She has been in the same vicinity for her whole life. after 16 years at the old shop we only moved about 250 ft away to our new shop. which we have been in for 4 years now. My story is hard because I don't know what to do. We do recycling and are not open to the public. We process things outside the shop. During Baby's 16 years at the old shop, she had a way to get in and out. At our new shop, she has to be kept in at night. She has always been an outdoor cat but would always end up back in the old shop at night. We made her a house many years ago with a light in it to keep her warm during the winter. She had many many kittens. But was also spayed many years ago as well. And in general has always been a really sweet cat. I am now faced with a decision to make in regards to her quality of life. High blood pressure caused her retinas to detach. And the high blood pressure was due to her kidneys. She already had one that wasn't working well a few years ago. Monday I had her to the vet for her eyes. Was given blood pressure med's to give her. 1/2 a pill a day because of her weight. She has always been a small kitty with short legs. And we changed her to a low protein diet. I was not ready to part with her and I know cat's adapt well to their surroundings by what I have read.. But the rest of her life means staying inside mostly. She has always been around danger. As well as other animals invading her territory. But it has now been bothering me to know she is in the shop all alone at night. She has always gotten love and attention from us. And we love her. This is what baby was: outside mostly every day and all day long until we returned. Then she would go in. Unless the weather was bad. Then we would leave her in. And i'm feeling really horrible that she just can't go out anymore and with us working outside and people in and out of the driveway from other businesses it's impossible. And it makes me wonder how fair it is to her, to only take her out for a little while each day when it isn't so cold and make her go back in. I have thought about bringing her home to live out the rest of her life until we have to put her to sleep because of her kidney. Unfortunately I have two cat's at home that do not take well to other cat's and I don't want to cause her any stress at her long lived age of 20. Being an outdoor indoor shop kitty, i'ts amazing she has lived this long with all the dangers she has been around. I have thought about bringing her and using an empty apt by me where she could sit or lay on the floor and get the sun light and she can get the fresh air from the windows being open. And set her up with her litter box and everything she needs. But i'm afraid of bringing her to a place she has never been. I hope someone can help with some ideas or some way to ease our minds with this new thing we are facing with our beloved shop cat. She has never slept by anyone due to being a shop cat all her life. But she has always had our laps endlessly. Please help with any idea or advice you have. Is it fair to keep her going? Or should we let her go to sleep? I'm dying inside thinking about it.

[CarolC]

I totally agree about not moving her to a new environment. I imagine she will adjust to being an indoor cat at the shop (her shop, as she probably considers it) better than expected. I had a senior kitty with kidney problem who was also blind. Originally she was living with the other pets out in the main part of the house, but when I finally gave her her own bedroom, she loved it. After that she became a bedroom cat and she liked it because it suited her. Cats know what works for them. She had her litterbox where she could find it, and I had a heating pad on low, that she loved to lie on. We had a futon on the floor so she didn't have to jump up or down off the bed. Pretty simple arrangements, but it worked. Your kitty has had a wonderful life!

P.S. Here is a picture of Betsy (click to enlarge). You can kind of see her eyes, they were blue but since they were dilated all the time they usually looked black.

[babycakes]

Well, Baby seems to be doing ok. She is on a low protein diet and is taking her 1/2 pill a day for blood pressure. I have had her outside supervised twice now. She seems like she is happy to get out. Even though she can't see. She seems to know exactly where to go to sit and get her sun. I'm sure I will have to give her sub-q fluids sometime down the line but i'm not sure when I will have to start it. Here are some pics of our "Baby Cakes". She has always been a sweet cat.

[Christine]

Oh, she is so tiny for a grandma cat! She looks like a kitten. I agree with Carol about her adapting to being an indoor cat. From your story, you know that you and her family are what is important to her. She knows the shop so it won't be strange. The only difference is that she will be totally safe. Have you ever given her a catnip toy? Make things interesting for her while you are away.

[FYI]

Even if your cat's retinas detach because of high blood pressure, if treatment is started quickly enough (usually within three days of detachment), there is an approximately 50:50 chance of the retinas re-attaching and your cat regaining some sight. Even if you do not start amlodipine immediately, there is still hope: I know of one CKD cat who went blind but regained his sight, even though treatment was not begun for some weeks; but obviously the sooner you begin treatment, the better your cat's chances.

If you can see a veterinary ophthalmologist, s/he may be able to suggest other measures in addition to the use of amlodipine to increase the chances of the retinas re-attaching; but many people just use amlodipine with the help of their general vet and see an improvement in their cat's vision.

If your cat's retinas do not re-attach, do not despair, cats cope far better with blindness than humans do, and I would not consider blindness in itself to be grounds for euthanasia.

[Christine]

That would be a wonderful blessing if they can help her.

I just found this sweet video of a blind kitten playing with a ball with a bell in it I thought you might like to see.

http://www.mostwatchedtoday.com/tag/blind-cat-toys/