Topic: Blind Cat (Read 3278 times)

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #25 on:** December 04, 2008, 20:34:55 PM »

Very interesting - I would get regular blood tests done, as Metacam can kill kidney cells, so can cause CRF.

Not sure to be honest MM, Rosie had Seraquin, but she did get worse while taking it (although you could argue that would have happened sooner/worse if she hadn't had it), Molly hates it, and Zi showed no signs of arthritis till she started them, and then played more. My vet has used it on one of her cats, so rates it. Molly stopped eating her food with Arthriaid in it too, but fotunately has only had 2 flare ups in 3 years, so she is still at the mild stage.

Millys Mum · « **Reply #24 on:** December 04, 2008, 19:35:51 PM »

Its good his nose is still undercontrol with the metacam

Will he not take it from the syringe? Its very tasty

would still be best to seperate their eating even if they both end up on it, to prevent one getting a higher dose than the other

Des- do any of these joint supplements actually work for problems that are anything other than mild?

caledonia · « **Reply #23 on:** December 04, 2008, 09:22:51 AM »

The benign tumour was diagnosed by UKRCC and the previous owners vet - he has an obvioulsy deformed face from it so I guess that probbably gave the game away !

As it is inside his nose and I think because of the position they decided not to operate and he seems fine - other than being a very noisy eater and breather !

As for the Metacam - he was on steroids from the previous vets and it hadn't really made any difference to his nose and giving him the tablet every week was pretty traumatic. The steroids were the ones used to also stop Queens from ovulating or something. Anyway the Vet felt that long term steroid use was not good and given Metacam is a non steroid anti-inlfamitory (sp?) he used that as he has had good success with it previously. It certainly has improved his face and when I once run out on the weekend becasue I wasn't being organised I was sure I couold actually see it had got bigger! I know some articels say it is not good long term and I have discussed this with the vet but he seems to think it is fine and he is pretty good in my humble opinion - I actually changed vets and he came with about ten recommendations and I know people that travel from out of Edinburgh to use him. He still provides his home number for out of hours service and is very old school - I love the way he is with the boys.

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #22 on:** December 03, 2008, 21:38:07 PM »

Interesting that the vet would use Metacam for a nose tumour, rather than steroids. My vet prefers me to use things like Seraquin rather than MEtcam for arthritis, even when we have bloods showing no kidney issues.

Janeyk · « **Reply #21 on:** December 03, 2008, 21:16:03 PM »

Hope you don't mind me asking but how do you know Oscar has a tumour?, the reason I ask is my cat Shui possibly has according to vet. He suffers with constant snotty nose and lost alot of his sense of smell. He was also on Metacam for his stiff joints but has CRF so vet would rather avoid giving it if possible. A while back he was poorly and was given a steroid injection which has improved his appetite alot and we suspect reduced any inflamation in his nose.

caledonia · « **Reply #20 on:** December 03, 2008, 20:35:20 PM »

Edgar is actually already on Metacam for his benin tumour in his nose and I had thought about the fact it can help stiff joint and discussing it with the vet about Oscar too - would make giving it to them easier as it is hard to segregate them to give Edgar his medication in food.

Edgar is on Metacam long term which I know is not great but it really has reduced his tumour!

Millys Mum · « **Reply #19 on:** December 03, 2008, 19:40:05 PM »

His increased sleeping could be linked more to his joints than his eyes, metacam can bring a new lease of life to an arthritic cat so definately worth discussing with your vet. Longterm it isnt a great product to use especially in older cats but i always think better a shorter comfy life than a longer stiffer one!

caledonia · « **Reply #18 on:** December 03, 2008, 17:53:47 PM »

Yes he is quite thin, although his coat hides it well and he does gave a wee paunch LOL. Still only about 4 kg which is what he was when he came to me. He eats good though so I'm not too worried but I am aware greedy guts Edgar def eats more.... Any of oscars left overs anyway!

I'll def check with vet at their booster check in Jan

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #17 on:** December 03, 2008, 17:12:29 PM »

I think he does look like his eyes are cloudy and the size of the pupil in light is enormous.

He looks like a very old and thin Maine Coon and I am sure he will improve in your care.

Cats do adapt so well to blindness, and only mention the vet cos Kockas blindness was caused part by age but her retinas were detaching due to high blood presssure, so they were flapping, one minute she could see then she couldnt.

Janeyk · « **Reply #16 on:** December 03, 2008, 10:24:29 AM »

Quote from: caledonia on December 03, 2008, 10:15:15 AM

Quote from: janeyk on December 03, 2008, 07:57:18 AM
awww, Oscar is gorgeous I would say that if he is blind it would likely have happened gradually and I once had a blind cat for a short while and he was fine. Also most cats I've had have stopped playing at a certain age and sleep loads. My cat Byron has poor eyesight and she also does the stretching leg out thing, she does it before she jumps up as if she's feeling her way.

Yes it has def been a gradual thing, it was just something that was suspected was the case about a year ago by his fosterer and I think it has just been a slow deteriation - his pupils are always as wide as they are in that pic and when it low light or dark people always say how gorgeous his eyes are and I think its because his pupils are really wide to try and capture as much light as they can. I mean I know cats eyes are reflective but his are unebelievable!! lol!

Glad to hear that cats do tend to stop playing as much, he does wander about but only from hot spot to hot spot - last night it was out on the bare floorboards in the kitchen right on top of the radiator pipes - he was streched out like a king!

Byron also does the leg stretch thing - good to know he is not the only one. It used to be just frm the couch but he would come off the bed front ways (the normal cat way) as it was lower, but now it is everything backward except the stairs which he is still fine with - so all points towards his eyes slowly getting worse which is I guess a good thing as he has been able to slowly adjust.

Thanks for the other tips on Seraquin and Cosequin, was also going to check with vet when they are there for their boosters in the new year.

He is a lovely boy, and his big eyes just make me smile

I have to say though our Schui's eyes look just like Oscars do and his pupils are very large especially at night, and I am surprised he doesn't really show any signs of blindness, Byron does more.

caledonia · « **Reply #15 on:** December 03, 2008, 10:15:15 AM »

Quote from: janeyk on December 03, 2008, 07:57:18 AM

awww, Oscar is gorgeous I would say that if he is blind it would likely have happened gradually and I once had a blind cat for a short while and he was fine. Also most cats I've had have stopped playing at a certain age and sleep loads. My cat Byron has poor eyesight and she also does the stretching leg out thing, she does it before she jumps up as if she's feeling her way.

Yes it has def been a gradual thing, it was just something that was suspected was the case about a year ago by his fosterer and I think it has just been a slow deteriation - his pupils are always as wide as they are in that pic and when it low light or dark people always say how gorgeous his eyes are and I think its because his pupils are really wide to try and capture as much light as they can. I mean I know cats eyes are reflective but his are unebelievable!! lol!

Glad to hear that cats do tend to stop playing as much, he does wander about but only from hot spot to hot spot - last night it was out on the bare floorboards in the kitchen right on top of the radiator pipes - he was streched out like a king!

Byron also does the leg stretch thing - good to know he is not the only one. It used to be just frm the couch but he would come off the bed front ways (the normal cat way) as it was lower, but now it is everything backward except the stairs which he is still fine with - so all points towards his eyes slowly getting worse which is I guess a good thing as he has been able to slowly adjust.

Thanks for the other tips on Seraquin and Cosequin, was also going to check with vet when they are there for their boosters in the new year.

He is a lovely boy, and his big eyes just make me smile

swampmaxmum · « **Reply #14 on:** December 03, 2008, 09:56:31 AM »

He's so lovely and those are magnificent whiskers!

I hope you can help him be a bit happier, even if he doesn't play much any more.

Janeyk · « **Reply #13 on:** December 03, 2008, 07:57:18 AM »

awww, Oscar is gorgeous

I would say that if he is blind it would likely have happened gradually and I once had a blind cat for a short while and he was fine. Also most cats I've had have stopped playing at a certain age and sleep loads. My cat Byron has poor eyesight and she also does the stretching leg out thing, she does it before she jumps up as if she's feeling her way.

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #12 on:** December 03, 2008, 07:49:20 AM »

His eyes dont actually look that cloudy on the pic. If he is shaky on his legs, it is likely to be arthritis, so you might want to try something like Seraquin or Cosequin on him to help.

caledonia · « **Reply #11 on:** December 03, 2008, 00:50:10 AM »

Thanks folks.

Oscar was fully vet checked in February by the UKRCC when all his bloods were done and again by my Vet in March, which I realise was a while ago now but his eyesight was a problem back then and they didn't pick anything up. It was the first thing my vet looked at, he did give him a thorough check and seemed to peer into his eyes from every angle optician style and said it was nothing other than age related failing eye sight. Oscar doesn't really keep the best of health anyway - he is also very snuffly and was at the vets just last month and had acourse of anti-biotics and again the vet checked his eyes. He also is very stiff - another thing the UKRCC Fosterer had noticed before I re-homed him - when he first gets up and has a walk about he is very stiff and shaky on his legs. Both cats are meant to be the same age but I would easily place Oscar a good five years older than Edgar, in fact I could place him ten years older than Edgar!

.

I think he does still see some light and shadows but at times does seem confused when I talk to him and seems to look about for me. He is not very steady on his feet at all though and the highest he jumps is couch level and even then he comes off backwards (something I had never saw before) perhaps because of his eyesight or because of his legs, either way he stretches down a leg to touch the ground before he comes off - cute but bizarre!! He actually fell off the couch once as he didn't find his footing - I felt awful even though it was his own doing and he upped and trotted off...as I said he is just an unsteady wee blinding bunny!!

I will def try the noisy toys - I also actually have some of that cable stuff that binds up boxes after a delivery today so will give that a try.

I just worry he is not happy - I know he likes cat nip so I might try giving him that a bit more often and maybe make a habit of grooming him every day rather than the normal 2-3 days just for the extra contact - although he does tend to swipe if you hit a not - had a few nasty cuts that way!!

Thanks again for the advice and I will go check out the link posted also - and any other ideas are much appreciated!

here is a wee photo of the man, just cos I have got all soppy talking about him! - my friend says he looks like 'naebdays bairn'

I think you will agree his whiskers are certainly good enough to get him about

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #10 on:** December 02, 2008, 23:28:21 PM »

I dont call 12 old and certainly worth getting him checked by a vet.

Do his eyes react to light at all?

As long as he is not deaf then his hearing will become better to compensate but letting him know you are there before touching him will help.

blind cats adapt very well as long as you dont keep moving the furniture.

Most cats sleep a lot , especially as they get older. so as long as he is medically fit then I would not be concerned.

I think you need to try to play with him a bit but if he is not bothered thats up to him

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #9 on:** December 02, 2008, 21:49:42 PM »

I would defo get blood pressure checked - I have a blind cat and a partially blind cat, but these two are that bit harder as both are deaf - they do bat each other when tehy occasionally come into contact (both sleep at opposite ends of the kitchen). Sadly neither of them respond to catnip or honeysuckle, and i cant even use noisy toys for them. I just give them lots of fusses (only Norman likes being picked up), as they like being touched, but I know what you mean about being concerned about quality of life, it is a daily worry in this house.

Liz · « **Reply #8 on:** December 02, 2008, 20:22:23 PM »

We had Bert who went blind at 18 and knew the layout of our old house but we upped and moved to a bigger house with stairs and he adapated well his favourite place apart from our bed and the top of the wardrobe - both upstairs he loved the bed in the cat room and spent his days there and his nights on our bed - he occassionally watch footrball with his Dad but loved his electric blankets.

He also loved Catnip and could smell a new sack from rooms away, he even mastered our new garden and could be seen patrolling the boundary with late deaf Border Collie - quite a site both had arthritus but still enjoyed their daily strolls.

Mark · « **Reply #7 on:** December 02, 2008, 20:07:24 PM »

My mum's cat Suki went blind at about 6 months old. She knew her way around the house and was a happy cat. My mum took her for supervised play in the garden and she loved being groomed (every night). Whenever I visited, she used to go running up to my old bedroom and would jump on my old bed purring. I was living at home when she was a kitten and she always slept on my pillow. She was prone to gaining weight as she couldn't get as much exercise. My mum said she learned early on not to move anything or buy things - if she did, Sukie had to get used to it as she could hurt herself running into things. My mum didn't go on holiday for the 12 years Sukie lived. Sadly her arthritis was giving her pain and despite taking her to a specialist, Sukie was PTS with my mum cuddling her

Another thing is talking to them and not just picking them up. It is sad but not a lot we can do other than love them and look out for them. Cats do tend to take things in their stride

Wibblechick · « **Reply #6 on:** December 02, 2008, 20:00:25 PM »

Quote from: Christine (Blip) on December 02, 2008, 17:40:05 PM

Several of our members have blind cats - I'm trying to think who so I can draw their attention to this - and will have some good advice for you and Oscar, I'm sure.

Anna Williams cat, Mitz, is blind.

Sam (Fussy_Furball) · « **Reply #5 on:** December 02, 2008, 19:51:23 PM »

This may help: http://www.messybeast.com/disabled.htm#blind

swampmaxmum · « **Reply #4 on:** December 02, 2008, 19:48:36 PM »

What I tried for play when Swampy went blind was a long bit of that hard, narrow white tape that parcels often come tightly wrapped in (the kind you have to cut as it won't break: nylon?) which I gently waved around Swampy's front paws - he felt the sensation and had a good bat and bite at it and seemed to enjoy it. He's also sometimes fond of a catnip banana. Being 'attacked' by another cat trying to play though is very frightening. I have found that blindness aged him and I'm not surprised that Oscar's become an igloo dweller, as I'm sure he feels safe and cocooned in there. They do find any moving of furniture very difficult (or too much furniture in a room: has he got the run of the house or is he confined to a smaller area?) and another tip is to watch that his whiskers are in decent nick, as they use them not to bang into things. The vets do say that most cats get used to their disability, just some take a bit longer than others to learn to cope fine. It sounds as though Oscar is a bit frustrated that he suddenly can't see - I also found although Swampy's vision was lousy before due to age, having just some blurry vision is easier on them than none.

Just a thought - have you had his bp checked? 12 is not that old and if his bp his high, you have a slight chance of regaining some sight if he's put on effective bp meds like Istin. Lots more TLC than before as well to reassure and you could try some of the calming supplements like Zylkene or Feliway for a bit. It will be hard for him to play like he used to, so he'll have to enjoy more cuddles once he's feeling calmer. all the best.

Dawn (DiddyDawn) · « **Reply #3 on:** December 02, 2008, 17:54:43 PM »

I have a blind cat who sadly lost both his eyes to a bad eye infection when I first got him in. He is only a youngster but copes with it extremely well, I'm not really sure how an older cat copes with it. With Mutley I always make sure he has toys that make a noise, ie balls with bells in etc, he goes absolutely nuts for them and will entertain himself for hours. He is also very aware of his surroundings and I try not to move anything around that will confuse him although he seems to know exactly where everything is and he will even jump on the cupboards in the bedroom and can jump on the bed, he has amazing sixth sense.

Have you had Oscars hearing checked? If it's age related he could also be losing his hearing and this is something apart from smell that a blind cat tends to rely on more than anything. It may just be a case of Oscar getting used to his disability and in time will accept it and his other senses will kick in. I would try not to worry too much but maybe get him a few toys that rattle etc, maybe these will help him and keep him occupied

Christine (Blip) · « **Reply #2 on:** December 02, 2008, 17:40:05 PM »

Several of our members have blind cats - I'm trying to think who so I can draw their attention to this - and will have some good advice for you and Oscar, I'm sure.

caledonia · « **Reply #1 on:** December 02, 2008, 17:10:04 PM »

Hello all - sorry to hijack an earlier raised theme but I think I am dealing with a bit of an unhappy cat and not sure how to cheer him up a bit!

Oscar and Edgar came to me ten months ago and it was evident then that Oscar had failing eye sight which the vet felt was age related. Anyway at that point he was not too bad - could still play with things and make his way around. However since then it is evident his eye sight has continued to deteriate to the point he only seems to see things if they are immediatley in front of him - which leads to him attacking Edgar and growling a lot when previously they were the best of friends.

They are still close but I do worry at how Oscar can turn on Edgar now - for no reason other than he doesn't seem to see him until he is right in front of him. Other times he is fine and they sit grooming each other - I guess Edgar needs to learn to take it slow.

My concern is that Oscar doesn't do very much now and I worry he is unhappy/bored! He sleeps and eats and not much else and spends less and less time in the living room and a lot of time in a new igloo bed I bought him and put in his favourtie place n the hall - as I wanted him to be comfortable. He does have a bed in the living room too but hardly ever ventures in, he is often in every room but the living room.

last night he did come in and was on the couch beside me and I got out Da bird - which Edgar goes crazy for! All it did was confirm that Oscar is blind as a bat now - he didn't respond to the movement at all and i know sometimes when I speak to him it is as if he is looking around to find my voice!!

How on earth do you entertain a blind cat?

or do I just put his habit of sleeping everywhere apart from where we are due to his age (12) and his new disability! It must be difficult for him after all!! he does let me groom him still and is always there when I call him or for dinner - I am prob worrying about nothing!!

Thnaks for reading - any advice much appreciated!

Author Topic: Blind Cat (Read 3278 times)