BLIND CATS AND HOW TO HELP THEM

Cats, like humans, sometimes go blind in old age. Some are born blind. However, they will cope better than humans because they have superior hearing and superior scenting abilities. Whiskers will also help becoming feelers for new territory. You can help your blind cat by remembering that sound signals must replace visual signals. Cats have very acute hearing (they can hear a mouse's footfall) so they will cope well.
Blind Charlie learned new words and phrases after he went blind. "As I know his routine, I know where he is trying to go and I can say 'You're going the wrong way' and he will turn round and go the other way. I can say 'A bit further' if he hasn't quite reached the doorway and he will carry on. He used to be very nervous and run from people and noises, but since he can't run without bumping into things he has realised that if he doesn't run, nothing bad happens. He has calmed down and is friendly to strangers."
A special study of blind cats concluded that they had no difficulty making their needs known! Sometimes when disorientated blind cats will just sit and howl till somebody picks them up. But they still know where the fridge is! Blind cats play (toys with a little noise) and can use the litter tray (probably scent helps here) as long as it's kept in the same place.
They still greeted their owners with tail up and leg-rubs. But there did seem a possibility that their relationship with other cats in the household wasn't so good - perhaps because they can't pick up any of the visual signals that are cat body language. The other cats may avoid the blind one. But one continued to have a good relationship with a familiar dog and even bonded with a new dog.
You can make life easier for your cat by keeping furniture in the same place. Be very careful not to move the litter tray. Cats are incredibly good at mapping out areas and will learn their own home area rapidly. Leave doors either shut or fully open -- half open the cat can bump into them. Use fireguards near all open fires. You can make ramps up to favourite sitting places.
Speak to your cat, as you approach her, before touching her. This is particularly important if the cat is asleep. That way, she will not be frightened at a sudden unexpected touch. Night-time yowling is common among blind cats. I think they get disorientated.
It is not usually safe to let a cat roam freely if blind. They will be vulnerable to traffic and other accidents if let outside and, even in known territory, are far more likely to get lost. Many blind cats will anyway reduce their territory - you will have to decide on the level of safety you want for it.
A cat flap into an ordinary (not a fenced) garden is too risky, but if you do decide to allow some limited freedom, then a bell on the collar or a collar or just a reflective collar (that can be lit up with a torch) might help you find the cat. Don't keep food down all the time, put it down at set times, say three or four times a day, and ring a dinner bell or whistle for him. Before each meal, ring the bell and when he comes in, give him a couple of defrosted prawns, which are highly motivating for cats!
Dawn and dusk are the times when predators like foxes etc are on the prowl so keep the cat in at these times. Make sure there are no garden ponds or dustbin food to attract them. Ponds, anyway, are dangerous for blind cats - cover them over with fixed netting. On the final dinner call shut your cat in sleeping quarters with the food for the rest of the night. This could be a large dog crate with a litter tray or just a room in the house with closed windows.
Elderly blind cats must be kept as indoor cats or within a fenced garden. Feline Advisory Bureau (www.fabcats.org) have details on cat fencing. Including various systems. In order to open windows in summer, use Cataire Screening www.cataire.co.uk. They do not make mesh doors. A good website is http://messybeast.com/disabled.htm

CAT FLAPS IF MORE THAN ONE CAT
Try SureFlap or PetPorte, which are programmed to respond to microchips so can let one in and keep the other out.

 Feely Felix, a blind cat, still enjoys hunting. Read about him in my book, Cats Behaving Badly. He was rescued by Wrexham CP. Photo c. Wrexham Cats Protection

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