For some reason some human people think that blind cats are quiet, sad animals that can’t live a full and happy cat life just coz we can’t see. That for some reason being blind stops us from being a cat, well most of you that follow and read my blog know that this just isn’t true but for those people who don’t know what we can do I’m here to show just what we’re capable of.
As much as I say that I use my super blindie senses to get around, I don’t think I’m in any way an extra special cat, mummy and daddy say that I just don’t know I’m different. If you don’t know you’re different then you don’t know that you shouldn’t be able to do things. Mummy and daddy say that since I’ve arrived I’ve done and taught myself things they think are very clever, things that they thought I’d struggle to do I’ve just got on and done them. Sometimes I’ve needed a little help to teach me the way up or down something but some things I just decided to get on and do. I know that if I climb up something that I should be able to get down again even if it is a bit harder, sometimes if I can’t quite figure it out and mummy won’t lend me her helping arm then I just jump down.
Be and adventure cat – well anyone who reads my blog knows that of course blind cats can be adventure cats. Whether thats exploring indoors and climbing cat furniture, windows or the human furniture blind cats can do it all and I might add, just as well as ‘normal’ cats – if not better sometimes. In fact I think I’m the only one of us that climbs the windows to listen to the outside world 😺. I’ve been everywhere in our home from under the sofa to the top of the scratching post to reach the ceiling and even the top rail of the balcony too (this is the best pigeon watching spot).
Then there’s the outdoors, of course blind cats can wear a harness and lead and go out exploring and having adventures. It might take me a bit longer to get used to the people noises outside such as their moving metal monsters and strange footsteps but once I know what they are and that they won’t hurt me then there’s no stopping me. Out here I can, as you all know, run around, climb trees and chase birds and other creatures. I’ve been going outside for so long now I know my way around and where all the best climbing trees are and where I can get the best ‘view’ of all the birdies. I know my way home once I’ve exercised mummy enough and it’s time to head in for dinner.
Hunting – just coz I don’t have my eyes doesn’t mean I have lost that hunting instinct. In fact when we go outside it’s one of my favourite things to do, stalk and chase the birds and animals. Sometimes mummy says I can hear the birds before even she can and so she uses the direction my head is pointing to try to see what I’m looking at. I think she trust my instincts and senses more than her own sometimes, she always says my instincts are hardly ever wrong.
Climbing trees – I use my mapping skills to know where all the trees are, it’s easy going up but coming down can be tricky but I use my tail to feel when I’m near the bottom. I love sitting in the trees and listening to all the sounds around me, I feel safe up there so if I ever get scared by any noises I head straight for the nearest one and up I go.
All cats love eating grass, it’s good for us and tastes yummy, when I’m outside I love to have a little nibble as a snack whilst I’m exploring. Mummy is always amazed that in amongst all of the green plants and bushes that I walk past and explore I always manage to find the long blades of grass in amongst everything else. Well, the grass leaves smell very particular and even in amongst all of the other scents that I can smell outside I can always pinpoint their slender, lovely, sweet, juicy leaves.
I might be blind but I do still close my eyes to sleep and I blink and frown too. I might not have eyes but I still have all my muscles. When I go to sleep those muscles relax and when I’m listening to something, naturally the muscles that would normally move my eyes to see the source of the noise move too. Mummy and daddy say they don’t see me blinking as often as a sighted cat but maybe that’s just because the movements are so small and my fur covers them up. You can see my bigger eye movements though. Check out my slow blink.
As you know I love snuggling in a warm furry towel but mummy and daddy both thought that when they found the towels on the floor in the morning that I just reached up from the floor and pulled the towels down from the holder. Well, that’s only because I had only shown them that was how I could do it but where’s the fun I that? Why do things the easy way when you can do them the challenging way. You probably know by now that the easy way just isn’t my style so one day I thought I’d show mummy the real way I get the towels down. Afterwards mummy said that there aren’t many things these days that really surprise her and daddy about what I do or how I do it but every so often I do something extra clever that they never imagined I’d be able to do and this was definitely one of those times.
So as you can see us blind cats are far from shy and sad, in fact I hope I’ve shown you that we are inquisitive, adventurous, adaptable, mischievous but above all happy.
Jenny’s Story 