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If you think that a blind cat is an absolutely weak creature, then this is a mistake. And this will be proven by the thread that was launched by Twitter user Volodymyr Stelmakh from Kyiv on the catunderhood profile, where every week new authors talk about their cats, share photos and videos with them. Vladimir has a cat Leia and a cat Jim. Jim is blind. Vladimir started an educational thread in which he talks about the peculiarities of his behavior.
A little later, the cat dared to independently explore the room
Within a week the cat got used to it. The very next day he began to climb onto the sofa and bed. At the same time, it is easier for a blind cat to climb up than to go down. In the first case, he can feel with his paws and assess the situation, but when jumping down, this will not work. At first, pillows were placed everywhere for him to create a semblance of a step. Vibrissae help the cat navigate. And in general, Vladimir notes that cats rely more on hearing and smell.
Causes of hallucinations
Let's figure out why hallucinations can occur. Medical experts identify the following reasons:
Excessive and systematic consumption of alcohol. Drug use. Use and overdose of psychostimulants. Schizophrenia. Brain damage. The influence of psychosis. Syphilis. Age. As a result of the aging of the body, changes occur that entail a failure of the sensory organs. Frequent stress, pessimism, anxiety. Hallucinogenic mushrooms. Neoplasms of the brain. Infection of the body. Epileptic syndrome. Heart disease. Atherosclerosis. Prolonged insomnia.
Causes of hallucinations in older people
In older people, the development of hallucinations may occur due to age. This is the result of age-related changes in the organs of perception. Such people are characterized not only by auditory hallucinations, but also by visual and gustatory ones. Elderly people with this disease begin to complain about strange odors in the room, an unpleasant taste in the mouth, etc.
Here's how he does it:
Here's an example of how he climbs onto the sofa. Appreciate the gracefulness. At the same time you can hear him rumble pic.twitter.com/7B8TZyyyI5
— catunderhood (@catunderhood) January 21, 2020
However, mobility problems sometimes occur. One day, no one was home, and the cat climbed onto the partition and could not get down. After this, the owners began to play it safe. By the way, Jim understands if the door is closed, and will sit in front of it and ask to be let in.
Treatment of hallucinations
The method of treatment depends on what the doctor finds out at the diagnostic stage. One of the methods for eliminating the pathology itself may be chosen. If it turns out that the cause cannot be eliminated, then therapy is aimed at eliminating the symptoms, that is, the hallucinations themselves. If the disease develops as a result of the use of any drugs, then they are canceled.
In case of poisoning with alcohol or drugs, cleansing of the gastrointestinal tract is prescribed. The patient will need rest and care.
A course of psychotherapy can help cure hallucinations. Neurometabolic therapy and restorative medicine techniques are used.
Jim has a favorite toy
A story about a happy blind cat
November 30 is celebrated around the world as Pet Day. For this date, we have prepared an interview with the owners of a special cat who was lucky to find a loving family.
This story began on May 22, 2014, when a topic appeared in the “Let’s Help in Any Way We Can” forum about how a cat was picked up in Sukhoi Log with “blood all over its face and bulging eyes.” We didn’t even dare to post the scary photos from this topic.
The volunteers worked quickly and already at 17:32 on the same day the cat was brought to the VetDoctor clinic on Profsoyuznaya. “We got there, did an x-ray, the prognosis is cautious, the cat is cheerful,” this is how one of the girls participating in the operation to save the cat described the poor guy’s condition at that moment.
One of the rescuers, and later the cat’s curator, Dasha (Kudryashsh), after some time learned that the clinic doubted that the cat could survive.
“The cat is in the hospital, they will stabilize it until tomorrow and take it to Bebel, since there is an operating day there tomorrow. The eyes, of course, need to be removed, there are no fractures.”
The whole forum was worried. The cat was operated on. So much money was raised for his treatment that it was enough to treat several more animals in need.
As soon as the forecast became favorable, they immediately began to come up with a name for him on the forum.
“On May 22, according to the calendar, men can be called Gabriel, and since today is the cat’s second birthday, they can be called Gavryusha.”
“Can you suggest me a name
? Of course, you may not like it, but I’ll just suggest it. Name Eshref) In honor of the Turkish artist Eshref Armagan, who was born blind, but not only sees the world in colors, but also draws it with his own fingers!”
The curator liked the name. “Eshref! Ash! Eshik!
As Dasha told us, she had never taken cats under her supervision before. When I saw photos of a cat without eyes, I realized that I simply had to do this. The first moment I saw Eshik, I burst into tears. Then she went to visit him, wrote financial reports on the forum, and after the clinic took him to her home.
As practice shows, pets with a difficult fate are taken apart much faster than others. So in the case of Eshik, potential owners were found quickly.
Lisa and Alexey, the current owners of the cat, liked Dasha right away. The cat was given a probationary period, under a contract. Already on June 12, 2014, Eshik went to his new home.
Message in the forum on June 12, 2014: “Well, Eshik left for a new home for a trial period, with a wonderful girl Lisa!”
Uralweb.ru visited Lisa and Alexey (and yes, we immediately liked them too), and met an unusual cat.
— Do you have a love for pets from childhood?
— My parents always said that having a pet is a big responsibility. And no matter how much I asked, I was not allowed to have a cat or a dog. It wasn't until I was 7 years old that we got a dog.
She was a problem dog, she had cystitis, she constantly had to be treated, but she lived long enough. When she died, we were worried; for a long time we didn’t “turn on” anyone. Then a cat appeared, which still lives with his parents.
— How did you decide to take Eshik?
“I always wanted to have a pet, but I was sure that the animal would find me. When I saw Eshu in a forum thread, at first I sent money for treatment and monitored his condition.
Before taking Eshik, Alexey and I thought for a long time, there was just family advice - it’s worth it, it’s not worth it, because the cat is special. We made up our minds and went to the meeting.
He was sitting at the other end of the room, but as soon as I lowered my hand down, he came up and rested his hand on it. I realized that this was love at first sight.
— You took the cat for a trial period. Did you have any doubts that you wouldn’t have him?
“I immediately said that if we don’t get along in character, then no offense.” Let's bring the cat back. But a month later they simply forgot about this agreement.
— How did your friends react to the fact that you adopted a blind cat?
- I didn’t tell anyone. I didn't need hype. The first year was not advertised at all. Half of the friends said why do you need such problems, the other part reacted warmly. After our experience, someone had a desire to adopt an animal from a shelter.
— How old is Ashik?
— When we took him in, the vet said that he was 4-5 years old, that is, now he is 9-10.
— How does he move around the apartment?
- We trained him. At first, only the corridor and toilet were left open, then one room was opened, then the kitchen, then another room. In an unfamiliar place, he walks sideways along the wall, moving his tail from side to side, studying the perimeter.
He navigates the apartment well. He knows where the toilet and food bowl are. He doesn't know whether the door is open or closed. If the door is open and in his way, when 5 cm remains, he stops, walks around and moves on.
He knows where the carpet ends. Eshik knows how to open doors. Jumps onto the handle, pushing it down. Or he can climb up the door frame and jump on top of the handle.
— It happens that he misses (Alexey smiles). He will run to the bed, miss one step and slide off. This does not upset him, he jumps onto the bed on the second try. Catches flies on the fly. If you sew buttons on it, no one will understand that the cat is blind.
— Are there things that owners of a blind cat need to remember?
— Owners must understand that such cats are special. No need to rearrange furniture. Or, for example, I left my laptop on the edge of the table. The cat got used to there being no restrictions, jumped and dropped it. The owner is to blame. Why didn't you remove it?
- Is he meeting you?
- Yes, he misses him very much. Always greets us at the door. When we sit down to have breakfast or dinner, we put him a chair, he sits on it. If we leave, he cries, doesn’t eat, worries. During our short trips, we take him to his parents and don’t leave him alone in the apartment.
— What is his favorite place in the apartment?
— He loves the sofa, often sits on the back, sleeps on the bed. In the spring, like all cats, he loves to bask on the windowsill.
— Reacts to extraneous sounds?
- He just doesn’t like the vacuum cleaner. If strangers try to pick him up, he may scratch him. You have to come up, extend your hand, talk to him first.
- Sleeps with you?
- He comes, he can lie on your back. He falls asleep with us in our arms.
—Are you planning on getting a second cat?
- We fear. We are afraid that he loves us so much that he will become jealous. Or he will feel that we love him less. Lesha says that he will start to be jealous and get sick.
— Do you help homeless animals?
— I have a list of groups that have proven themselves. I know for sure that help will come to them. I help individual animals, all the receipts are there, you can check them. Unfortunately, there are many people who profit from animals. I believe that helping the homeless as much as possible is better than not helping. It may be only 100 rubles, but it will give you life and a comfortable existence.
— Maybe there was some incident with Ashik that you remember?
— Eshik fell ill with the plague, they brought it “on shoes.” They thought then that a pet couldn’t get sick if it was at home, and they didn’t vaccinate. I was scared, it was stressful for me. I thought that if something happened to the cat, I would never forgive myself for it. It was the day before my birthday. But the cat recovered, and on my birthday he ate for the first time since his illness - it was the best gift for me. Now we are vaccinating the cat, and I recommend that everyone I know do so.
— Does he sharpen his claws? I see he has a personal corner with a scratching post there.
- It sharpens, but it also tears up wallpaper. We bought wallpaper so that it wouldn’t be a shame to re-paste it. I think that soft paws are animal abuse. When we were choosing a sofa for our apartment, we bought one with a special “anti-claw” coating; it doesn’t leave any strings on it.
— What do you wish on Pet Day?
— I would like to remind you once again that a pet is a responsibility. If you are not ready to be a responsible owner, then it is better not to get a pet. This is not an interior decoration; it will need to be taken care of.
On March 1 of this year, we talked about cats in our editorial office.
Marina Novokshonova
Diagnostics of visual function
A pet showing signs of low vision should be seen by a veterinary ophthalmologist. Visual inspection is carried out using special optical instruments with magnification and lighting functions. Such diagnostics will allow:
- determine whether the cat’s pupil reacts to light;
- check the transparency of the lens;
- notice changes in the optic nerve.
More complex methods - video ophthalmoscopy and electroretinography - will make it possible to diagnose the condition of the retina and identify degenerative processes occurring in it. Using tonometry, glaucoma is detected or excluded.
An ultrasound of the eyeball is prescribed to determine the position of the lens, a detailed examination of the retina, and detect tumors in the vitreous body. Sometimes, to obtain a picture of brain tissue and identify inflammatory processes in the internal structures of the eye, MRI is used.
Biochemical and laboratory tests of blood and urine complete the clinical picture. On their basis, chronic internal diseases such as renal failure, diabetes mellitus and other pathologies associated with blindness are diagnosed.
