There's no doubt, but our dear old(est) pet, Tigger, has gone blind.

[Stinky The Clown]

She's 16 plus. She's always been very spry and to some degree still is. She gets around okay in her little world. Her food and water are nearby. Her litter box is in the utility room where it has always been. She sleeps up on a windowsill in a little pet bed. Her food is on a countertop. Her bed is on a very deep windowsill above and to the side of the counter. She navigates all that jumping with ease and never fails to land gracefully.

Of late, she's slowed down on grooming herself. Her coat is always a little dull and not as sleek and "combed" as it always was. That's probably the biggest thing we've noticed.

Well, besides the fact that she's blind.

She still gets love from us, but she was never much of a lap cat. She loves it when I brush her down on the floor, though. And when we scratch top base of her tail she goes all googah with ecstasy.

What do you think? Can a cat be "happy" in her situation?

[Arkansas Granny]

1. If an animal is in a familiar, comfortable place, blindness is not insurmountable.

I've had a couple of old animals who lost their sight and got along just fine. As long as she is not in pain and it isn't an issue with her safety, I think she will be OK. You'll know when life is no longer good for her or if she is suffering. Until then, make a few concessions to her age just as you would any other family member.

[Stinky The Clown]

2. This is our second experience with a blind, geriatric pet.

We had another Border Collie back in the late 70s to mid 80s who went spontaneously blind in about 48 hours. She lasted a number of years after that. She did fine with being blind. It was the incontinence and hip paralysis that we didn't want her to have to deal with.

She was a sweet, loving, trusting soul, right to the very end.

We'll be there for Tigger when its time, too. I just didn't quite know how cats did, as opposed to dogs.

[roody]

3. It sounds like she has everything she needs. n/t

[Walk away]

4. As long as she isn't distressed she seems to be enjoying her senior years.

I hope Tigger has plenty of good naps to look forward to

[Curmudgeoness]

5. I had an 18 y.o. cat go blind

due to kidney disease. She did not last long after that, but I will say that she was having no problems due to the blindness. In fact, she navigated so well that I didn't realize it immediately. I just made sure not to make any changes to the house. Litter box did not get moved, food in the same spot. The only thing that I did was put a step stool at the foot of the bed because she was having trouble jumping up, and she learned where it was the first day and used it from then on. She still seemed the same in all ways, except that she started to walk around the house close to furniture and walls.

And as to the grooming issue, that could be just aging and not able to be as flexible, or it could be an indication of other issues. Have you had her checked out by the vet to rule out illnesses? I would. If all is well, no worries----for now. The cat will be fine and adjust.

[ginnyinWI]

7. my 19 year old has gone pretty deaf and also gave up grooming

Rarely I will catch her licking her paws, but that's about it. She does love to be brushed after her meals though, and will get cranky with me if I don't do it.

Because of the deafness, when she wants something she will yowl--really loud! We have to apologize and explain to guests because it sounds like someone is being murdered.

Other than that she's fairly content. There is some night blindness too--the vet can tell. And her pupils are usually open wide, an indication that not much light is getting through.

[grasswire]

8. my old calico girl was near-blind and I didn't know it

But she started getting "lost" in the house (which was small) and then she would yowl for us. That's the only reason I surmised that she had lost her sight.

[ginnyinWI]

9. mine is a calico too--

maybe that type of cat is more prone to yowling? She was never a particularly vocal cat before though. She can still see, but probably not so well. She doesn't bump into things.

[jannyk]

6. I have a deaf and blind cat.

Tazzi was always totally deaf and smart, I had her trained to hand signals. Then about a year ago she went blind. We have a very active life and travel a lot and I thought her days of traveling with us were over. But you know what, she's perfectly fine.

We just drove from the Bay Area where Tazzi and I were staying in a apartment we were fixing up for 6 weeks. Then 2 nights in hotel/motels because we stopped to see some friends then home. She doesn't miss a beat. 'Show' her her food and catbox as soon as we arrive and after that its up to her. She always makes it onto the bed, no matter where the bed, finds the sun to lay in at some point and finds me or my husband whenever she wants a lot of attention.

She has always been a completely indoor cat because of her deafness, but apart from walking around the edges of rooms and very gently bumping into objects, she hasn't changed at all.

She has always adored riding in the car. On the way back from SF she had the front seat to herself, traveling catbox on the floor, she purred very loudly for half the journey.

So, we make a few allowances for Taz but nothing major and she is one happy cat.

[mopinko]

10. is she an only cat?

i had a presumed deaf boxer for many years, but it was a matter of great debate whether she could hear or not. it was of no impediment to her whatsoever. she just watched the other dogs, and used her nose, and she was fine.
my current old boxer just went through a bout of very bad corneal ulcers and could not have been seeing much besides light and dark, but was equally unfazed. she is also unfazed by hip joints made of moon rock and teeth worn down to not much, because she is a boxer. so prolly not a fair comparison at all for your cat.

i do hate having old pets, tho. when they start to show their age, and things start to go wrong, and you know they live with pain that you could never bear, every little thing becomes a question of "how much longer do i get to keep this precious in my life". it is just too much sometimes.

[Stinky The Clown]

11. Yeah, that's kinda where we are . . . . how much longer do we . . . . whatever we're going to do.

We both feel like we want to give them the very best we can, and help them in any reasonable way for as long as is reasonable.

Obviously there's some hedging in that. We would *never* to presume to judge another pet in owner in their end of life/life prolonging decisions. Those are intensely personal decisions that can be made for us by us. Sparkly and I have decided (long ago) that we will love these five forever, but that when its time, it is time. We can only comfort them and be there when they cross the bridge. And each and every one of them *will* be crossing that bridge - mostly too soon.

[Warpy]

12. If she were miserable and unhappy, she'd go off her food

That's how cats tell us they've had enough, thanks, it's time to go.

She sounds like a pretty happy kitty to me, just slowing down with age. My cat will be 19 this fall and is reasonably stable with renal failure. She loves lap time and her food. She hates taking her pills every night, but those are what's keeping her stable.