Cat Care Caring For a Blind Cat: What Owners Need to Know

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Image by BurkhardLueling via Pixabay​

Blind kitties require special care and attention.

Some cats are born blind and some lose their eyesight over time or wake up one day blind.

In most cases, blindness is caused by an underlying health issue.

If you notice that your cat is having trouble seeing, you should schedule an appointment with your vet.

How to Tell if a Cat is Blind

Try waving your hand in front of the cat–a cat with its eyesight will follow your hand as you move it from side to side.

Study the cat’s eyes–blind cats may have cloudy eyes or dilated pupils even in a well-lit room.

Watch as the cat walks–blind cats will walk more cautiously, in tune with their surroundings. Blind cats rely on their hearing, smell, and touch.

Blind cats may refuse to run, jump, or climb.

How to Care for a Blind Cat

Blind cats can adapt to life without their eyesight, but there are a few things that you need to do to ensure your cat's safety:

Don’t:

  • Move furniture or their water/food bowl or litter box
  • Let your cat outside
  • Scare or startle your cat
  • Leave your cat unattended for an extended period of time

Do:

  • Talk to your cat as you approach her to avoid startling her
  • Give your cat extra love and attention
  • Block off areas that are unsafe for your cat


You can purchase a Blind Halo for small dogs for your cat to help her from running into things.

What Causes Blindness in Cats?

Blindness has many causes so it can be hard to pinpoint your cat’s underlying problem.

If you think that your cat is blind, the first thing you should do is bring him/her to your vet.

Here’s a list of possible causes:

  • Injury in the eye.
  • Head trauma.
  • Inflammation or bleeding in the eye (sometimes caused by diseases such as leukemia, immunodeficiency, or infectious peritonitis.
  • Tumor in or near the eye.
  • Retinal detachment.
  • Cataracts.
  • Optic nerve disease.
  • Anesthetic complications (very rare).
  • Infection in the eye.

Conclusion

Vision loss isn’t always permanent so don’t give up hope!

Most cats can learn to live without their eyesight, and some may have more trouble adapting.



Works Cited​


“Blindness in Cats,” PDSA,
https://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/pet-health-hub/symptoms/blindness-in-cats

“Blindness,” International Cat Care, 26 July 2018,
https://icatcare.org/advice/blindness/#:~:text=Other viral infections, such as,can also result in blindness.
 
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SirMeow

SirMeow

Administrator
Staff member
Nov 25, 2021
234
356
Blindness is an awful affliction, whatever the species, especially human. Don't take on a blind cat if you're unable to give it the very best care possible. While not ideal, much better living in a shelter than being abused or mismanaged at home.

I've heard that feeding cats the wrong food over an extended period of time can cause things like this, or possibly kill them. I'm thinking of dog food in particular, because it doesn't have certain nutrients that are essential for cats. Similarly, dogs shouldn't be fed cat food for an extended period of time, either.

Another thing to avoid is exclusively dry food. It should be mostly wet food out of a tin, or sachet, with a bit of dry food on the side. I believe it should be ok to cut out the dry food altogether too as it consists of a lot of cereals which isn't part of their natural diet.
 
johnkasper

johnkasper

Member
Jan 16, 2023
5
17
Thanks for sharing,
It's a great article for those, that adopt cats. If anyone adopts a cat, It's very unfortunate if she is blind because some cats are blind from their birth and some can be blind at different age gaps in their life due to many diseases. My friend has a great love for cats. He was suffered from anxiety for the past 3 years. He wanted a cat as his emotional support animal. So he applied for an ESA letter from My ESA Therapist. He got a letter from My ESA Therapist. I think his cat also has some of these kinds of issues. When we call her name, then she doesn't give response quickly and sees here and there. Now through this article, I can share some things with my friend that will be very beneficial for him to treat his cat from a better Vet.
 
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