Blind Young Cat.... Looking for Advice

[overseascatlady]

Hi all!
3 days ago, I adopted Maya who is a little older than 4 months - she had one of her eyes removed (5 days ago) before I received her and looks like she is about 90% blind in her other eye. I live on an island in Malaysia - and a lot of backpackers will find strays and care for them until they need to leave the country and I came across Maya on Facebook - a backpacker had found her and had taken care of her, treated her eyes and because it got worse Maya had to get her eye removed. The lady that had been taking care of her had to leave 2 days ago and was looking for someone to adopt Maya or she would have to go back to living in a guesthouse and was the only blind cat with caretakers that didn't have a lot of time for her.
So I welcomed little Maya into our home. She is a wonderful cat, loves cuddles, and is extremely calm. So here I am looking for some advice from others that have blind cats or have taken care of a blind cat before.
I have 3 cats - 2 which seem to be fine around Maya, just curious of her.... and 1 that dislikes her (but she doesn't like most cats...) and when I am in the room with Maya and the other cats come in, I make sure to calm them all and give them cuddles so there aren't any problems. Maya is very hesitant of all the catsat the house and there is a lot of hissing - I do understand as it's a new home and she can't see.
I have placed 2 litter boxes through the house - one where she enjoys laying and 1 next to my daughter's room as she likes sleeping in my daughter's room. This morning Maya had an accident in my daughter's bed so that's why we moved the litter box just outside my daughter's door. We also have to help her to her food every day by bringing the bowl closer to her so she can smell it before she walks over to eat.
I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on how to make her feel completely loved and how best we can do things to make life easier for Maya. At the moment she loves cuddles, occasionally will be found walking around and going to my daughter's room to sleep or lay down but a lot of the time I find her hiding in another room hiding...
Attached is a picture of Maya our beautiful furbaby that we are really trying to make as comfortable as possible right now.

 

[danteshuman]

Hi I never had a blind cat but did hear some advice I will pass along: engage her other senses every way you can.

Since she might be able to see a little, I would get her light up toys. Like the little balls that light up when the cat bats them.

I would use wand toys with bells or those little cat toys that chirp or make other noises (you could tie one to a wand so she could hear it.)

Give her scents. Like her toys & cat tree smell like catnip, her bed might have a handful of fresh grass stuck in it everyday or a small pot with grass growing next to her bed. I would give her a cat tree with perches about 4 feet tall, since many blind cats do things you would think only sighted cats can.

Give her or make her a large rug/quilt with pockets in it and texture and maybe even that makes crinkle noises. That way she can hide toys or tunnel. Plus you can have her find her treats or toys.

Lastly I would keep her inside, since she would not be able to fend for herself to well in the wild. An enclosed patio with screens or a catio would be perfect for letting her get some nature safely.

Thank you for taking her in!

 

[Maria Bayote]

I was teary-eyed reading your post. You have a very good heart. Just want to say, "Thank you" for taking her in.

Great advices from danteshuman

 

[Pjg8r]

Thank you for caring for this baby! You might want to make her space smaller until she gets used to where things are. Also, getting down from a bed can be a huge thing at first for a blind cat. I kept Helen in one room for almost a month and gradually increased her access a room at a time over several weeks. In terms of the other cats, some cats realize that a blind cat is “different” and make allowances. Sometimes a cat gets offended that a blind cat is staring at them and doesn’t realize the blind kitty can’t see. Patience is the key. Try not to rearrange the furniture and keep items like litter boxes, water dishes, and food in the same locations. Maya will figure out where everything is. Crinkly balls to bat around were a huge hit with a Helen. Here’s a picture of Helen with one of her big brothers, Tyler.

 

[Mr. Meow]

Thank you for taking Maya in. Luckily this is right up my alley of animals with special needs. I have a cat who could see when she was a kitten, but she was attacked by a dog as a stray and had to have both of her eyes removed.
Usually the biggest thing to know about blind cats is to try and keep everything in your house right where it is, move as little as possible. Cats will map out where things are in the house, but even a pair of shoes or a purse that's set on the floor in a different spot can throw them off. Make any one of the litter boxes in your house her "home base". Set her in the litter box and let her map out her surroundings from that point.
Never, ever, ever let her outside without a secure harness and leash. Being blind and outside is a death sentence. Open, screened in windows, a sun room, or any fresh air without access to the outdoors is recommended as well.
Keep food, water and litter boxes in multiple places around the house, and keep refilling them in the same spot. After a while, she'll know exactly where they're located, just by smell and sounds. Cat water fountains that make noise are good to help her locate water, which will help her find food if it's placed right next to it.
Toys that make noise, jingle, crinkle, or even have catnip in them are best for blind cats. Sounds and smells allow her to find and hunt them, even without being able to see them.
IF you choose to put a collar on her, remove the bell, or silence any part of it that makes noise. Any noise located that close to her ears can throw off her ability to navigate.
Monitor her if she climbs. Climbing is ok... getting down might be a struggle, or potentially dangerous. There's also the possibility of her getting stuck up high and not being able to get down, causing her stress.
As far as her hissing and interacting with the other cats, she's still becoming accustomed to being blind. She'll learn their smells and eventually understand they aren't a threat to her. Giving her treats when she smells the other cats can help, or smelling you and another cat at the same time can allow her to have a trusted smell (you) along with a new one.
We also taught my blind cat to follow the snaps of our fingers, so we could let her know where we were, or lead her to somewhere we wanted her to go (bed, litter box, food, etc).
I'd be happy to provide more info on any questions you may have.
From my blind girl Echo, thank you for taking in this beautiful girl Maya!

 

[Phicats]

Hi I never had a blind cat but did hear some advice I will pass along: engage her other senses every way you can.

Since she might be able to see a little, I would get her light up toys. Like the little balls that light up when the cat bats them.

I would use wand toys with bells or those little cat toys that chirp or make other noises (you could tie one to a wand so she could hear it.)

Give her scents. Like her toys & cat tree smell like catnip, her bed might have a handful of fresh grass stuck in it everyday or a small pot with grass growing next to her bed. I would give her a cat tree with perches about 4 feet tall, since many blind cats do things you would think only sighted cats can.

Give her or make her a large rug/quilt with pockets in it and texture and maybe even that makes crinkle noises. That way she can hide toys or tunnel. Plus you can have her find her treats or toys.

Lastly I would keep her inside, since she would not be able to fend for herself to well in the wild. An enclosed patio with screens or a catio would be perfect for letting her get some nature safely.

Thank you for taking her in!

I second this. Train her other senses more so she can cope easily.

 

[Purr-fect]

Hi all!
3 days ago, I adopted Maya who is a little older than 4 months - she had one of her eyes removed (5 days ago) before I received her and looks like she is about 90% blind in her other eye. I live on an island in Malaysia - and a lot of backpackers will find strays and care for them until they need to leave the country and I came across Maya on Facebook - a backpacker had found her and had taken care of her, treated her eyes and because it got worse Maya had to get her eye removed. The lady that had been taking care of her had to leave 2 days ago and was looking for someone to adopt Maya or she would have to go back to living in a guesthouse and was the only blind cat with caretakers that didn't have a lot of time for her.
So I welcomed little Maya into our home. She is a wonderful cat, loves cuddles, and is extremely calm. So here I am looking for some advice from others that have blind cats or have taken care of a blind cat before.
I have 3 cats - 2 which seem to be fine around Maya, just curious of her.... and 1 that dislikes her (but she doesn't like most cats...) and when I am in the room with Maya and the other cats come in, I make sure to calm them all and give them cuddles so there aren't any problems. Maya is very hesitant of all the catsat the house and there is a lot of hissing - I do understand as it's a new home and she can't see.
I have placed 2 litter boxes through the house - one where she enjoys laying and 1 next to my daughter's room as she likes sleeping in my daughter's room. This morning Maya had an accident in my daughter's bed so that's why we moved the litter box just outside my daughter's door. We also have to help her to her food every day by bringing the bowl closer to her so she can smell it before she walks over to eat.
I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on how to make her feel completely loved and how best we can do things to make life easier for Maya. At the moment she loves cuddles, occasionally will be found walking around and going to my daughter's room to sleep or lay down but a lot of the time I find her hiding in another room hiding...
Attached is a picture of Maya our beautiful furbaby that we are really trying to make as comfortable as possible right now.

I just want to add my gratitude to you for taking her in. Most people would not. Thank you.

 

[catsknowme]

Bless you for taking on Maya! She is gorgeous - very regal looking- a true princess I have had completely blind ferals as well as one-eyed cats. My most confident ones were the inside/outside kitties who were around other kittens & cats in a changing environment. Cats rely much more on scent and hearing so they adapt readily. I hope that you can find a playmate for Maya. Please keep us updated frequently - I am excited to follow Maya's journey with you.