Having a disabled cat is far from uncommon and is certainly not a reason to have them put to sleep. Most disabled cats can lead a full and happy life if given a chance, it just takes a little more consideration and time on the owner's part.
Some cats are born with a disability; others may become disabled via an accident or illness. The disabilities range from missing limbs either by a birth defect, car accident, or illnesses like cancer, to blindness and deafness. Depending on how and when your cat became disabled will determine how quickly and easily your pet learns to cope with their impediment. Kittens will grow up knowing no different and will cope with their disability quickly. However for an older cat it may take some time before they learn how to cope with their now different world. The best help you can give during this time is to treat the cat as you always have done and let it do what it is able to do for itself. Be on hand to help but do not treat it like an invalid, otherwise it will not be able to learn to cope for themselves. Be patient and loving towards your pet and help when help is needed but don't wrap them up in cotton wool.
Cats have an amazing ability to adapt to new situations and the same applies if they become physically impaired. If they lose a limb, their perfect sense of balance quickly compensates and they begin to build more muscle in the remaining legs, often enabling them to be even more agile than before.
Some situation however will require you to intervene and provide solutions to help your cat get around. Where a fore leg is lost, it may be necessary for you to provide ramps or shallow steps for your cat to access their favourite places or to go outside. This is because the fore legs are used to land on when jumping, whereas the hind legs are used for propulsion. In cases where both hind legs are lost it is possible to buy special mobility carts, which are strapped onto your pet, and enables them to pull themselves around on. Once again ramps would also have to be provided. This may all sound a bit cruel and many may feel that the cat's life would not be worth living. However there are many cases of cats with quite severe limb loss still living many comfortable, happy and active years.
Blindness can also be a very common occurrence in cats. It can be caused by either a traumatic injury or by a variety of illnesses such as glaucoma, cataract or degenerative retinal disease. However it is not uncommon for a cat owner to be aware that there is anything wrong until the sight is nearly completely lost, when they notice their cat bumping into furniture, misjudging jumps and generally moving more cautiously around.
Cats will use their memory and other senses to cope with their blindness and so it is important that you do not move furniture from their usual positions and that new items be introduced to your cat immediately. You can also help your cat by making sure that any areas in the house, which may pose a danger to your cat, such as sharp edges, are covered with soft padding. It may also unfortunately be the time to stop your cat from going outside, as they will no longer be able to see dangers such as cars and other animals. Deafness would also prevent your cat from being safe outside for similar reasons.
Generally speaking no disability in your cat should be seen as the end of your happy life together, but should be treated just the same as if a member of your family were disabled. With a little extra time and effort on our part, living with a disabled cat can still be a happy and fulfilling experience for both you and your cat.
More cat health and cat care tips can be found at our site http://www.our-happy-cat.com A feline friendly community full of helpful advice and fun things to do to make sure you have a happy cat and a happy you.
Copyright 2007 Kate Tilmouth
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