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They need that extra care

What do you do if they are blind and deaf?

CAT TALK Some cats can become deaf and blind gradually

What does one do to take care of blind and deaf cats? Here are a few tips:

A cat with a blind eye has a pupil that is often cloudy or that remains dilated in bright light.

Some cats are born blind or become blind temporarily as a result of illness, physical injury, brain damage, cataract or lack of taurine. Usually the loss of sight is gradual and one does not notice the cat is blind. Sudden blindness is more noticeable because the cat is disoriented, walks hesitantly or bumps into things.

A blind cat is easily disoriented and should not be allowed to roam outside. It should be kept indoors and/or be restricted to a fenced area outside. Blind cats rely on scent or memory to find their way so don't move furniture and don't leave obstacles in unexpected areas where the cat could walk into them.

Whiskers important

While most blind cats soon memorise routes and distances, some rely on `bumping into' their signposts. Whiskers become more important to judge the proximity to an object. Sound is equally important.

If the guardian takes care to provide a safe, stimulating environment, then a blind cat or kitten can have a life, which is as happy as that of any sighted cat. Interestingly, other cats are often more tolerant of blind cats (which may collide with them) than they are of sighted ones.

Deaf cats

Deafness can be congenital or related to age, illness or injury. Many cats lose their hearing as they age. While hearing loss is gradual, it can be quite sometime before you realise your cat is deaf because it compensates for this lack of hearing. Where hearing loss is sudden, the animal may appear confused, irritable, over-attached to the guardian or insecure. A noisy bell on its collar will help you locate its whereabouts and it is safe to confine the animal to a fenced garden.

Deaf-blind cats

Despite a dark, silent existence, deaf-blind cats can enjoy life since they rely on their keen sense of smell and touch through whiskers on the face and on the lower leg. Cats, which have been blind through much of their lives, may eventually suffer the additional problem of age-related deafness. Most of the considerations noted for blind or deaf cats apply here too.

A deaf-blind cat may hear you approaching thanks to vibrations in the air and on the floor. It is likely to become defensive and is easily startled. It can be alerted to your presence by blowing gently in its direction. At meal time, blow across the food bowl to waft the scents towards it.

Such cats can never be allowed outdoors unsupervised. Like blind cats, deaf-blind cats memorise their surroundings, but they are doubly at risk because they cannot hear danger approaching.

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