Hello everyone. My dear cat Mumu became totally blind this weekend due to complications from surgery. It has been heartbreaking as you can imagine, for many reasons, and I have been searching high and low for things to do to help my cat adjust to her new life as a blind cat and not finding much beyond keep her in a small space at first and don't change things in the home. Most of the advice is for cats who gradually go blind, or lose sight in just one eye. I wish that was the case for Mumu, but she lost her sight literally overnight, permanently (she has been seen by an ophthalmologist specialist since this happened). I have created a safe room for her and will pad sharp corners in other rooms when she is able to explore. She is wearing a cone now, and that has really impeded her movement. We hope she can get that off soon but we don't know. The stress of her vet visits (including the ER) and being blind have even cause some whiskers to break off.
Does anyone have advice on how to care for a suddenly totally blind cat? Will she keep her eyes, or will they get injured and infected because she keeps them open almost constantly now? I know that enucleation is something that she may have to do, but with her current situation, I would hope to spare her from another major surgery and traumatic recovery at least in the immediate future.
I live in a 3 story home, and her cat safe room is up a flight of stairs from the living room. I have blocked it off with a baby gate as all the websites advise, but nothing ever says how to help her learn to use the stairs again? Can anyone help with your experience of helping a cat learn stairs again? If I carry her down the stairs to the living room, will she be disoriented and never know where she is? Can I ever pick her up to put her on the couch with me?
I am sorry for this flood of questions, but I am just starving for information to help my cat get used to her blindness so she can regain some quality of life. All the resources out there say they can be happy again, but I desperately want to know how to help her get there. If anyone has any advice, I would be so grateful.
Does anyone have advice on how to care for a suddenly totally blind cat? Will she keep her eyes, or will they get injured and infected because she keeps them open almost constantly now? I know that enucleation is something that she may have to do, but with her current situation, I would hope to spare her from another major surgery and traumatic recovery at least in the immediate future.
I live in a 3 story home, and her cat safe room is up a flight of stairs from the living room. I have blocked it off with a baby gate as all the websites advise, but nothing ever says how to help her learn to use the stairs again? Can anyone help with your experience of helping a cat learn stairs again? If I carry her down the stairs to the living room, will she be disoriented and never know where she is? Can I ever pick her up to put her on the couch with me?
I am sorry for this flood of questions, but I am just starving for information to help my cat get used to her blindness so she can regain some quality of life. All the resources out there say they can be happy again, but I desperately want to know how to help her get there. If anyone has any advice, I would be so grateful.