Question:
I have had my cat for the past 16 years after finding her abandoned at the local video store. I’ve noticed she is now blind. How will this affect her in her daily life? Could you also tell me what the average lifespan is for cats?
Michelle
Answer:
There are many reasons cats go blind, including detached retinas (where the reflective screen at the back of the eye comes free). This is often associated with high blood pressure causing excess pressure on the blood vessels in the back of the eye and can be due to kidney or thyroid disease. Cataracts or growths in the eye can affect vision, as can plain old age. It would be worth having her checked by a vet to make sure there is no obvious treatable disease process going on.
The good news is that animals cope extremely well with vision loss and often it isn’t 100 percent impairment. Luckily our pets use their other senses way more than we do and don’t just rely on sight. Smell is very important to them (probably more than vision), so this helps them adapt. Don’t move furniture around and have her bowls, bed and litter tray in obvious places away from clutter and she will manage fine.
Obviously, don’t let her outside, as that would be a danger to her, but at 16, it sounds like you are doing a great job of looking after her. And while there’s no doubt she’s in her twilight years, cats can occasionally live into their late teens and even early 20s, so she may kick on for a little while yet!
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