Hi Calyx, one of my cats has been blind for about 4 or 5 years now. If Calyx has high blood pressure, it's a pretty good bet that it caused retinal detachment, which led to his blindness. That's what happened to my Margaux. Unfortunately, the chances that a cat who's already blind to that point will regain his eyesight are pretty small. My vet said Margaux may have a little peripheral vision, but that's it. She has some light perception; space I'm not so sure about.

Calyx has probably memorized the locations and distances in your house if he's not having trouble finding his food/water/litter. Obviously, it's important to not move furniture. If I come in and put groceries or packages on the floor, I make noise so that she knows that there's something taking up what's usually empty space. I have hardwood floors and a short set of stairs to the front door, and Margaux used to fall down the stairs every now and then. I'd just hear "thump thump". I got those little carpet strips that you can put on each step, and I put one at the top of the stairs too, so that she'd know when she came to the edge.

I leave the hallway light on at night and sometimes during the day too if I know I'm going to be home late.

Sometimes, her distance judgment is off by a couple of inches, and she'll just bump into everything. I've taken to saying "be careful! be careful!" when she's about to walk into something. It's taken a while, but she now understands that this is a warning, and she'll slow down or stop and then proceed with caution.

I'm assuming that your vet put him on meds? My cats (both are hypertensive; only one is blind) are both taking Norvasc. The blind one was on the generic for Norvasc, and it didn't seem to be doing anything for her blood pressure, let alone her sight. When I moved and got a new vet, she told me that Norvasc was one of the meds for which many people found the generic completely ineffective. It's expensive though. The blood pressure is normal for both now, but I don't think Margaux's sight has really improved. Maybe just a tiny bit, because sometimes she seems to react to motion. But she can't see things that are right in front of her. Hence, the sad little bumps that I hear every now and then.

I don't have a fountain, so I can't suggest anything there. I'll bet he'll find the stream on his own with a little exploration though. You might try tapping something where the stream is so he can follow his ears.

I can't think of anything else at the moment, other than to give lots of love and attention. Margaux was never a lap cat, but since she went blind, she's become much clingier and seems to want more affection - maybe to feel more secure.

I feel very bad for her sometimes, and sometimes terribly guilty for not realizing what was going on until she was already nearly totally blind. But other than a weird ailment that she's had recently, she seems generally happy and still even plays. She can't really chase, but if I wave a wand toy, especially one that has a bell on it, in front of her, she senses the motion and will try to grab it. She seems to have adapted well - maybe better than I have!

 

Margaux was never a lap cat, but since she went blind, she's become much clingier and seems to want more affection - maybe to feel more secure.

I feel very bad for her sometimes, and sometimes terribly guilty for not realizing what was going on until she was already nearly totally blind. But other than a weird ailment that she's had recently, she seems generally happy and still even plays. She can't really chase, but if I wave a wand toy, especially one that has a bell on it, in front of her, she senses the motion and will try to grab it. She seems to have adapted well - maybe better than I have!

hi calyx and spirite,

diotima will be sixteen in june, and she is almost completely blind. it may have started as early as 2007, because she didn't want to play wih the laser pointer (which i thought was weird because it was her favorite toy) and didn't eat treats, and i think it's because they were the same color as the carpet and she couldn't see them.

i didn't even know her sight was failing until she was about 14 and my vet said something. obviously it wasn't that bad a year before, and i don't think she's 100% yet but it's pretty bad. i felt guilty too but i really never thought about her losing her sight. she has hyperthyroidism and was diagnosed at 14 but as soon as she was regulated on methimazole, she doesn't have liver or kidney problems and no high blood pressure so it's kind of a mystery.

she has always been my lap cat but it has really increased to the point that she has to be sitting on my lap no matter where i am. she has also developed a really ugly meow--it kind of sounds hoarse for a couple of times and then it's okay but much crankier and demanding than it ever was before.

she gets up on the tub and if she falls in (no water) when i'm p'ing, i have to get her out. if she's on the edge and i pick her up, she screams like i'm going to drop her: no matter how many times i've done it and never dropped her. she has no problem jumping up on the bed, but she hesitates a lot when jumping down. i borrowed a step stool for the bed but she wouldn't use it. it was metal and rubber, so i've considered one of those furry carpeted ones at walgreens. other than that, she has memorized where everything is, never misses the litter box, and knows where the water and food is.

she had some teeth pulled when she was about 8 so she doesn't eat as quickly as the other cats, so there are times i hold her and her food so she can eat undisturbed and no one steals it. she still plays too, it just has to dangled over her if it's a feather, and the sparkly ones don't really interest her. other than that, i can't really think of anything else. i guess just watch her and see how you can accommodate her. i see diotima bump into the wall sometimes but she's going very slowly so it's not like she bashes it. she's like one of those toys that touch the wall, back up and go the other way.

 

Thank you to all three of you. This all helps. I feel absolutely horrible/guilty about it all. Going from having vision to blindness in the matter of a few days is probably REALLY traumatic. I hate that I can't explain it to him.

The comforting thing is that it sounds & looks like he may adapt & has a chance at being happy. I suspect that with time he (and I) will adjust, just as your kitties did.

Also, thank you Spirite for the tip about the stairs - I blocked mine off as soon as I read that. Mine are fully carpeted, but right now I don't want to take any chances with him falling down a full flight of stairs. I don't quite know how I could indicate "edge of stair" to him when there's already carpet there. I'll have to think about that.

Regarding the medication - he didn't say start medication, just dietary changes. But my cat eats EVO only, and that's pretty good I think. What do you feed your hypertensive kitties?

Thank you!

 

Kitty-the-cat, thanks for posting that story - it really is inspiring.

Calyx, when you say you noticed him having difficulty recently, how long ago was that, and how long ago in relation to his surgery? It seems unlikely to me that his vision would have deteriorated that quickly if it were due to hypertension causing retinal detachment - unless somehow the hypertension was a result of the surgery somehow. I think it's usually a gradual loss over a few weeks or months.

As for food, my vet didn't make any recommendations about certain foods. However, there were indications that Margaux's kidney function was slightly decreased (she's 12 1/2 yrs old), so I've been trying - for MONTHS - to try to get both kitties to go to an all-wet diet. They'd been eating half wet, half kibble, for years and years. I've also been trying to get them to eat high-quality food, grain-free if possible, just because it's good for their overall health. They're not cooperating, which is frustrating, but I don't think there are any particular foods that are recommended for hypertensive kitties.

I'm surprised that your vet didn't say anything about medication, especially if Calyx's condition was described as acutely hypertensive. Even if the vet didn't indicate any need for a follow-up after his surgery, you might consider bringing Calyx in to have his blood pressure re-checked and asking about meds. Margaux's and Celia's readings were literally off the scale - 300+. They're down to about 140 or something now.

Cinderflower, I had the same experience. Margaux wasn't having any trouble jumping up on things, and she wasn't bumping into anything. But she would pace back and forth on the couch a few times before jumping down. It took me weeks to figure that out, and then I got so overwhelmed with work that it was impossible for me to get to the vet for a few more weeks. And by that time, it was just way too late to try to reverse the damage.

 

Hi Spirite,

In retrospect Calyx's vision was probably in slow decline: he hasn't been as sharp with the ball/toys, but I didn't remember his eyes being permanently dilated until last week. So, last week this [awful] vet did an elective surgery on my cat while he was sick (poor decision making), and stated afterwards that Calyx bit him while intubated, and vaguely referred to a "jaw reflex". This is utter bologna. There is no such thing as a "jaw reflex" under anesthesia, but probably means that he didn't give my cat enough sedative and Calyx was half-awake during the procedure (he's a big cat so this is entirely possible). This is also where the vet noted the high blood pressure.

So I'm guessing that being half-awake while intubated in surgery stressed my cat significantly & caused his blood pressure to skyrocket, and his retinas to detach.

My cat also had subcutaneous emphysema on his head after surgery, which another vet said could have been from a tracheal tear from the intubation! Thankfully, those things heal on their own rather quickly. But regardless, I think a lot of bad things happened behind those closed doors, and my poor kitty was put through h*ll & back.

When Calyx gets better (he's still not eating on his own) I think I'll call a home-visit vet, and have them measure his blood pressure. I would feel really guilty taking this now-blind cat out of his familiar settings to a place that scared him even when he had his sight.

Since I'm syringe feeding him now, I think it also really stresses him (especially because he's blind & can't anticipate the squirt). He growls but doesn't strike, and his poor little tail frizzes

 

Have you taken your cat to a vet specialist in eyes. I rescued 4 cats. Two had infected eyes which had to be removed like the cat in the pictures like Kitty-The-Cat shared. Two others had 40% and 60% sight. The vet specialist restored their sight to 100%.

Blind cats can have the same quality of life a sighted cat can. They memorize the house and run and play. Their other senses are heightened when they are blind. Both my totally blind kitties are adopted and happily living with sighted cats.

I have a video on my phone I wish I knew how to load to CF of Shirley the blind kitty chasing and playing with dum dum candies we thrown down the hall on a tile floor.

When my blind kitties got back to health I introduced them into my house and with the rest of my sighted fosters. In one day they had the house memorized and how to get out the cat door to the screen porch to the cat boxes. They've never gone outside the cat box.

Read Homers Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned about Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat by Gwen Cooper. You will be inspired and comforted!

 

There is a video on YouTube about Homer from Homer's Odyssey. Check it out, it's interesting.

 

This won first prize in the Friskies contest of videos. Ive watched it over and over. It is so sweet.

Check out Blind Cat Rescue in North Carolina. You are going to find there is a whole community of people who have blind kitties.

 

This was the first one I watched. Such a cute kitty!

 

Oskar's people lived in Omaha when they brought him home. Oskar, much like Homer, are great examples of cats not only overcoming disabilities, but thriving with them. Thanks to them and many other "special needs" feline stars on youtube, the negative stereotype of "unadoptable" pets is being broken.

Oskar's brother Klaus was adopted from the shelter where I volunteer and is a special guy in his own right. See his story in this newsletter...

http://www.thecathouse.org/newsletters/april08/april08.pdf

 

What a great story about Klaus! Sounds like a wonderful rescue to volunteer for! Off topic but did the black cat Luna ever get adopted?

There are so many hidden treasures in feral cat colonies! You are right, the stereotype of unadoptable or should be put to sleep line of thought is being broken. Thanks to books, internet and utubes!

 

What a great story about Klaus! Off topic but did the black cat Luna ever get adopted?

I second Mitts. Great story! And I am also very curious if black Luna ever got adopted? I sure hope so...




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This is all really good for me to hear. I just watched the video on Homer's Odyssey. That author & her cat are really cute. Maybe, once Calyx adjusts, he'll show his superpowers too.

And bless that woman with the blind cat sanctuary! What a wonderful environment (I hope they win that $10K challenge)

I tried playing with Calyx with little jingle-bell balls, but I think he's still feeling poorly. But it is good to rethink his toys, and shift toward ones with distinct sounds.

Regarding Klaus, I feel like my cat has already been therapy (don't we all think that?) He helped me through graduate school, work... life.

Mitts & Tess: Good idea with the cat eye specialist. I didn't think about that. Luckily, where I live there are a ton of specialists & I found one that gets 5 stars on Yelp with 20 reviews - just a half mile away. I called & spoke to an assistant today & they were kind enough to say "delay bringing him in until he recovers" (I feel like some places automatically default to "bring your cat in!!!" no matter what you say)

I think its interesting that veterinary medicine has branched out & become specialized. I feel like this wasn't the case 20 years ago. I suppose it's for the better - and hopefully this animal ophthalmologist can help Calyx.

Now I just have to get him to eat on his own...

 

Oskar might be the cutest little ball of fur I've ever seen! It wasn't clear to me whether Homer's been blind by birth or whether he went blind at some point later. But both videos show that blind kitties can have very happy lives. When Margaux doesn't play, it isn't because she can't see - either she's sleepy, hungry, or not feeling well.

Calyx, your poor kitty! That sounds like an awful experience at the vet. It does seem logical that if Calyx's sight had already been affected by retinal hemorrhaging due to hypertension, a sudden rise in blood pressure may have just caused the retina to detach completely. And if the spike in blood pressure was caused by pain due to not enough anesthesia, then I'd have to say that the vet really messed up that surgery. I'd never go back.

I'm so glad you found an eye specialist! I wish there were one here, but the closest is 3 hours away. I don't know whether it would be worth making an appointment. I don't want to stress her needlessly with 6 hours in the car in one day, especially since I think Margaux's blindness is irreversible. I hope Calyx's isn't!

About the edge-of-stairs issue. Maybe put a little rug remnant, a few inches shorter than the width of the stairs, over the carpet at the top of the stairs. The difference in texture would alert him that something was different there. And if the carpet isn't entirely covered, he'll recognize that the stairs are still there. My carpet strips leave about 5" free on either side (the stairs are really wide). If you don't want him to use the stairs at all, you could try buying a rug in a texture he doesn't like. Margaux hates anything plush, so if I wanted her to stay off a surface, I'd buy the plushest bath rug I could find. I have 3 in the bathroom, and she carefully walks around each one.

 

Oskar is indeed amazingly cute. I remember watching the video a while ago (during one of my late night cat video marathons ) and it made me cry. Such a brave little boy!

Homer wasn't born blind, but at two weeks of age he was brought into the vet as a stray with a bad eye infection. The vet decided the infection was too far gone to treat and save his eyes, so she removed his eyes to save him. She figured that since his eyes hadn't yet opened naturally, that he wouldn't know the difference. he would live his life assuming all he had were his other senses. i know this because I started reading Homers' book just yesterday!

 

Just thought I'd post a picture of my baby. This was him before all this happened.

Spirite - that's hilarious about the plush rug! Heh, Calyx isn't that discerning. But I think the texture change is a good idea - I just have to think about how to do it without altering the apartment (I'm just a renter). Maybe I can put masking tap along the edge of the stairs? In any case, right now, it's blocked with a huge pillow, I'm not taking any chances.

To those of you that have blind cats, specifically ones that experienced the onset of blindness in adulthood: did you notice weird behaviors? Calyx is seeking dark places (behind the fridge, underneath chairs/stairs, etc) And he's acting weird. I came home yesterday to find him comfortably resting in his covered kitty litter - like it was a pillow or something.

He's getting better, not sicker, so this is just weird. I was even wondering if the hypertension was so high that he had a stroke - but he has no unilateral weakness or anything. Just weird behavior.

So when did your cats get back to semi-normal? Or maybe it wasn't so acute, so it was a slower adjustment time.

 

Just thought I'd post a picture of my baby. This was him before all this happened.

To those of you that have blind cats, specifically ones that experienced the onset of blindness in adulthood: did you notice weird behaviors? Calyx is seeking dark places (behind the fridge, underneath chairs/stairs, etc) And he's acting weird. I came home yesterday to find him comfortably resting in his covered kitty litter - like it was a pillow or something.

So when did your cats get back to semi-normal? Or maybe it wasn't so acute, so it was a slower adjustment time.

Awww, what a sweetie he is!

I wonder if his hiding is more about the fact that the spaces are small rather than that they're dark? He may feel insecure with large spaces to navigate, whereas if he's under something or behind something, he's in a fairly enclosed area.

Margaux didn't exhibit any behaviors like that, but hers was a gradual decline. Because Calyx's eyesight, while it may have been deteriorating slowly, really diminished suddenly and he doesn't understand what's happened, he may just be trying to comfort himself. How does he react when you go to him when he's hiding?

The one time Margaux acted strangely was when the vet gave her Valium to calm her down when they were trying to get her blood pressure and she was screaming bloody murder. Apparently, in rare cases, Valium has the opposite effect. Margaux got completely agitated and her pupils were completely dilated. She walked around the apartment yowling all night, like she was completely unfamiliar with it, even though we'd lived there for about 4 years at that time. She was already almost completely blind, so I don't know if the Valium took away what tiny bit of vision she had, or whether it just made her hyper and anxious. I knew she was completely disoriented and unhappy though.

As I mentioned, the only difference in behavior is that she's become more needy. I am still surprised by how much attention she wants from me. Surprised, but happy.

So I don't know how long it will take for Calyx to adjust. I think all you can do is give him lots of love and, other than doing things like blocking off the stairs, try to keep your regular routine. Wave wand toys by his paws, or roll ball toys that make noise, in a smallish, clear space. Maybe this will build his confidence that he can still do things that he used to do. Margaux always seems happier when I try to play with her (she's never been very big into play; and toy mice are apparently beneath her dignity).

 

Ahhhh....such a precious baby! Calyx's paws are so big! They look like my Sami's paws. She's quite small because of malnourishment but you can tell how big she's supposed to be from her paws!

 

great great news! thanks so much for letting us know.

 

Since there's another updated thread, we'll close this one.