Is There A Way To Tell If My Cat Has Bad Eye Sight Or Is Going Blind?

miraclecats

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My beloved Tabby cat Georgie is so sweet and just came to me as a stray this past Christmas with his kitten buddy Blue. They are both amazing house cats now and I love them so much. Georgie sleeps on my bed with me constantly. I am wondering though about his eye sight. The vet said when I got him he was just a little over a year so he is a young cat. I have noticed he can't find a treat I give him unless I put it on a contrasting background. He also doesn't seem to be able to find things by smell. He sniffs but goes right past food treats. In my bedroom if it's dark he sits on the bed and meows until I come and get him even if the door is cracked open for him. He snags the covers like he is afraid until I get him loose and put him on the floor. If the door is open wide and lights on in the next room he can jump down and go right out. He walks around the house meowing and I go find him. He also follows our ten pound dog around trailing after him. They like each other a lot but I wonder if he follows him around because he can't see where he is going? Is there a test I can do to see if he is going blind? There is no cataracts in his eyes.
 

abyeb

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I'm sorry to hear about this. This article touches on loss of vision in cats a bit: Eye Problems In Cats: What Every Owner Needs To Know

Basically, some key things that you look for are misjudging distances, being more hesitant when jumping, less interested in toys, etc. The best thing that you can do is to take Georgie to the vet to have his eyes looked at.
 
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miraclecats

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thank u! he doesn't have any issue with jumping onto the bed or misjudging distance. He loves to play with toys. The vet didn't say anything about his eyes when he examined him in December. That's when I had them neutered, shots, exam. Maybe it's his nose?
 

Plumeria

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When my Leroy started going blind from cancer, his eyes began to remain dilated and was very slow responding to stimuli like light. You can use the flashlight feature on your iPhone, shine it into one eye, see if the pupil reacts or remains dilated. Note the speed of the reaction too. Then test the other eye.
 
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miraclecats

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Wow! Thank u so much. I just read the article. I think I will try to find a vet in a larger town nearby because the rural vet here who is amazing says himself that he can't do anything that requires a specialty. He is large and small animal country practice. Anyone know a good way to get a referral to a good vet with cat knowledge in a town u don't live in a distance away?
 
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miraclecats

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Thank u Plumeria. That's very helpful! I have fallen in love with my kitties! Georgie is my lovebug who sleeps with me every night against my left hip. He is so special to me. If he loses sight I will of course take care of him but hopefully there is nothing wrong.
 

maggie101

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Not sure what my vet did but he turned out the lights and used something to look in her eyes. She doesn't respond to my cats hissing or growling but hears it. It his normal for a cat to not be able to find a treat right in front of her. Her eyes are very bright.
 
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