Comments on: Blindy McBlind Needs Your Help! http://mona.myartbliss.com/post/blindy-mcblind-needs-your-help Art, Animals, and the Creative Experience Sat, 13 Mar 2010 14:46:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: MonaMajorowicz http://mona.myartbliss.com/post/blindy-mcblind-needs-your-help#comment-12203 MonaMajorowicz Sat, 20 Feb 2010 06:21:24 +0000 http://mona.myartbliss.com/post/blindy-mcblind-needs-your-help#comment-12203 Hey Sam, no need to worry. After the blog post my husband and I talked things over and decided he probably wouldn't make it on the farm. He actually was doing really well, but the life of a barn cat is never easy despite being fed well and dewormed and such. The farm machinery and coyotes are trying enough for the sighted cats. We have a bit of a pet network around here where we find strays new homes. All my dogs have been rescues or strays and I have on more than one occasion driven a dog (once to a neighboring state) to a new home. I think that critter people tend to befriend critter people so it's easier to find homes for those who need it. At any rate, Blindy has moved on. I have no idea how he's getting on but hopefully he is happy where he's at. Thank you for the very generous offer to take him. I may just keep you in mind for the future though I think it would be far easier to find homes more locally. :) Hey Sam, no need to worry. After the blog post my husband and I talked things over and decided he probably wouldn’t make it on the farm. He actually was doing really well, but the life of a barn cat is never easy despite being fed well and dewormed and such. The farm machinery and coyotes are trying enough for the sighted cats.

We have a bit of a pet network around here where we find strays new homes. All my dogs have been rescues or strays and I have on more than one occasion driven a dog (once to a neighboring state) to a new home. I think that critter people tend to befriend critter people so it’s easier to find homes for those who need it. At any rate, Blindy has moved on. I have no idea how he’s getting on but hopefully he is happy where he’s at.

Thank you for the very generous offer to take him. I may just keep you in mind for the future though I think it would be far easier to find homes more locally. :)

]]> By: samantha harlow island cat rescue http://mona.myartbliss.com/post/blindy-mcblind-needs-your-help#comment-12198 samantha harlow island cat rescue Sat, 20 Feb 2010 02:24:34 +0000 http://mona.myartbliss.com/post/blindy-mcblind-needs-your-help#comment-12198 mona, by the way, contact me if I can help in any way cheers, sam mona, by the way, contact me if I can help in any way
cheers, sam

]]> By: samantha harlow island cat rescue http://mona.myartbliss.com/post/blindy-mcblind-needs-your-help#comment-12197 samantha harlow island cat rescue Sat, 20 Feb 2010 02:13:27 +0000 http://mona.myartbliss.com/post/blindy-mcblind-needs-your-help#comment-12197 Mona, my husband and I have worked in cat rescue for years with abandoned and feral cats in florida. I worked part time at an animal shelter in N.C. for several years. My dear, Blindy will not survive outside. He will become prey for some larger animals, dogs raccoons etc. If blind kitties get chased they cannot find their way to safety. Being mauled is a horrible way to die especially if you cannot see your attacker or find a way to escape. I have dealt with many cats with raccoon maul injuries, and nursed them back to health with a veterinarians help, All of these cats had perfect vision I have a blind cat, indoor only, I know she would not survive outside. I would suggest PLEASE find an indoor home for Blindy, He really will appreciate it. Trust me! Outdoor cats, even career ferals can really enjoy an indoor life. They do adjust to life indoors especially if they have toys like spinner toys with balls that they can chase. Blind cats like large rattely noisy toys that they can follow. Tangerine our blind kitty loves to follow our vacuum cleaner loves when I get the cordless drill out. Enjoys the hum of my pottery wheel. If there is a noise, Tangerine will soon be there. She is an orange and white tabby, one of my rescues , blind from birth. We took her to a kitty ophthalmologist when she was 6 months old. Her eyes are not cloudy. There is just some poor neural connection. My heart goes out to Blindy. It would be best for him to have nice cozy indoor life nearby just for logistics and where he can be living in a home with just one or two cats and he could make the adjustment to indoor life easier. Hope he is OK If you cannot find a home for him and can find someone who is coming down this way he can live with Tangerine and our gang in sunny Fla. I love your work I have just started working with watercolor pencil, used to live on a smalL farm in Maine and had horses, and of course cats! Mona, my husband and I have worked in cat rescue for years with abandoned and feral cats in florida. I worked part time at an animal shelter in N.C. for several years. My dear, Blindy will not survive outside. He will become prey for some larger animals, dogs raccoons etc. If blind kitties get chased they cannot find their way to safety. Being mauled is a horrible way to die especially if you cannot see your attacker or find a way to escape. I have dealt with many cats with raccoon maul injuries, and nursed them back to health with a veterinarians help, All of these cats had perfect vision I have a blind cat, indoor only, I know she would not survive outside. I would suggest PLEASE find an indoor home for Blindy, He really will appreciate it. Trust me! Outdoor cats, even career ferals can really enjoy an indoor life. They do adjust to life indoors especially if they have toys like spinner toys with balls that they can chase. Blind cats like large rattely noisy toys that they can follow. Tangerine our blind kitty loves to follow our vacuum cleaner loves when I get the cordless drill out. Enjoys the hum of my pottery wheel. If there is a noise, Tangerine will soon be there. She is an orange and white tabby, one of my rescues , blind from birth. We took her to a kitty ophthalmologist when she was 6 months old. Her eyes are not cloudy. There is just some poor neural connection. My heart goes out to Blindy. It would be best for him to have nice cozy indoor life nearby just for logistics and where he can be living in a home with just one or two cats and he could make the adjustment to indoor life easier. Hope he is OK If you cannot find a home for him and can find someone who is coming down this way he can live with Tangerine and our gang in sunny Fla.
I love your work I have just started working with watercolor pencil, used to live on a smalL farm in Maine and had horses, and of course cats!

]]> By: MonaMajorowicz http://mona.myartbliss.com/post/blindy-mcblind-needs-your-help#comment-9597 MonaMajorowicz Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:58:52 +0000 http://mona.myartbliss.com/post/blindy-mcblind-needs-your-help#comment-9597 I don't think his blindness was from natural causes, but I really don't know. I've pondered him drinking water from puddles under our black walnut tree (which has some toxic properties) but all the cats drink from the puddles. They prefer it to the well water of the horse tank. I also thought maybe he got sprayed by something in the fields. Our property is organic but not the neighbors. Seems kinda unlikely though. And actually<strong> Angela</strong>, I don't know why I didn't think of googling it. (So that was definitely helpful) I mean I even talked with someone at the vet clinic. So I too will see if there's anything out there. <strong> Thanks to everyone</strong> for the well wishes for Blindy. I'll be sure to pass it on. I don’t think his blindness was from natural causes, but I really don’t know. I’ve pondered him drinking water from puddles under our black walnut tree (which has some toxic properties) but all the cats drink from the puddles. They prefer it to the well water of the horse tank.

I also thought maybe he got sprayed by something in the fields. Our property is organic but not the neighbors. Seems kinda unlikely though.

And actually Angela, I don’t know why I didn’t think of googling it. (So that was definitely helpful) I mean I even talked with someone at the vet clinic. So I too will see if there’s anything out there.

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes for Blindy. I’ll be sure to pass it on.

]]> By: Louise http://mona.myartbliss.com/post/blindy-mcblind-needs-your-help#comment-9572 Louise Sat, 28 Nov 2009 06:08:48 +0000 http://mona.myartbliss.com/post/blindy-mcblind-needs-your-help#comment-9572 Poor Blindy. Poor Blindy.

]]> By: Angela Finney http://mona.myartbliss.com/post/blindy-mcblind-needs-your-help#comment-9568 Angela Finney Sat, 28 Nov 2009 02:24:31 +0000 http://mona.myartbliss.com/post/blindy-mcblind-needs-your-help#comment-9568 Sorry, I don't have any advice at this time about a blind barn cat -- but you know I am going to be surfing the net some now on that subject. I am also curious to see what the net says are causes for cat blindness, as I don't think I have ever met one either. Sorry, I don’t have any advice at this time about a blind barn cat — but you know I am going to be surfing the net some now on that subject. I am also curious to see what the net says are causes for cat blindness, as I don’t think I have ever met one either.

]]> By: Undaunted http://mona.myartbliss.com/post/blindy-mcblind-needs-your-help#comment-9549 Undaunted Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:53:54 +0000 http://mona.myartbliss.com/post/blindy-mcblind-needs-your-help#comment-9549 and I love the drawing by the way!! :D and I love the drawing by the way!! :D

]]> By: Undaunted http://mona.myartbliss.com/post/blindy-mcblind-needs-your-help#comment-9548 Undaunted Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:51:23 +0000 http://mona.myartbliss.com/post/blindy-mcblind-needs-your-help#comment-9548 Well, I've never had a blind cat, but it is amazing how animals and humans can adapt, as I'm sure you're already discovering. I saw something in the news recently about a young boy who was learning to use sonar due to his blindness. It was amazing to watch! He could get a ball in a basketball hoop by making a clicking sound with his tongue. (Ok, that doesn't sound right, he had to throw the ball too!) I expect it would be tricky to teach your cat that! But it sounds like he's already adjusting. I don't see why he shouldn't live out a normal life. The feeding thing is tricky. You'll never know if he could learn to hunt with no sight while you're feeding him, because he won't have to try. But of course he could starve while he's learning. It would be interesting to know if you ever find him with a mouse. Well, I’ve never had a blind cat, but it is amazing how animals and humans can adapt, as I’m sure you’re already discovering.

I saw something in the news recently about a young boy who was learning to use sonar due to his blindness. It was amazing to watch! He could get a ball in a basketball hoop by making a clicking sound with his tongue. (Ok, that doesn’t sound right, he had to throw the ball too!) I expect it would be tricky to teach your cat that! But it sounds like he’s already adjusting. I don’t see why he shouldn’t live out a normal life.

The feeding thing is tricky. You’ll never know if he could learn to hunt with no sight while you’re feeding him, because he won’t have to try. But of course he could starve while he’s learning. It would be interesting to know if you ever find him with a mouse.

]]>