Need tips for preparing home for newly blind Klinger

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Marcy & Klinger (GA)

Marcy & Klinger (GA)

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Good morning,
You may be of aware of Klinger's situation - he went in for a dental on 2/18, went into cardiac arrest, they were able to revive him and he's been fighting his way back to good health. We might actually get to bring him home today. Klinger is now blind and I'm looking for tips on ways to prepare our home to make him more comfortable.

Do we keep him confined to our bedroom for a few days? Do we need to keep Radar away from him?
We live in a ranch style home with a basement that Klinger has always liked to use for nap time. We will put a gate up so he won't fall down the stairs, but will this always be off limits?

Thanks for your help!
 
Hi Marcy, I've been following Klinger the last couple days and am so glad to see all the progress he is making.

my LePew is blind. he went blind a year ago last November most likely due to high blood pressure. he has adapted really well and gets around my house nearly as well as my sighted kitties. he may not run 100mph but he goes up and down the stairs and climbs on and off the couch and recliner too

Linda and Bear Man has a good summary of stuff to know when living with a blind kitty so i went searching for it and found this thread which includes it. I haven't re-read the whole thread yet this morning but I'm sure there's all kinds of helpful info.
viewtopic.php?f=28&t=30015&p=309450&hilit=blind#p309450
 
Marcy,
You'll be amazed at how well he does without sight. He already knows the house. Just remember when blocking things off, his last sight and knowledge of the house did NOT have things in his way.

Watch your heels if he's right behind you - he may want to walk close for a while. Just walk sort of flat footed. He'll want to know that Radar is still there, all things are still the same....

Things will be OK Marcy - BIG HUGE HUG.
 
I would not block things off unless they pose a danger, like a fireplace; Klinger knows your house and would probably find it confusing to have to relearn where he can and cannot go. He can learn to navigate the stairs. Especially make sure his food/water bowls and litter box are in the same place and that you will not move them. Blind cats adapt very well. I had a beautiful young cat go blind as a complication from leukemia, and she found her way around just fine, would jump up on the bed, couch, etc. within a day. Someone who didn't know would not have suspected she was blind.

Do make sure you don't leave things where they shouldn't be, like the vacuum or someone's pet bed. Don't fill the bathtub and leave the bathroom door open if Klinger likes to jump in there. I found talking to Mackenzie a LOT seemed to help calm her and make her feel happy. The other big key was consistency, and not moving things she was familiar with. Don't plan on rearranging the furniture.

Klinger will be very glad to come home to his own house and to his person. Hugs to you both. My guess is that his blindness will be harder on you at first than it will be on him. Cats can't dwell on the past, but people can! You will be amazed at how well he does right from the get go.
 
Thank you all for the fast feedback! I love this board!!!

We're off to his cardiology appt. Hopefully there isn't an underlying issue and we'll be able to bring him home. More to come....
Marcy, Craig, Klinger, & Radar
 
OMG! What a weekend you've had! So glad to hear Klinger is improving....sending lots of prayers that the cardio visit goes well. Is there a chance that the blindness could be temporary?

It's amazing how well blind cats and dogs get around. I'm with you though, I would block off the basement stairs until he gets used to this....JMO
 
I forgot to add earlier that I LOVE the names Klinger and Radar! MASH is my all-time favorite TV show!
 
my cal became blind this august and she is doing quite well. I have even moved LB and pet beds and she does really well. she does bump into the other cats and this will caus some swatting and hissing but she holds her own. I do leave a pillow on the floor as this seems to be her base. it is truly amazing how well they do.
 
So glad he's out of the woods and on his way home!

I think all the advice you've gotten here is fabulous! You did question his interaction w/ Radar. I would assume that Radar may initially act as the big brother and help direct him around the house if needed. My cat did that for my dog following her glaucoma surgery. It's amazing how they take care of one another! Good luck and Welcome Home to Klinger [I'm optimistic he's with you when you get back!].

Lu-Ann
 
Hi Marcy,
After reading other posts here, I wonder if Cody's difficulty with blindness are hugely impacted by his acro tumor, which makes him circle counterclockwise when he walks, and his inability to go in reverse, and his age. He is a magnet for crevices, and trouble, and likes to cruise! Cody is essentially blind, and it is difficult and has brought a lot of changes into our home...For example, he has taken several nasty nosedives off the bed and couch, so no more hanging on the bed when we are asleep for instance, and no more leaving him on the couch unless we are in the room... and no outside unless directly supervised. We have had some terrifying hours searching for him when someone left a door open. Cody is amazingly camoflaged, at least Klinger is bright white, lol.

And there was the time that he woke up from a sound sleep, just as I stepped out of the room for a moment, and walked straight off the 3rd floor porch between the railings. Since he circles along walls he gets behind our furniture constantly, so some furniture had to get moved away from walls a bit so he could make it without getting stuck. I spend a lot of time searching for him- wedged behind open doors, wedged in behind the toilet, wedged into the back of the closet etc etc Because of his propensity for trouble, Cody needs a "safe place" where he can be kept when we are not home or at night, (and when I've just cant take it anymore). Ours is the laundry room, with all crevices securely blocked. He is so motivated to find a crevice that he will push his way through unless it is seriously secure. I made him a bed in a dark corner, which he can retreat to.

Because he is old, elevated food bowls kept in the exact same place help, and I do keep a night light near the food, in case he can see some shadows. Generally he gets his food on my lap so I know he's eating and I can push it up into a mound so he doesn't miss half of it. Overnight I try to put out very smelly flavors, like fish flavors to help him find it.

I finally gave up on litter boxes altogether and have the laundry room floor covered in puppy pee pads. Costco has the best, cheapest ones. I also try to take him outside to circle & pee multiple times per day, the exercise seems to make him ready for a nap. :))

Hopefully you wont have to worry about most of this, time will tell. Were hoping for a quick recovery!
 
I had a blind from birth kitty named Winkie (he's in the background of my avatar), so it was different with him. You've gotten great tips already but the ones I agree with in particular are
communicate with klinger as much as possible so he always knows you are there. Don't rearrange the furniture. Winkie would run thru the whole house and rarely ran into anything unless it had been placed in his normal path. That includes interior doors...the closed bathroom door always surprised him! We had stairs, a wood stove and a couple of half walls that were only six inches wide but Winkie navigated with no problem. We we're always more worried for him than he was. On the stairs, you may want to place klinger at the bottom of the stairs and "lead" him up by voice, then back down the same way to reassure both of you that the stairs are not a big deal. I think you'll be amazed daily with klinger's ability to deal with his blindness.
Keep us posted!
Carl
 
Thank you all so much for your tips and experiences. Klinger is HOME!!! :-D
It seems like he has a little bit of his vision, so maybe he'll eventually get all of his sight back. Only time will tell. We did block off the basement steps and that is where he is hanging out. We'll try going up and down the stairs once he seems a little more steady.

Thanks again for all your help. We couldn't have made it through the last few days without the support and prayers from the board.
Marcy, Craig, Klinger, & Radar
 
OHOHOHOHOH!!!! YARD DANCE!!! This one's too BIG for the house!!!!! HE'S HOME!!!!!!!! Welcome home Baby!!!!

HUGS Marcy!!!!!!! And MORE hugs just 'cos I'm so darn HAPPY!!!!
 
More tears! Welcome home Klinger! He must be a happy cat to be back where things are familiar, and what a relief for you also! ((((((((((((Marcy)))))))))))
 
Hi Marcy,

I had a cat a few years back that became blind. The vet told me cats did not deal well with being blind but Sophie was incredibly social with everybody, including strangers. I showed her where the litter box was and there was never a single accident. She adjusted surprisingly well. The sound of my voice was her contact with the world, so talk to Klinger a lot.

Lana
 
Marcie~ I am so thrilled that Klinger pulled through his ordeal~ what a blessing to have him home!!!!!!
all the best from us~
Tracy & Louie
 
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