Preparing home for blind kitten

I've read through other posts about blind kittens here that have been useful, but I'm also looking for some specific advice about my situation, if anyone has the time to help. Thanks in advance.

Our rescued stray (Wilbur) is about seven weeks old and currently staying at the vet, who's better qualified to administer his eye drops than us. He's physically lost his eyes due to infection, and we're hoping the infection will clear up soon and possibly his eyelids closed.

I'm preparing the downstairs of our house ready for his return. I know to establish a consistent place for his food, water and litter box (his mother already trained him), not to move our furniture, and not to leave loose items on the floor. But these are the specific things I'm not sure about:

1. Should I limit his roaming area at first, so he can get used to his personal space? He'll be set up in our living room connected to the dining room which is about 20 square metres total and uncluttered with minimal furniture. I don't know if letting him continue into the rest of the downstairs and walled garden would just be confusing at this early stage.

2. Should I let him go outside in the early days? When I first found him and wasn't certain if he was blind, he was adept at navigating around the outside walls of our house and liked lying on the stones and digging the soil. Of course, I would keep him under supervision.

3. Should I let him reunite with his stray mother any time soon? This will depend on whether his infection is cleared and possibly his eyelids sealed. She's a stray who often hangs around outside and who I feed every day, so they will at least hear each other's calls and maybe be intrigued. This is tied into point 2, as he'd inevitably meet her if he goes outside.

I think that's all the pressing matters. I'll start to contribute more answers than questions eventually, but since this is a new situation for me, I appreciate any help.

I do not have experience with blind cats, but I can tell you that even if your cat wasn't blind, keeping him in a small area for the first few days is always a good idea! It's stressful getting used to a new home, and starting with a small area makes it much less overwhelming.

Please, please please do not let him go outside. At all! It is so dangerous for cats to roam outside, even supervised. I have plenty of horror stories. It's usually fine if you want to leash train a cat, but I would hold off on that for a long time, if ever with him. Not because he is blind, but because he's had such a rough start already that his immune system is stressed and he is likely much more vulnerable to disease. The average kitten is already very susceptible to disease compared to an adult cat.

Disease and parasites are everywhere outdoors. Most (but not all!) are not deadly to a healthy cat, but he is not healthy. Other cats can transmit diseases even if they don't show symptoms themselves. Parasites are contracted by eating small animals such as mice, or by simply walking through a contaminated puddle or unrooting someone else's feces while digging around and then licking their paws afterwards.

Cats can be perfectly happy as indoor only animals, especially since he is so young and will adjust easily. Adequate enrichment is the key.

That said, it's not likely he will meet his mother anyway, unless you were to take her in after a quarantine period. Then there would be no issue with them living together unless they just really did not get along, which happens sometimes but most cats can learn to live with each other.

If you haven't already, if you can trap the mother and get her spayed, that would be so wonderful for her and keep the feral cat population down! It's so wonderful you are taking in Wilbur who is very lucky to have you, but you don't need anymore homeless kittens around.

I hadn't considered those health dangers of being outside. This is why I'm checking up in advance before he hopefully comes home late in the week.

Looks like I'll stick with the plan to seal off the living area with a wall of boxes that he can't jump over, since our house is mostly open plan.

The plan is to spay his mother any day now, just waiting to get a schedule from a vet (I wrote another post about the complications there).

Here is a TCS article on blind cats:

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/blind-cats

Thank you for giving this special kitten a loving home! [emoji]128571[/emoji]

And here is a thread from a member who recently had a similar situation: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/324173/newly-adopted-by-a-blind-kitten-seeking-advice

Maybe @Boosty35  will pop in with some advice.

I agree with advice about keeping the little one inside for good.  It's much too dangerous for him outside, and he will be perfectly content inside.

(Please don't read this if you're squeamish).

Based on replies to another post, I'm worried my veterinarian might not really know what she's doing, considering she's already lied to me about it being illegal to spay pregnant or even potentially pregnant females in this country, which I've now been told from various people is a decision to be made by the vet and pet owner.

I asked about suturing his eyes closed, for example, but she said he's too young and that his eyelids are too stretchy (can't remember the exact reason, my wife was mostly translating because I can't speak the language). But in that TCS article, they mention suturing the eyes of a two-week-old kitten - Wilbur is six/seven weeks.

It's also naive of me, but she hadn't prepared me to face just how sick he probably is. He spent time outside with basically open wounds in his face (which are now being treated with eye drops a few times a day, at least). He was dewormed and his next few bowel movements included *massive* worms! So I don't know what else he's got inside.

I'm prepared for the worst now, since at least his suffering will be over. But if the vet advises not suturing his eyes and leaving them vulnerable to new infections, I'll take him to a different vet.