I found him earlier today by a dumpster. He was clean and otherwise healthy like he had just been left... I have had kittens with eye infections before, but i could always see even a bit f an eye underneath the swelling. In his case i can't see anything inside... Will take him to the vet tomorrow. He definitely can't see anything right now, but could he see again? what do you all think?
It's been a while since we shared an update about Imara! ❤️
She's been doing wonderfully and has adjusted so well to living with us. Imara was originally a neglected kitty whose rescue journey started with a friend before her care was eventually passed on to us.
She has a large lesion on the right side of her face that had long been suspected to be cancer. Our local vet relayed her biopsy results in the last week of June, and we had our first oncology consult yesterday. Her results confirmed that she has squamous cell carcinoma. After multiple tests with the oncologist, we've learned that her cancer is high-grade and currently at stage 3.
The good news is that there are virtually no signs of metastasis - at least not in her lungs, her slow-healing wounds on her back (5th photo), or in any of her lymph nodes except possibly for the one adjacent to her lesion. The vet recommended we pursue chemo, but because of how extensive her lesion had already become by the time she was rescued, chemotherapy would be palliative rather than curative.
Chemo can extend her life, but her quality of life during it could be hit or miss. We've read that cats often tolerate chemotherapy better than humans do, but we don't want Imara to go through unnecessary stress or side effects if there's a chance it could sacrifice the comfort she currently has. Right now, she's doing very well on her combination of pain medications and analgesics. She rarely has bad days and is as food-motivated as ever.
We've always known deep down that Imara may be around for just a good time and not a long time, and when the time comes, we'd be glad to help her cross over with the dignity she deserves. But for now, it looks like we'd have a few more happy months with her.
Help with covering Miss Imara's tests would be so appreciated. We may need a bacterial culture by her next visit because she has a non-resolving infection (breakdown at the end). Our donation channels can be seen below!
📩 Donate via Debit or Credit Card
General transparency sheet (for all our rescue and community cat efforts)
🗒️ Expenses & Donations Tracker
Comprehensive blood work: $69
Fine needle aspiration cytology: $83
Biopsy: $49
X-ray: $25
Consult fee: $15
Total amount for tests conducted: $241
For her next consult (in a week):
CBC: $20
Bacterial Culture: $46
Consult fee: $15
Total ideal amount to raise: $322
Thank you! We'll share another set of updates after her follow-up!
2 weeks ago I posted about Whipsy having uveitis. This is a quick update.
The eye drops didn't produce any visible good results and the blue cloudiness was definitely getting worse. Here's my original post for reference. https://www.reddit.com/r/blindcats/s/HVlKcPcAGO
A return to the vet showed that inflammation from the uveitis was way down and eye pressures continue to be good so the antibiotic drops did do their job but that the cloudiness and bulging are indeed worsening. This is where she determined that he likely has hereditary endothelial corneal dystrophy. As soon as she started describing it, I felt like we had hit the nail on the head. The symptoms all align. I won't describe everything here but I'm adding a link that tells about the condition for those who may benefit from the information.
https://www.ofora.com/endothelial-dystrophy/
He's on eye ointment now and I'm to keep a lookout for signs of ulcers. None of this has cramped his style though! He's still zooming through the house chasing crinkle balls and greebles and just being my little orange goober! 🧡🧡🧡
I am wondering if anyone else has had a similar post operative experience with their cats?
My 8 year old cat underwent enucleation of his right eye due to an ocular mass this past Tuesday, May 30th at approximately 1200. Following his surgery, I was told everything went well and that he ate the majority of a can of wet cat food during the evening while he was recovering in office overnight. I picked up him to return home on Wednesday, July 1st at 1500. On returning home, he was having some difficulty with anxiety/agitation from the Zorbium he was given. He seemed eager to eat during that time, attempted few bites of wet cat food - he then gagged and began pawing at this mouth. At that time, I assumed this was related to the Zorbium.
However, the following day, he continued to exhibit the same behavior - gagging/pawing at his mouth predominately on the right side. I reached out to the clinic and they stated that it was likely due to his face feeling"weird" from the enucleation or post-op discomfort from the intubation. I then began to worry about his decreased intake - was giving him wet food mixed with water via syringe which he gladly accepted - no issues with swallowing or gagging when food is administered this way. I did not feel as though receiving his fluid intake the way was adequate and asked that he be seen in the office for subcutaneous fluid. They saw him in office this yesterday at 0900 - he received his fluids, the vet tech examined his mouth and stated that she could not see anything that could be leading to pain or discomfort in his oral cavity. They prescribed him two more days of Robaxin for pain management and she stated the effects of Zorbium should begin to wane today as that can cause odd behavior in cats. He also had this episode of gagging/pawing when attempting to groom himself.
Otherwise, when I or my family are around him, he is his usual affectionate self. He continues to seem eager to eat, but now will not even attempt a bite. His incision looks wonderful and he seems to be managing very well as long as he isn't eating. Our vet clinic does not seem particularly concerned, but I am so anxious. Has anyone seen this kind of behavior following an enucleation?
Yesterday I found this tiny kitten alone on the street with both of her eyes severely infected. I couldn't leave her behind, so I brought her home, even though I already have three rescued cats.
Today my girlfriend and I took her to the veterinarian.
The diagnosis was heartbreaking.
The vet believes she will most likely lose vision in both eyes. There is still a small chance that one eye can be saved, but it will require approximately 20–25 days of treatment.
What completely broke me was something the vet said:
>"If she's just going to end up back on the street after treatment, there's little point in putting her through all of this. She deserves the chance to have a real home."
I'm a university student living in a small city in Turkey. I've already contacted local municipalities and searched for rescue organizations, but unfortunately I haven't been able to find meaningful help where I live.
Right now she's safe, warm, eating, and receiving veterinary care. I'm determined to do everything I can for her.
The estimated veterinary cost is between 10,000 and 15,000 Turkish Lira (approximately €210–315 / US$250–375, depending on the final treatment plan). The veterinarian will issue an official invoice after the treatment is completed, and I will share all invoices and updates here for full transparency.
After receiving approval from the moderators, I'm sharing this fundraiser for anyone who would like to help.
If you can't donate, simply sharing her story or leaving an encouraging comment means just as much.
https://whydonate.com/fundraising/save-blind-kitten-turkey
Thank you so much for reading her story and giving this little fighter a chance. I promise to keep everyone updated throughout her treatment and recovery. ❤️🐾
He acknowledged me but obvs rejected my plea. 🫠
Hello everyone, I am new to this community. One of my kitties, Vivi, is 9 and has recently gone blind. She saw a vet this morning and they ran bloodwork and did eye tests, we ruled out thyroid issues and they don’t think it’s glaucoma or detached retina from high blood pressure. They believe it is immune mediated retinitis. We go back next week after trying prednisolone, which may reverse some of the blindness, but she will never be able to see fully again. As of right now, she seems to be completely blind and has been for a week now.
It has been really hard to see her change like this. She gets around the apartment very well, she can get to her food, water, litter box, and her favourite resting spots, but she is very hesitant, bumps into things, and is sleeping all the time now, not being her normal self. Although she still seeks out my lap to snuggle and purr, and sleeps with us in our bed at night. We know she isn’t in any pain, but she seems so sad, and confused. I’m here seeking any tips from other owners on how me and my girlfriend can support her during this time. How we can keep her happy, comfortable, and how we can help her adapt to this new normal. It’s very uneasy not knowing the exact cause, but I’m still glad we could rule out some things, and I hope this medication helps.
She doesn’t really have much interest in toys but now that she can’t see I’m hoping to try some other types of toys that will stimulate her other senses, so if anyone has any recommendations, I’d love that, for once she’s feeling more secure.
we are really struggling to cope with this big sudden change in our baby and im just seeking support from others in this community. I hope that is okay. Please let me know any advice you can offer to help us through this. Thank you in advance. ❤️🩹
My 8 year old cat underwent enucleation of his right eye due to an ocular mass this past Tuesday, May 30th at approximately 1200. Following his surgery, I was told everything went well and that he ate the majority of a can of wet cat food during the evening while he was recovering in office overnight. I picked up him to return home on Wednesday, July 1st at 1500. On returning home, he was having some difficulty with anxiety/agitation from the Zorbium he was given. He seemed eager to eat during that time, attempted few bites of wet cat food - he then gagged and began pawing at this mouth. At that time, I assumed this was related to the Zorbium.
However, the following day, he continued to exhibit the same behavior - gagging/pawing at his mouth predominately on the right side. I reached out to the clinic and they stated that it was likely due to his face feeling"weird" from the enucleation or post-op discomfort from the intubation. I then began to worry about his decreased intake - was giving him wet food mixed with water via syringe which he gladly accepted - no issues with swallowing or gagging when food is administered this way. I did not feel as though receiving his fluid intake the way was adequate and asked that he be seen in the office today, Friday for subcutaneous fluid. They saw him in office this morning at 0900 - he received his fluids, the vet tech examined his mouth and stated that she could not see anything that could be leading to pain or discomfort in his oral cavity. They prescribed him two more days of Robaxin for pain management and she stated the effects of Zorbium should begin to cease today as that can cause odd behavior in cats. He also had this episode of gagging/pawing when attempting to groom himself.
Otherwise, when I or my family are around him, he is his usual affectionate self. He continues to seem eager to eat, but now will not even attempt a bite. His incision looks wonderful and he seems to be managing very well as long as he isn't eating. I am hoping for advice from a veterinarian on how to manage his decreased intake going forward - our vet clinic does not seem particularly concerned. Has anyone seen this kind of behavior following an enucleation? Any words of wisdom would be appreciated. Thank you!
Time to bust out the Champurrgne! 🍾🥂
Stevie Wander has officially rejoined the 8-pound club!
Thank you to everyone who has shown him love and support, and to those who have donated. Every little bit helps!
❤️ To read more about Stevie's journey:
https://www.gofundme.com/help-stevie-wander-keep-on-wandering
Anyone else feel like your blind cat can see a little too well?? She always knows where I am.
Brought in to Charlotte humane society shelter from a regional shelter, both were found with bad eye infections but got some amazing care! Great shelter/pet hospital facility and staff from what I saw.
We think Uma is fully blind in her left eye, with an intact right eye, while Vega had to have her left removed and seems to only have about 5-10% visibility in her remaining, right, eye.
My cousin fostered them, and my wife and I fell in love when we visited them. First 24 hours of custody have been non-stop adorable and silly, but also nonstop can get to be a lot. Any tips on getting your kittens to be less psychotic, other than wearing them out? Tips for getting them reliably onto a bedtime? I figure they’ll calm down a bit once they haven’t just been adopted and brought to a new space.
Just about 8 weeks old, appreciate any wisdom for us new parents, especially any advice specifically relevant to taking care of visually impaired and/or hyperactive sister cats. Vega seems to be scared of Uma because Uma sneaks up on Vega and she can’t see her coming, but conversely Uma gets scared because Vega isn’t being receptive to playtime.
We are gonna try to slowly introduce them back to each other, by scent and then through a barrier, but for now I am separating them in different rooms so Vega can learn the layout of the house and know where her safe spaces are without getting too stressed, might help her learn faster and not panic when her sister jumps on her.
Thanks for saying awww and reading!
Hello 😄 I hope all of you are ok ! I am looking for advice today.
I went to the ophtalmologist vet for milo a few weeks ago. The exam found severe bilateral congenital eye malformations: microphthalmia, eyelid abnormalities, corneal scarring/adhesions, suspected anterior segment dysgenesis, and a pigmented mass behind the pupil in the left eye. He appears to have little to no functional vision, although some light reflexes are still present. The current recommendation is daily cleaning with saline, and the vet discussed either cryoepilation for the eyelashes irritating the right eye or mono/bilateral enucleation.
In summary his eyes are non visual despite some sensitivity to light on the left side. And right eye has irritation because of hairs growing inside.
In your cases, how did you decide whether to keep managing the eyes or proceed with enucleation ? Removing only one eye seem like a painful procedure to do half the job and still have to clean the other one every day.. But if his other eye has some sensitivity to light maybe I will deprive him from something he needs. I don't know. And cryoepilation requires general anesthesia too so not sure if it is worth it. I take any opinion.
Also he is 2.5 years old and he was born like that. He does not seem in pain, he plays, he cuddles, but it is hard to know with cats. And the daily cleaning are not something he enjoys a lot even if he lets me do it. He has regular liquid discharge so I can't skip it.
Maxine’s down to one eye, and it’s not a good one. She also only has one functional kidney.
I made this post 1 year ago about my (blind) cat who panics in traditional carriers, I added an update there but wanted to post again as well:
https://www.reddit.com/r/blindcats/s/Ml67SbZN9E
I appreciated all of the help and feedback, but it seems like the solution was a breathable duffel bag that smelled like his own urine. Strange but i’m assuming the feeling of being held, the familiar smell, and distinct lack of things to get stuck on or rub against helped him to feel more secure
So recently my ole girl Ellie was diagnosed with retinal detachment caused by hypertension & kidney disease. I don’t know how far gone her vision is but I want to try and make her remaining years as easy as possible, she just turned 14 in May. Prior to this she has been a mostly healthy indoor cat. I do have another cat so my biggest question is how do I keep them separated for food since Ellie is on a renal diet now. I’ve never had a special kitty so I don’t know what to do! Any advice is appreciated! Pic included of her from today. ☺️