Help with blind cat recovering from illness please

lazy · Jun 28, 2016

Hello,

I am looking for help to aid Chopin. Chopin is a 4YO blinded since kittenhood. He lives with my parents in a 4 cat household. He was very well adapted to the house, and was (till he became ill) a very confident and able cat.

Chopin became suddenly ill a week ago and since then – although he's now on the mend and receiving proper medical care – he's become skittish, afraid to be on the floor and started bumping onto things in previously familiar surroundings. He does a lot of backtracking while on the floor. On the beds or couches he's OK and now finally started seeking and using the litter boxes on his own again.

When first diagnosed he was running a fever and on ultrasound examination there seemed to be some sediment in the bladder so the vet decided to treat for urinary tract infection. While there are signs that healthwise he's improving the odd behavior continues and even worsens.

Have you encountered this type of reaction to illness in a blind cat before? Can you advice?

Thank you in advance for your attention,

Best regards from Jerusalem,

Marta

di and bob · Jun 28, 2016

Any kind of infection can cause unusual behavior, especially in the urinary tract. I've seen elder humans change their personality completely, become hostile and forget how to do the simplest everyday activities. It's only been a week for poor Chopin, he is most likely just beginning his road to recovery. His blindness makes it especially hard for him to cope with his illness, he may be dizzy, disoriented, and in pain. The bed and the couch give him defined areas to be on, so he is more comfortable there, the floor is a vast 'wilderness' that is very hard for him to maneuver in right now in his confusion. As long as there is signs of improvement of any kind, that is good, the fever may have caused some swelling in his brain which would definitely cause confusion and fear. I would try to keep him confined to a smaller area that he is familiar with, say a bedroom or utility room, and set him up there for a while. He needs to get his confidence back with being familiar again in his surroundings and needs LOTS of love and attention right now. Make sure he is receiving any medications and observe him closely for any negative changes to report to the vet. I've found that taking a video on your cell phone to show the vet is very valuable, a picture truly shows what is going on, like that 'backtracking'. Encourage water and make sure he knows where it is, a fever and infection causes dehydration which adds even more to his problems.Tempt him with nutritious food too, kitten replacement milk is very good for recovering cats and would help with nuttrion and hydration. In the meantime, I'll pray for his recovery, give that sweet boy a kiss from me. He is young and he has an angel to look after him in you, so I'll pray for a complete recovery, keep us posted!