[catnapt]

well that is basically it!
you never realize how much cat play is based on their sight til you have a blind cat

my boy is bored out of his mind, and i do not know what to do

i take him outside when weather permits but here in NH it will be a long time before he can go back out again

he does not respond much to cat nip
he is diabetic so he cant really have treats

i just dont know what to do for him

any ideas welcome, no matter how far fetched they may seem

i want my guy to be happy!!

thanks!

 

[Jeanie]

Oh, catnapt, I wish I could come up with some great ideas for your kitty. You're right about the games. The only suggestion I have is that kitty's sense of touch and hearing will have to be stimulated. Perhaps you could play "hide and seek" by rustling a paper bag across the room or somewhere else in the house. Then if kitty found you, you could play with him manually, petting him where he enjoys it most. I hope that helps.

We played this game with musical instruments at a school for special children. We blindfolded the children and if they found the child playing the instrument they weren't "it" any more. The kids loved it. They were children with multiple physical, mental, and social challenges, We also rode some of our blind children around the room in their wheelchairs to music, slowly to slow music, fast to fast music. Would kitty like a ride in your arms? That one's far out, I know.

 

[catnapt]

hi
thanks, i think you missed one word in the first post- he is deaf as well!LOL

so, that makes it tough

but the idea to carry him around is not at all far out, as long as i put him back down in a familiar place he does enjoy being picked up, i dance with him a bit

i think next time i go out i will try to find some smelly evergreen branches and anything else i can that may have a scent on it, his nose is in great shape! i put out 3 bowls of tuna water for my 3 cats, i put the bowls in 3 different rooms and BJ my blind deaf guy found all 3 before the other two cats even knew they were there!!!
what a nose, eh??

he adores live catnip but i cant find it anywhere this time of year
as soon as it comes out in the spring i will get him some more
i grow cat grass but he doesn't seem to care for it
he prefers the grass outdoors

he gets overstimulated easily- if he is outside for more than 10-15 mins he gets so overstimulated it is dangerous to pick him up
for some reason that is how cats deal with overstimulation, it is the same if i brush him too much or pet him too much
he has a much lower threshhold for these things than the other cats i have

well i appreciate all ideas, you never know what one thing will lead to, you know??

 

[kitkat]

I don't really have any great ideas b/c mine all include something with either sound or seeing... but I heard this honeysuckle wood stick is kind of like catnip for some cats and once they slobber on it, it lets the scent come out more or something like that. Hope you find something sooner or later. Good luck

 

[Jeanie]

Sorry; I missed that! Would he like a play yard outside? You can build (plans on the internet) or buy a play yard and add a kitty door to make it accessible from the house. It is enclosed on the top and sides with chicken wire or screening. You could put a long tree branch in there for him to climb and a catnip garden in the spring. Let him find it himself by putting his tuna water at the far end and let him find the way back in the same way. Perhaps you could put a tempting odor on the tree branch so he can find the way up and down.

Would it be possible to put something such as spruce or boxwood planks (like the boards in ice hockey) around one side so that he would feel the vibrations if a ball hit it? Those are the woods that piano soundboards are made of. Spruce is better, but more expensive. We had a blind/deaf girl in one of our classes, and when I played the piano, the other teacher would hold her hand against the soundboard, and the smile on her face lit up the room. Also play music really loudly for her. Deaf dancers can dance to a symphony. Yhey can feel the beat and move to it. Try this in the house and see if he likes it or is bothered by it. A drum might help you to call him. Use it in conjunction with the tuna water, if that's what he likes best and give him a treat if he comes. I hope I got it right this time!

Here's a picture to give you ideas:link

Many sources suggested a kitty hammock, for indoor or outdoor use, and a tunnel to the playyard, if necessary. It depends on your needs and how much work and money you want to invest.