blind cat

by diane mcburnett
(oregon)

hi

We have a three year old blind cat, totally blind in one eye and partially blind in the other,that eye having a large dilated pupil. We know that Max can see certain things at a distance but he can't see well enough to understand another cat's visual cues.

We have an older cat, and had a young calico that Max would chase and corner and then "mouth" as if he was going to mount her, although all the cats are fixed. Our calico disappeared, we think, because she had enough of Max's behavior, and we are heart sick but now determined to understand what Max is thinking. Max is now doing the same type of behavior with Meowyl, the older male cat. We're not sure if Max is trying to "play" with the other cat in a way that makes sense to him (using his mouth and touching, his main way of knowing his world) or if he is expressing a need to be the king of the cats. He seems not to understand the cat's hissing and spitting that occurs when Max chases the other cat and then pounces and mouths because no matter how much the cat being chased hisses, Max continues the chase. We displine Max by saying NO in a loud voice and physically intervene but we can tell the older cat is growing uncomfortable. Any ideas?

RESPONSE:

Blind cats often have a very difficult time in a multiple cat household. They are vulnerable and either hide all of the time to protect themselves or start acting out to prove they are not vulnerable. Because of this, we would not let a blind cat socialize with our other cats. Put Max in his own room seperate from your other cats and make a point to spend time with him but don't let other cats be with him. The behavior will only escalate until one cat gets hurt. Since there are only 2 cats now, you could try clicker training with Max and see if this will help his confidence and calm him. Start training him in his room and as he gets better responding to the clicker, try again allowing him to socialize with the other cat. I know this is not the answer you are looking for but blind cats require special care and often only do well in single cat households. Let us know what happens.

Donna - House Full Cats Mom