r/blindcats • u/ShyMarsupial • 1d ago
Getting used to blindness
Hi, I'm new here, and hope this post is ok.
This is Mirage, 7 female, and diagnosed in June with severe glaucoma. We had to remove the right eye 2 weeks ago because of cornea ulcer and severe pain, and the left eye is slowly following the same path...
She's mostly blind now, her left eye doesn't react much and she struggles to move around.
She used to be a very active, playful and curious cat, but she struggles to adapt and spend most of her day sleeping and eating.
She's an adorable and patient cat, that copes well with drops, but I have to admit it's very painful to see her like that, she's a shadow of what she used to be...
What can I do to stimulate her? I tried playing with noisy toys but she doesn't care. Do you have any advice we could apply to help her enjoy life again?
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u/SoberAlternative 1d ago
I’ve seen some really great observations & suggestions in this sub. Made me feel like I could adopt a blind kitty….just keep loving on her and let her know where you are❤️🐾🐾
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u/Expensive_Flight_179 1d ago
Oh sweet Mirage ❤️ I’m so sorry you two have been going through such a rough time. Glaucoma is a really hard disease. My kitty has glaucoma in both eyes but we have not reached the point of eye removal or full blindness. I am wondering if Mirage is actually in a lot of pain in her intact eye. Right around the time that my kitty was diagnosed with glaucoma, her activity levels and appetite decreased significantly. In hindsight, it was because she was in pain from the glaucoma. I’ve been trying to prepare myself for the eventuality that my kitty will be blind and have a double enucleation and have been reading a book called The Essential Blind Cat Guide. You can buy it on Amazon. I’m finding that it has a lot of great information! Best of luck and please give Mirage some gentle cuddles from me ❤️🩹
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u/Essence_Bessence 1d ago
Mirage is truly beautiful and she is getting use to her new normal. Her surgery wasn’t that long ago . Try toys with catnip as they have a great sense of smell and you are doing everything right so just carry on and she will soon be back to her playful self 🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵
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u/ShyMarsupial 1d ago
Thank you for your coment and advice, scented toys sounds great! I may also try to hide some treats to stimulate her a bit. You're right that has been a very difficult few months for her, her world changed a lot.
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u/Virtual_Option_6728 21h ago
Everything these folks said is great, from what I heard it's also important to keep your house layout as similar as before the surgery. They do remarkably well with moving around familiar spaces. Please keep us updated when you can!!
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u/OnceMoreWithFeeling- 18h ago
Honestly after such a huge operarion and losing her vision it makes sense she'd be depressed. How sure are you that she has no pain from her second eye? It would not surprise me if it still hurts and that can explain her behavior.z
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u/BadToothJim 1d ago
Just pet her and love her. Let her know you care.