On 3rd August, our youngest (11 months old) cat was knocked over by a car. We feared the worst but gradually, over a few days he recovered really well apart from one major downside - he suffered serious neurological damage which has left him completely blind. We really want to make sure we do as much as we can for him to help him adjust to this major disability. The Vet advised he should really be a house cat from now on so I sealed the cat flap as well as taking care not to move furniture around, which might confuse him.
Tinker gradually grew in confidence. He found litter trays and food bowls with no problem at all and after just over a week following his accident, the little fella was becoming more and more adventurous around the home, climbing and exploring. At first, he was moving around a lot more carefully - for instance, he wasn't under my feet, tripping me up down the stairs first thing every morning like he used to, but he was sensing so many different things in a variety of ways. For instance, he was sniffing around a lot more, using his whiskers to guide himself and using his paws to gauge height, etc.
Well, it's now 7 weeks on and it's really got to the point where one could easily be forgiven for forgetting he's blind. The boisterous personality he had prior to the accident has returned. He trips me up down the stairs at every opportunity
which is great! I bought him loads of noisy toys and a new 'deluxe' scratching post to try and save the furniture as well as stimulate him and they're doing their job - some of the time. I also bought him a harness and the girls take him for walks around the back garden.
The thing is though, he sneaks outside at every opportunity and we have to be so careful to keep doors and windows to outside closed in case he got lost. This is something I could really do with some advice on because on the occasions he has managed to dip underneath the extensive 'radars' that exist here and he's nipped outside unsupervised, he's been fine. He's even caught insects and spiders - his sense of smell, touch and sound must be sharper than ever. When he reaches a perimeter fence in the garden, he turns around and heads back into the middle of the lawn. He longs to be outside as often as possible and I wonder if we should allow him out by himself or whether the risk is simply too great that he would get lost, especially bearing in mind the original advice from the Vet.
I really do want the best for him - his recovery has been nothing short of amazing - but what do you think?
Tinker gradually grew in confidence. He found litter trays and food bowls with no problem at all and after just over a week following his accident, the little fella was becoming more and more adventurous around the home, climbing and exploring. At first, he was moving around a lot more carefully - for instance, he wasn't under my feet, tripping me up down the stairs first thing every morning like he used to, but he was sensing so many different things in a variety of ways. For instance, he was sniffing around a lot more, using his whiskers to guide himself and using his paws to gauge height, etc.
Well, it's now 7 weeks on and it's really got to the point where one could easily be forgiven for forgetting he's blind. The boisterous personality he had prior to the accident has returned. He trips me up down the stairs at every opportunity
The thing is though, he sneaks outside at every opportunity and we have to be so careful to keep doors and windows to outside closed in case he got lost. This is something I could really do with some advice on because on the occasions he has managed to dip underneath the extensive 'radars' that exist here and he's nipped outside unsupervised, he's been fine. He's even caught insects and spiders - his sense of smell, touch and sound must be sharper than ever. When he reaches a perimeter fence in the garden, he turns around and heads back into the middle of the lawn. He longs to be outside as often as possible and I wonder if we should allow him out by himself or whether the risk is simply too great that he would get lost, especially bearing in mind the original advice from the Vet.
I really do want the best for him - his recovery has been nothing short of amazing - but what do you think?