Should You Put Down A Blind Cat? 5 Reasons Blind Cats Make Great Pets

Cats, like humans, can be born blind or develop blindness as a result of age or injury.

Naturally, cats, like people, can live love-filled, enriched, and happy lives after losing their sight. (If you don’t believe us, stick around because we have some links to happy blind cat content that will make you smile!)

However, learning that your cat is going blind can be frightening.

But, should you put down a blind cat? As always, consult with your veterinarian, and they will put your mind at ease.

But, in the meantime, here are five reasons why we believe you should not.

Cats Already Have A Sensory Advantage

When your cat begins to lose vision, you may have a lot of questions.

How will they find you in the house?

Will they be scared?

Will they begin bumping into objects?

Cats, as you may know, have exceptional hearing and smelling abilities.

Cats have 40 times more odor sensors in their noses than humans!

They even have an extra scent detector in their mouths called the Jacobson’s organ.

Humans are so visually oriented that it can be difficult to imagine a world without images.

Cats, on the other hand, do not rely on sight nearly as much as we do – even when hunting!

For example, their whiskers detect objects at close range far better than their eyes.

On the subject of whiskers, did you know that these tactile hairs are also used by cats to assess the size of space before attempting to squeeze into it?

That’s pretty cool.

Learn more about feline eyesight and why they don’t rely on sight nearly as much as their other senses in this excellent article on how cats see the world!

Cats Are Great At Adapting To Change

Yes, cats form attachments to people and places.

They are, however, happy as long as they are fed, kept warm, played with, and cuddled regularly.

All of these things are done by blind cats.

Think about this.

No matter how much your cat loves you, they’ll still have fun if you go away for two weeks and leave them with a friend who will take good care of them and give them lots of cuddles.

They might not want to leave if your friend has the heating on higher than you do!

Keep in mind that cats are less sentimental than humans.

You’ll probably need more time to adjust than the cat!

But don’t worry: there’s plenty of information on blind cat parenting on the internet.

Keep crinkling their food packet to let them know when dinner’s ready, buy some blind cat-friendly (noisy) toys, and you’re off to a great start.

Your worries will be forgotten before you know it.

Your Vet Won’t Agree To Do It

Your cat’s life isn’t at risk because it’s blind. Its quality of life hasn’t even come close to being compromised enough to justify euthanasia.

Your veterinarian will most likely tell you that euthanizing a blind but healthy cat is killing.

That violates not only the animal’s rights but also the oath your veterinarian took to uphold medical ethics!

When the cat’s life and well-being are in danger due to other conditions, that is the only situation in which a veterinarian will ethically agree to put down a blind cat (such as leukemia, kidney failure, or head trauma).

Evidence Of Happy Blind Cats Is So Easy To Find!

If you still think you should put down a blind cat, search ‘blind cat playing’ on YouTube.

You’ll find screeds of videos of blind cats living their best lives, doing almost everything a sighted cat can.

Videos of blind cats playing fetch or climbing on walls are a testament to just how capable blind cats live normal lives.

For some extra adorable and reassuring blind cat content, we highly recommend you check out @ivartheincredible on TikTok.

He’s clearly a happy boy, and his owner has done a great job making sure their home is a safe, fun, and enriching environment for him.

Disabled Cats Still Have Heaps Of Love To Give

What is it about your cat that makes you smile?

The way they roll on their back to ask for belly scratches, make biscuits, or nuzzle into your face?

Being blind will not prevent them from engaging in any of these activities.

Do you think a blind person loves or wants to be loved any less than a sighted person? Obviously not. It’s likely that your cat will want your attention even more than before!

A blind cat will still want to play, explore, cuddle, purr, and be a part of the family. 

Overall, they will remain, well, a cat. They will never stop loving you, and you will never stop loving them.

So neither you nor they stand to lose. Enjoy the extra cuddles and the deeper bond that will inevitably result from helping your cat more.

Some Final Thoughts

Hopefully, the question of whether or not to put down a blind cat is no longer a no-brainer.

A blind cat is unlikely to stop misbehaving, so who are you to stop them?

When a person goes blind, they must relearn how to navigate the world. On the other hand, a cat will not need to learn braille or miss its favorite TV show.

Have faith in your cat’s other senses; introduce them to new areas gradually, play with them frequently, and give them a kiss from us.

Amanda

Purrfect n’ Pawesome is the brainchild of Amanda, who has been into researching and writing about pets to help other pet parents in nurturing their adorable pets. Currently, she runs Purrfect n’ Pawesome along with her team of experienced and dedicated pet experts. Along with being an awesome writer and entrepreneur, Amanda is a cat mom to two innocently spoiled cats, Balanca and Scruffy.
She has been writing about pet care and nurturing and wants to share her readers’ experiences, learnings, and knowledge.
Over the years, she had the opportunity to work with various pet owners having multiple breeds, and that exposure gave her experience and the lessons of a lifetime.
Her family, her entire universe revolves around her two cats, who give her endless support and inspiration to move ahead with her objectives in life. Amanda is a live example of a balanced approach to all parenthood questions we all face in life.