Anyone have experience with a blind, traumatized rescue kitty ???
I took in a 2 yr. emaciated DSH spayed female calico housecat on Thanksgiving Eve...the woman was going to have her put to sleep, because she "didn't want it anymore"...I don't think she even knows Missy is blind and I don't know how she could miss that she was so starved...she complained Missy wasn't reliable about using the litterbox, either...
Missy (now Sweet Missy LaPurr) was extremely upset and growling in her carrier upon arrival...
Some cat rescue volunteers helped me get her to the vet the a.m. after Thanksgiving day (I had to work, Xmas retail....). Missy tested negative for FeLV and FIV, earmites (had already been treated twice recently for internal and external parasites) and I'd sent a note along for the vet to check her eyes...his report back was that she's got a genetic abnormality of the iris muscles...she can't constrict them...
Watching her for three weeks now, she seems about 95% blind to me...she seems to see huge shapes, maybe, but not much else...
She doesn't budge from a couple of huddled positions in the nice and roomy "cat condo" pet porter I set up for her...she's almost catatonic...uses her wood pellet-filled litterbox perfectly, by the way...
My other rescue kitties take much, much better to a new face if there's a long introduction...they hardly bat an eyelash when I let the new guy out for longer and longer periods of time....
Missy wouldn't eat for me at first....the woman warned me she wouldn't eat anything but Chef's Blend dry cat food, which has turned out to be true...she wouldn't touch canned food, tuna in oil, human baby food, etc...
I was having to dab Nutrical gel on her mouth and give her subcutaneous fluids twice a day.....finally she began to eat!!!!!
Missy's eating and drinking normally now, digestion normal....she just seems to have been terribly misunderstood and neglected....the woman said you could hardly pet her...well, she ever so slowly will rest her chin in my hand and not budge...I can feel the faintest vibration of a purr under her chin....
I'm thinking she just needs a very long recovery time, mentally and physically....she's such a sweet little girl....
A cat rescue friend with a HUGE amount of experience has assured me she'll eventually compensate quite well...
Missy'll have as much time as she needs...I love seeing her slowly come around...I think at first she was not wanting to live anymore...I told her things could be a lot better for her, that she could be happy....
Any insights would be greatly appreciated...
Thanks,
Ellen in VA
I took in a 2 yr. emaciated DSH spayed female calico housecat on Thanksgiving Eve...the woman was going to have her put to sleep, because she "didn't want it anymore"...I don't think she even knows Missy is blind and I don't know how she could miss that she was so starved...she complained Missy wasn't reliable about using the litterbox, either...
Missy (now Sweet Missy LaPurr) was extremely upset and growling in her carrier upon arrival...
Some cat rescue volunteers helped me get her to the vet the a.m. after Thanksgiving day (I had to work, Xmas retail....). Missy tested negative for FeLV and FIV, earmites (had already been treated twice recently for internal and external parasites) and I'd sent a note along for the vet to check her eyes...his report back was that she's got a genetic abnormality of the iris muscles...she can't constrict them...
Watching her for three weeks now, she seems about 95% blind to me...she seems to see huge shapes, maybe, but not much else...
She doesn't budge from a couple of huddled positions in the nice and roomy "cat condo" pet porter I set up for her...she's almost catatonic...uses her wood pellet-filled litterbox perfectly, by the way...
My other rescue kitties take much, much better to a new face if there's a long introduction...they hardly bat an eyelash when I let the new guy out for longer and longer periods of time....
Missy wouldn't eat for me at first....the woman warned me she wouldn't eat anything but Chef's Blend dry cat food, which has turned out to be true...she wouldn't touch canned food, tuna in oil, human baby food, etc...
I was having to dab Nutrical gel on her mouth and give her subcutaneous fluids twice a day.....finally she began to eat!!!!!
Missy's eating and drinking normally now, digestion normal....she just seems to have been terribly misunderstood and neglected....the woman said you could hardly pet her...well, she ever so slowly will rest her chin in my hand and not budge...I can feel the faintest vibration of a purr under her chin....
I'm thinking she just needs a very long recovery time, mentally and physically....she's such a sweet little girl....
A cat rescue friend with a HUGE amount of experience has assured me she'll eventually compensate quite well...
Missy'll have as much time as she needs...I love seeing her slowly come around...I think at first she was not wanting to live anymore...I told her things could be a lot better for her, that she could be happy....
Any insights would be greatly appreciated...
Thanks,
Ellen in VA