Dear Sinéad, Siouxsie and Thomas:
Our cat has lost about 95% of her sight. She has normally been an active type of cat but now she is quite sedate and her mother continuously fights her. She is always bumping into things, walking into her cat food, and drinking water whilst scuffing her paws. She is about 10 years old. Also, as we all work during the day there is nobody around to tend her intensely. I am so worried. Any ideas?

Sinéad: Losing eyesight requires a cat to adapt to missing a sense she's always been used to having. This is particularly true if she lost her vision suddenly, due to disease or injury. Some elderly cats gradually lose their vision due to cataracts or glaucoma, and their people never know it because they have the time to adapt to their disability.

Siouxsie: Keep in mind that cats have very acute hearing and smell, and a delicate sense of touch. We also have the ability to sense air movements through our whiskers and the other hairs on our bodies.

Thomas: The good news is that she should learn to compensate for her blindness by using these other senses. This does take time, however, and there are a few things you can do to help your kitty get used to her new situation.

Sinéad: First of all, be sure to keep the layout of your home as stable as possible. Don't rearrange the furniture, for example -- and if you do, be prepared for your cat to go through a brief phase of bumping into things again until she learns the new layout.

Siouxsie: Try not to startle your blind cat by touching her without making your presence known. Yes, she can hear very well, but it's a courtesy to call her name, let her know you're coming, and approach her slowly.

Thomas: It's crucial that your blind cat not be allowed outdoors unsupervised. She won't be able to see dangers such as oncoming cars or mean dogs, and she might get injured from a fall or other accident.

Sinéad: Your cat is probably somewhat depressed. Consider that she's just lost a fundamental sense and her mother is constantly fighting with her. She needs to remember that she is competent and capable -- even without her sight -- and she needs some time with you and your family.

Siouxsie: You can help your adapt to her blindness and increase her level of confidence by playing with her using toys that make noise, such as a mouse with a jingle-bell attached or a crinkly ball.

Thomas: When you first begin playing with her, make sure you're playing in a safe, open space, and that any other cats are not in the room. Don't expect her to make flying leaps at first; just encourage her to bat at the sound and focus her hearing and other senses on the toy.

Sinéad: Once your cat gets used to navigating her surroundings, she'll be less likely to stumble into her food and bump into furniture.

Siouxsie: You'll probably notice that after a while, when she walks around she holds her whiskers forward so that they extend in front of her face. This is often the only sign an elderly blind cat will give that they have a bit of a vision impairment.

Thomas: Mama knew that our kitty Great Grammie Iris was just about blind because she held her whiskers forward all the time. But she didn't tell anyone else; she let it be a secret between her and Iris because Iris wanted it that way.

Sinéad: You definitely need to manage the problem of your sighted cat fighting with the blind one. We recommend that you confine one or the other of the cats in one room while you're away at work.

Siouxsie: Of course, if you confine one of the cats in a room, you'll want to make sure that room is comfortable. It should have plenty of sleeping spots, toys, a litterbox, and food and water available. This should not be framed as punishment, because it isn't.

Thomas: If the blind cat has a room where she likes to stay, maybe you can put her in that room. It may be easier for her to cope if she only has to find her way around one room, at least while she's adapting to her disability.

Sinéad: If you do confine the blind cat, make sure you "show" her where her litterbox is and where her water dishes are. You can do this by moving your hand around in the litter and calling her to the box; she needs to learn to navigate her own way to the box, so it's better if you don't carry her to it and set her inside.

Siouxsie: Same thing with the food and water dishes. Make a little noise with the water or put some very aromatic food in the food dish and call her to the dishes. Keep in mind that the food and water dishes should be as far away from the litterbox as possible.

Thomas: If any of the blind cat's favorite perches are above floor level, make sure she doesn't have to jump to get to them. A ramp, a stepladder, or some other means for the cat to get to her perch will be much safer. Again, you'll have to guide her to step up the steps or ramp in order to get to her nesting place.

Sinéad: On the other hand, you may want to confine the sighted cat so that the blind cat can have run of the house and regain her confidence in her home environment without fear of being ambushed by the other cat.

Siouxsie: The benefit of keeping the sighted cat confined is that the blind cat wouldn't have to readapt to an entirely new environment; she can function in the world she's already gotten somewhat used to. Do consider making steps up to places where your blind cat used to like to rest so that she can find and use those places again.

Thomas: Which cat you decide to confine depends a lot on the individual cats' temperaments. If one or the other of them tends to spend the day sleeping on the bed in the guest room, for example, that would be the better cat to keep in one room.

Sinéad: One reason your blind kitty's mother may be attacking her is because she's staring. In cat body language, staring is a sign of aggression. Your blind cat may not realize she's staring at her mother until mama-cat attacks her.

Siouxsie: If you happen to notice that your blind cat is staring in the other cat's general direction, try calling her name or doing something to make her turn her head.

Thomas: We're pretty sure that the cats will begin to get along better as both cats get used to the blind cat's new situation. Once mama-cat realizes the blind cat is staring simply because she can't see, that should help to resolve the problem.

Sinéad: You can help by telling mama-cat that the other cat can't see and that's why she stares. Some people think it's silly to talk to cats because "we can't understand anything," but we understand a lot more than you think!

Siouxsie: If the two cats had a good relationship prior to whatever caused the blind cat's loss of sight, they should be able to remember that.

Thomas: Cat pheromone dispensers can help ease the tension in the air. These products, sold under the brand name Feliway Comfort Zone, are designed to reduce or stop anxiety-based behavior problems including spraying and fighting.

Sinéad: You might consider getting some Bach Rescue Remedy, a flower essence that helps to heal the effects of physical and emotional trauma, and give both cats a dose in the morning and at night for about three days. It's really easy to give a cat Rescue Remedy: All you have to do is put two drops on your finger and stroke it into the fur on the top of the head.

Siouxsie: Mama gives us Rescue Remedy when we have to go to the vet or there are other upheavals in our lives, and it works really well.

Thomas: Cats are very intelligent and body-aware, and with time and attention they can adapt to blindness.

Sinéad: We know it's hard for you as well as for your kitty right now, but rest assured that your blind cat will adapt to her condition and in a few months you'll probably have a hard time believing she can't see!

Siouxsie: Please write back and let us know how things are going with your kitty. We love to get updates from our readers!

Got a question? Need some advice? E-mail us at advice@paws-and-effect.com. None of the material in this column is meant to be a substitute for regular veterinary care.