My cat Jeopardy is 6 years old and just recently went blind from histoplasmosis. The vet thinks she had so much inflammation from the issue that it detached her retinas and they don’t think she will regain her sight. She’s on medication now for the histoplasmosis and they think she has a decent chance of pulling through now that it’s being treated.

She gets around surprisingly well and behavior is mostly normal that’s she’s being medicated aside from no longer jumping on furniture and not being quite as playful. I’ve read up on all the ways to help blind cats adjust and navigate the home, but how do I keep her mentally and physically stimulated? She loved her wand toys and chasing toys around the house but now I’m not quite sure how to play with her or make sure she gets her exercise.

Is there anything you’ve done to keep your cat mentally or physically active? I would love advice.

She’s never liked them because she’s always been too nervous to jump in on account of not seeing inside I guess
Finally I had the bright idea of turning one on it’s side for her and it’s her new favorite place!
I always feel a sense of accomplishment when I help her do typical cat things like this. Jumping onto stuff, climbing her cat tree, finding food. She’s pretty hesitant especially since we’re in a small apartment and pretty cramped, and won’t jump up onto something if she can’t feel the top or other side etc.
It’s nice for me in places like the kitchen, but I also feel it limits her space in the apartment so I try to give her opportunities like this so the environment can feel interesting and have hideaways and high up places that she feels comfortable getting to on her own

This is my kitty. I am crazy about her.

Her name is Toph…. because she can’t see :P

So yeah her name was Miss Boom Bah when we adopted her. Iconic name for realll!

Her sister is named Foggie!

My husband and I are planning to adopt a new kitten, he's 3 months old and almost completely blind due to an infection. We have had cats for years, including physically disabled cats, and currently have a 6 year old cat but we've never had a blind kitty or a kitten for that matter!

I've been diving into all there is on kitten proofing and raising blind cats (from what i've gathered here it's just like raising any other cat) but i'm curious, is there anything specific you'd recommend keeping in mind or doing differently for a blind kitten? We do have a second floor, so i'll be blocking the bannisters but everything else seems standard kitten proofing (hiding electric cords, plants, not leaving out small things, locking cabinets, etc.)

What have you done for your blind kitties? Also open to any recs for introducing a blind kitten to the resident cat if you've got any! We know how to do slow introductions, but anything that makes it unique for a blind baby I'm all ears. Thanks!

He is getting so big!

Can anyone share any information on lasers for Miss Ellie? She has a film over eye that was caused by spear grass and she has a harder time with laser play. Looking for info/tips on a stronger (or wider?) laser. Thank you!!

Hi ! Lenny has been found abandoned at 15 yo probably because his treatment for blood pressure was too much. Him not being treated is probably the reason why he is blind and deaf.

He is really lost, cries a lot and has difficulties finding water and food for the moment. Very cuddly, it's so sad. Also he is very thin, but with lots of loose skin, so he must have lost the weight in the streets. He mostly walks in circle and cries for help.

I take any tip from people with experience.

Hashbrown is back to her 100% self again! With a clingy cuddle update too. She has been attached since quarantine ended for the colony

this is my blind cat, Neo. we’re pretty sure he’s been blind since birth, so he is well accustomed to his speciality. Neo is a pretty quiet kitty, hardly ever meows or chirps. however, he always seems to be distressed specifically when i shower. he doesn’t do this when i take a bath, and he also doesn’t do this when the shower is running for any other reason (ie. cleaning it or scrubbing his litter box) he stays in the bathroom right next to the shower curtain and meows the entire time, sometimes even climbing into the shower with me. i talk to him the entirety of my showers and even stop to pet him, but nothing seems to ease him. i am a college student and i live in a small apartment with other roommates. i’ve put his litter box in my bathroom since that was the only reasonable spot for it, so keeping the bathroom door closed isn’t an option. i’m wondering if anyone has any insight as to why me showering causes him distress, or if anyone has some tips on how to help him?

This is Emmy! She is 1.5-2yo and has idiopathic blindness.

This girly came into foster care with us in Chicago after being transferred from a shelter in Indiana to hopefully find a forever family. She's been available for adoption with a foster-only cat rescue in Chicago for a few months at this point without any interest so it has me wondering where all of the folks on this sub found their blind kitty (particularly if you were seeking a blind/special needs cat). What ways could we help advertise her or find the right kind of adopters for her?

Some things to consider:

- I have the option to take her to a pet store for adoption events over the weekends, but I worry her lack of sight and the loud sounds/news smells will freak her out at the store so I haven't done this yet

- The rescue has social media, I have sent photos/videos and requested they post about her

- She doesn't love other cats and probably would need older kiddos or an adults only home because she gets too scared with sudden noises she can't see the source of (so she can't just be placed in any home)

- We are not interested/able to keep her, goodbye is the goal of fostering

So... where did you find your blind kitties? Do you have any ideas as to how/where to find the right family for this gorgeous girl? Good FB/Reddit/ other pages online to share about her?

My forever sidekick

I tried to put her in the carrier when I adopted her and she didn't like it :)

Hi I’m just looking for advice I think, I’ve never owned a blind cat and this is the first cat that I own by myself, (better yet: hours away from home). I’m a broke college student who keeps getting rejected from jobs, and yes admittedly I can’t afford vet bills but I don’t want to leave a blind cat on the street or in a shelter where she can possibly be mistreated. Please don’t say “don’t adopt a cat if you can’t afford it,” I will put her needs over mine and I can ask my mom/roommate/roommate’s parents for money if needed. (My mom would rather give me money for the cat than for me probably). I’ve had 8 cats in my life, 1 is disabled (something is wrong with his leg since he was born/very young), but I have no personal experience with blind cats. Okay I’m just gonna talk about her now.

Health/backstory:

I (and my roommate, but I will just be referring to me in this post) recently took in a blind cat (Eva) a few days ago from another girl in my apartment complex, because she couldn’t take care of Eva anymore and neither of us wanted to put her in a shelter (the shelters near us are all full anyway). The previous owner had her since around the beginning of August and had taken her to the vet for shots and tests, and was referred to an ophthalmologist for further eye tests/treatment. I’m unsure of her eye condition, whether it’s temporary or permanent, and if I can do anything about it. She was prescribed some type of eye drops, but after running out, she is doing fine without them. I also need to get her spayed soon in case she’s pregnant.

About her:

Eva LOVES going outside but also loves humans, she bumps into my feet looking for me/my legs more than bumping into furniture. She’s very good at navigating and very cautious, so even outside I don’t always need to hold her leash in familiar/safe places like the yard because she just wanders and doesn’t run. She also loves soft materials like blankets, my giant blanket hoodie, and the bath mat. She doesn’t like enclosed spaces like her carrier or cat tunnel. She doesn’t play with toys, even ones that make sound really except for those dangling string toys if I put it in her face, she likes the feather ones. We try to get brightly colored toys because we (non-vets with experimental tests) believe she does have some degree of vision (shapes, light/dark, or something).

Advice?

Again, I’m just looking for advice from other people who own blind cats. Even if this is temporary (an infection or something) and we are able to fix it, I want to accommodate her as best I can until then. Personally, I think it’s permanent, and so does my mom (President of a cat shelter and is knowledgeable about cat health to some extent due to her time caring for cats). Are there specific toys that she might like? Easier ways for her to jump up onto windowsills? (I was told she likes windows) or just advice in general. I don’t like asking for money but I definitely won’t turn it down. Fundraising is not the point of this post, however. We are located in south central MN.

Because of the mention of money, if needed I can provide previous paid vet bills and she will have future vet appts, including one on Sept 10th and hopefully ophthalmologist and spay also this month.

Back in April, this tiny, frail cat appeared in my backyard. After feeding her and earning her trust, I was able to see her right eye was extremely swollen! After applying antibiotic ointment and the swelling went down, I began to wonder if she had a right eye at all (spoiler alert: she had a piece of an eyeball). She has a scar on her left eye, my theory is she was attacked by another animal. She is also missing two teeth 🥴
Fast forward through a quarantine, getting fixed, a battle with GIARDIA, and her enucleation last week, this girl is currently fluffy and thriving.

Her name is ✨Little✨

Stephen Matthew (3mos, neutered)

The last pic is him with his brother Chad Michael (3mos, neutered, not blind)

Hello,
So last night two of my cats headed out and one ended up scratching the other in the eye I noticed a chunk of her little eye was peeping out and I had my husband bring her to the emergency vet just to make sure that didn’t get infected overnight or anything or she was rubbing it so we got antibiotics and we got a cone, but they referred us to a cat ophthalmologist. I’m from Ontario for reference. I’m curious about the wait time to get into an animal ophthalmologist, but also the cost of just the initial visit on top of any sort of treatment they do. I can’t really get a straight answer on websites or anywhere online asking for personal lived experience with pets is it worth the thousands of dollars to fix the lesion or to just remove the eye? I’m just worried about it eventually becoming a systemic problem, NURSE brain and all on top of being a diehard cat lover.

This is Stinky! He's the sweetest boy I've ever met.

He's a derpy boy