Symptoms of Blindness in Cats and How to Care for a Blind Cat

Cats have very powerful vision and their peripheral vision is very good. However, these beautiful eyes are usually prone to a lot of eye diseases. This could lead to either partial blindness or complete blindness. Blindness in cats occurs over a period of time and in a gradual manner, so many cat owners fail to notice it.

Blindness in cats may be complete or partial and it may be permanent or irreversible. So, it is important to understand what causes blindness in cats in the first place.

The first major problem could be the development of cataracts. This is a condition where the eye turns opaque. This may be caused due to an eye injury, genetic problem, or due to diabetes. The cataract in your cat may be treated with a surgical option, where a lens may be implanted to help correct the vision.

Sometimes an injury, tumor, or other hereditary diseases may put excessive pressure in the eye and this may lead to glaucoma. This is also one of the leading causes for blindness. The intraocular pressure will have to be reduced and the vet will be able to do that. However, in certain advanced cases surgery may be the only option.

Even cats can suffer with diabetes, hypertension, and kidney disease. A veterinarian will be able to detect all these problems in time. If your cat has bloodshot eyes and pupils that are unresponsive, then it could be an indication of hypertension. This may lead to detachment of the retina. So, it is important to keep your cat on a low-sodium diet at all times.

Another condition that can cause blindness in cats is called progressive retinal atrophy. It is a condition that cannot be treated as it may be an inherited disease condition. Since there is gradual progression of the disease, the cat gets used to the loss of vision very gradually.

However, there are also other reasons that may lead to blindness. If you notice your cat bumping into things or if it has difficulty in finding its water or food tray, then it is time to visit the vet.