Hi Everyone.

One of my cats is disabled and has the cat version of cerebral palsy and is a little brain damaged. I wondered if anyone else had a disabled pet and if they treated it any different to your other pets if any?

My mum once rescued a disabled cat that looked as though it had been dumped by the side of a road. It had some sort of muscle disease and was also brain damaged. It lived out its happiest four years on her farm, just potching slowly around the house and garden - a bit like my mum . Apart from at mealtimes, she didn't treat it any differently than her other cats.

Hi, it sounds like what my little Moomba has. I try to treat her the same as my other 5 cats, but there is always the protective streak where I am always watching her, are the cats playing with her too hard. The vet said to treat her as a 'normal' cat but we always pick her up to put on the bed to save her poor little legs.

Thank you for the reply

One of my cats is virtually blind. He only has one eye, and his vision in that one is very poor. His other "eye" just never developed.

I have two boys, and four girls, and the blind boy is definitely alpha male.

He manages surprisingly well, and is still very playful, despite being quite an old chap now.

I have never treated him differently, I have not needed to. he tends to only really go outside when I am in the garden, and I must admit to being a little wary then, kind of keeping one eye on him all the while, but he has never needed my help.

The only real problem that he has, is that he has very little depth perception, and tends to miss the windowsill, sofa arms etc sometimes. Oh, and I have to make sure he doesn't get in the greenhouse, as he gets rather confused, and tries to walk out through the glass!

He is gorgeous.

The only real problem that he has, is that he has very little depth perception, and tends to miss the windowsill, sofa arms etc sometimes. Oh, and I have to make sure he doesn't get in the greenhouse, as he gets rather confused, and tries to walk out through the glass!

He is gorgeous. [/quote]

He sounds lovely, one of my boys does that in the greenhouse but only because he's stupid

My neighbour has a blind cat. Up until last year it was out running across the roads.

Now it is a house pussy as my neighbour was horrified at how she crossed the busy main road.

yes whisper, I had OliCat for almost 5 years, He was born fine, but was involved in a road traffic accident at 2 years of age, and suffered partial paralysis, he walked eventually, but with poor control. He looked as if he has cerebral palsy, and we all thought he had some brain damage, after (though he always was a totally whacky cat to start with!) The vet said it was nerve damage and couldnt give us a prognosis at the time.

We had to treat him differently from the average cat as he couldnt jump at all and when sleeping was incontinent, but he, and we got quite used to it. We were just grateful he survived and had a reasonable quality of life. We had to invest in laminate flooring (due to partial incontinence)and for 2 months after accident, he scooted along slippery laminate using front legs only in a comando crawl - so was mobile to a degree


If your cat goes out, I would seriously recommend microchipping him/her as we had many occasions where good samaritans raced OliCat to nearest vets on one occasion, to be sedated and x rayed After microchipping, we would just get a phone call from vets asking for us to collect a grumpy tom cat!

Beautiful Oli! My moomba is incontinent, she manages to get to the tray for a poo but her she just lets go where her bladder is concerned. Not sure we want to let her out without us, will cross that bridge when the time comes. She slides all around the bathroom floor! One of my other cats, is very protective of her but as much as I should treat her the same, I want to wrap her up in cotton wool and make all the bad things go away!
Thanks for replying

If moomba seems fine being kept in, i'd really recommend keeping her a house cat alas, because OliCat had had freedom for 18 months before RTA, he didnt understand he should stay in. We deliberated for months but decided in end he was unhappy kept to house only. As it happens, he got run over (again ) 2 years later, and unfortunately had to euthanaised as had broken pelvis, spastic bladder - but he very much enjoyed his outings in the meantime

OliCat was our only feline, but we totally spoilt him and why not I say, that are special (needs)