10 Tips To Living With A Blind Cat

When living with a blind cat,

Naturally, if you have had your cat for a long time - he or she has grown accustomed to the way your furniture is placed, the location of his or her food and water, etc.

By keeping your home the same, your cat can rely on their memory to navigate around your home. Additionally, keep your home free of clutter as objects spread around your space can pose a risk to your blind cat.

This means that you should pick up any toys, laundry baskets, shoes lying around, or any other objects which could impact your furry friend's path.

Since your cat cannot see you, it would be helpful to begin talking to your cat more often so that they can have an idea of where you are.

For instance, you can hum or say his or her name frequently to allow your cat to locate you in a room.

Some breeds, such as the Bengal Cat, are susceptible to deterioration of their eyesight, and these verbal cues and hums come in handy for making your cat feel more calm and comfortable in their home!

Even though your cat may be blind, he or she still wants your attention.

Since their eyesight is impaired, you can play games that involve more sounds instead of that old 'chasing the laser dot' game.

For example, our blind Bengal cat absolutely loves any toys that squeak or crinkle - including balls of foil from our take-out and mouse toys that we buy at our local pet store!

It's important that you allow your cat to roam around the house and explore in order to adjust to their new blind situation.

Even though it may seem tempting to just pick your cat up and carry him or her to another room - you aren't doing your cat any favors.

In fact, carrying your cat around can ultimately lead to confusion; it is better to have them walk around for themselves so that they can become used to your home's layout without having their sense of sight.

Your cat may become clingy and follow you around as though you are their travel guide - this is normal and it is important to understand their predicament and not get frustrated when your cat is always at your feet.

Naturally, owning a blind feline means that you are going to have to take some extra steps and precautions to ensure their safety. 

To make your home safer for your dear pet, we recommend keeping your toilet lid closed (to avoid any unwanted baths!), blocking off access to stairs or balconies, and making sure that they have the proper identification such as tags and a microchip.

In the event that your blind kitty gets lost, it would be difficult for them to navigate home, so it is essential that you identify your pet.

As I'm sure you know, pretty much every cat LOVES catnip. Luckily, you can use this to your advantage.

Even though your cat may be blind, you can still stimulate their other senses! For example, try sprinkling some catnip around the house. ​

This will keep your furry friend entertained and can help them learn their way around your home by following the smell. If your cat has a favorite spot that he or she likes to sunbathe in, you can make it easier for him or her to find by sprinkling a path of catnip leading up to it.

We use the Kong Premium Catnip since it's comes in a 2oz container and lasts a long time. 

Now, this is a tough one. Since your cat is blind, it is imperative that you watch them very carefully whenever they are outdoors.

They are not as efficient and aware as a cat with normal vision at orienting their location and detecting danger. Thus, they are at risk of wandering into the street, getting lost, or failing to notice a predator. 

We recommend purchasing a harness and leash so that you can guide your cat along outdoors as well as protect him or her from potential dangers.

Now, we know that we recommended earlier to become more verbal, but this doesn't mean anyone can go about banging pots or raising their voice.

As you know, cats have much better hearing than us humans, and when it comes to a cat without its eyesight, he or she relies on their hearing even more.

Therefore, it is critical to keep the noise level tolerable for your furry friend - meaning no more blasting the TV or carelessly tossing your pots and pans into the drawer.

By cutting down the noise level, you can reduce your cat's anxiety and help them feel more at home.

It's tempting to just walk right up to your pet - or any animal, for that matter - and give them a good scratch, but with blind cats, this can be very frightening. 

This way, your cat is alerted to your presence and won't be caught off caught by your hand touching them.

Most importantly, you need to maintain a positive attitude and happy environment for your cat!

Often times, your pet's blindness takes more of a toll on you than it does them!

Try not to be stressed o​ut or anxious.​

​O​​​​ften times, our pets can pick up on our moods and respond to how we are feeling. Your cat will adjust to their situation and still be the beloved furry member of your family!