newly blind and deaf 10 month old cat

Blind and deaf pets can live happy, healthy, quality lives. In fact, sometimes it's hard to tell them from sighted pets. They do, though, have their own special needs.
User avatar
BendyMom
mutant kitty expert
Posts: 3197
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2001 7:00 pm

Re: newly blind and deaf 10 month old cat

Post by BendyMom »

My girl Mimosa stopped breathing under anesthesia and woke up deaf and blind, and with serious coordination issues. I had to teach her how to walk. the sight and hearing came back somewhat but then she lost her hearing again. You can't really predict what is going to happen, most likely your boy will regain some sight, but how much and when? can't say.
I had a kitten who was found in the middle of the road with a glancing blow to the head and was blind and deaf. three years later she can see and hear again. I actually found her a home and they kept me updated until they moved away. I was sad that after she hadn't seen me for a few months she did not remember me.

Cats have an amazing sense of space, once a place is mapped out they really don't need their sight to navigate except for the details, like oh there is a cat there. I have two blind cats. One jumps and climbs and you'd never know she is blind. Sometimes she runs into things but it dosn't deter her. The other one is more cautious but he is also more reserved in general. he will double check the height of my lap or chairs before hopping up. they both lost their sight to eye infections as tiny kittens, they were from a feral colony.

Mimosa didn't play a lot, she liked to grab things, she had a lot of damage to her ability to process information, i think, so playing was hard. She had what are called "intention tremors" which made her always seem to be sort of pecking. She would sometimes stare off into space for a few moments, then snap out of it, and had moments of being aggressive for no apparent reason, and yelling for no apparent reason. She was put on low dose phenobarb and that helped immensely. I wish I had done it sooner. She did figure out how to drink water but it was difficult and usually I just mixed water in her food, or syringed her some water if her urine seemed too concentrated (i had to express her).

my two blind guys really like to play and will bring me toys. I use teaser toys and make them brush their whiskers, for the shier one i will sort of tickle him with a toy. Since they can hear, jingle balls work too. strong smelling catnip also works well.

Sounds like your Tiger is pretty happy to be home. I know it is extremely hard to wait and hope they will recover so try to find little things to smile at with him every day. The way he navigates around and eats on his own, how he is being his old self again. Try tickling his feet or whiskers with a feather and see if that gets him to play.

oh, just remembered. I communicated with Mimosa and the kitten by vibration. I kept Mimosa in a pen when I wasn't around and I would tap the side three times when I was going to take her out. She figured that out quickly. Three taps and she'd stand up, ready for me to pick her up. I could thump the floor three times (oldl house, floors carry vibrations well) and she would come towards me.

thanks for telling us about Tiger!
http://www.alittletlc.com

Image

Bendy Kitty
forever in my heart
always missed
i am not the same without you.
Tokimeki
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2018 5:35 am

Re: newly blind and deaf 10 month old cat

Post by Tokimeki »

critters wrote:Here are some eating ideas http://lifewithchcats.com/ch-topics-tips/eating/ , and you might want to join the CH Kitty Club. There's a FB side, and, I think, an email listserv too. https://www.facebook.com/groups/CHKittyClub/?fref=nf If you're in the UK, there's a UK group with a fair amount of crossover.
Thank you very much for this, I looked it up, it’s very helpful!
Tokimeki
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2018 5:35 am

Re: newly blind and deaf 10 month old cat

Post by Tokimeki »

BendyMom wrote:My girl Mimosa stopped breathing under anesthesia and woke up deaf and blind, and with serious coordination issues. I had to teach her how to walk. the sight and hearing came back somewhat but then she lost her hearing again. You can't really predict what is going to happen, most likely your boy will regain some sight, but how much and when? can't say.
I had a kitten who was found in the middle of the road with a glancing blow to the head and was blind and deaf. three years later she can see and hear again. I actually found her a home and they kept me updated until they moved away. I was sad that after she hadn't seen me for a few months she did not remember me.

Cats have an amazing sense of space, once a place is mapped out they really don't need their sight to navigate except for the details, like oh there is a cat there. I have two blind cats. One jumps and climbs and you'd never know she is blind. Sometimes she runs into things but it dosn't deter her. The other one is more cautious but he is also more reserved in general. he will double check the height of my lap or chairs before hopping up. they both lost their sight to eye infections as tiny kittens, they were from a feral colony.

Mimosa didn't play a lot, she liked to grab things, she had a lot of damage to her ability to process information, i think, so playing was hard. She had what are called "intention tremors" which made her always seem to be sort of pecking. She would sometimes stare off into space for a few moments, then snap out of it, and had moments of being aggressive for no apparent reason, and yelling for no apparent reason. She was put on low dose phenobarb and that helped immensely. I wish I had done it sooner. She did figure out how to drink water but it was difficult and usually I just mixed water in her food, or syringed her some water if her urine seemed too concentrated (i had to express her).

my two blind guys really like to play and will bring me toys. I use teaser toys and make them brush their whiskers, for the shier one i will sort of tickle him with a toy. Since they can hear, jingle balls work too. strong smelling catnip also works well.

Sounds like your Tiger is pretty happy to be home. I know it is extremely hard to wait and hope they will recover so try to find little things to smile at with him every day. The way he navigates around and eats on his own, how he is being his old self again. Try tickling his feet or whiskers with a feather and see if that gets him to play.

oh, just remembered. I communicated with Mimosa and the kitten by vibration. I kept Mimosa in a pen when I wasn't around and I would tap the side three times when I was going to take her out. She figured that out quickly. Three taps and she'd stand up, ready for me to pick her up. I could thump the floor three times (oldl house, floors carry vibrations well) and she would come towards me.

thanks for telling us about Tiger!
Thank you so much for your reply bendymum. It’s good to know you’re not alone with your experiences. Tiger and Lily are just out in the back yard with me enjoying the breeze :)
User avatar
CarolC
Moderator
Posts: 13698
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2003 7:00 pm
Contact:

Re: newly blind and deaf 10 month old cat

Post by CarolC »

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=16843

I wonder about a water fountain. He can't see or hear it, but I wonder if he could feel the hum of the motor, or be attracted to it through moisture or humidity or mist in the air. I was just googling cat water fountains and looking at all the images. There is even one with kind of a little garden attached with smooth stones and plants. You know how you can always smell wet stones? Dunno...no personal experience with this. :)
User avatar
critters
Founding Member
Posts: 14360
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2001 7:00 pm

Re: newly blind and deaf 10 month old cat

Post by critters »

:sherbet: Chances are he'll get his vision and/or hearing back, at least in part. I also recommend the CH kitty club https://www.facebook.com/groups/CHKittyClub/ . You might eventually consider adopting a sweet cat to keep him company. Some are natural nurses, whether they're male or female. My Baby Boy, who's significantly brain damaged and a functional tripod, just lost his dear, sweet Acey last week. He thought Acey, a boy, birthed him.
Post Reply