Greetings from Winston Winkle Whitewall! I’m a three year old blind kitty, and purrhaps I can tell you about my experience. I was born blind, so being blind is all I know. But, my mommy rescued me when I was two weeks old and now I have a good life!

I can hear very well, and I use my sense of smell and touch to get around. Sometimes I bump into things, or spin in circles for no apparent reason. But, I don’t get hurt, so my mommy just lets me go.

I don’t play much with regular cat toys, because they are mostly sight-triggered. Sometimes I like things that make noise, but mostly I like to attack socks or other soft things I find lurking on the floor. I often save my mommy from the evil dirty socks that seem to appear near laundry day.

My mommy says I’m a horizontal kitty – meaning I don’t jump up on things much. My sense of balance isn’t as good as it should be, and sometimes when I’m curled up into silly kitty positions, I end up flipping myself over, or falling off my perch. I haven’t hurt myself, but … Sometimes loud noises outside make me scared, but all in all, I’m a pretty mellow cat.

I follow my mommy around when she wanders around the house doing her chores. I do come to her when she calls me, but it sometimes takes me a while to get there – I often take a long route instead of going directly to her….

I can find my food and water as long as my mommy leaves in the same place every day. She has a big cage for me with a shelf and a toy and food and water, which I stay in sometimes so I can rest and be out of peril. When I was little, I didn’t meow very much, so if I got lost behind the furniture, my mommy couldn’t find me. So, she got the cage as a place for me to feel safe.

There are two difficult parts about being a blind kitty. First, I didn’t learn all the good kitty body language when I was little. So, when another kitty comes up to me and wants to be friends, I don’t do the right things – like butting heads or sniffing or playing. Sometimes I use my paw to reach out and touch them, but they think I’m trying to hit them, and they run away. So, I don’t have any close kitty buddies. I think my mommy wishes that she had gotten another kitten to grow up with me, so the other kitten would be used to my strange ways.

Second, I have trouble being a good kitty with the litter box. Sometimes I get close, but I miss the box. I do try, and I understand about finding one spot to go potty, but my aim isn’t always right. Other times, I sort of forget where the litter box is, and I give up on trying to find it. That makes a mess for my mommy, but she doesn’t get too upset. She has all the cleaning stuff to make my mistakes go away.

So, I have a good indoor life, and I get lots of tickles and love from my mommy. She worries sometimes that I might be bored or want a kitty friend. I am not as easy a kitty as my big brother Murf was, but my mommy loves us each in our own special kitty way.

Good luck with your special kitty - if you have any other questions, I will try to help!

Kitty hugs from Winston!