──────────〖Blindness〗────────── 〈Source 1〉https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/health/disabled-cats/blind-cats "Blind cats can adapt well to their loss of sight and will tend to use their other senses, such as their whiskers to judge distance and the scent glands on their paws to help them navigate." "Scent glands on their paws allow them to leave a trail of scent that they can follow to keep their setting familiar." Cats who are not born blind tend to be startled more easily at first. They are sometimes hesitant to leave their nests out of fear that they will be unable to find it again. They are often disorientated. However, it is unclear from this source whether this is true for cats who are born blind, or whether it is on a smaller scale. 〈Source 2〉https://pawp.com/blind-cats-signs-causes-how-to-care-for-them/ Blind cats- particularly those who are not born blind- are often more cautious, misjudge jumps, and bump into things. However, cats adapt to blindness very well, so much so that if the blindness is gradual, it is often hard to tell that they are blind. Salamanderkit was born blind, meaning that it is not something he has to orient herself to. Blindness is simply something he has always known. As a result, it is likely that Salamanderkit's behaviors would be more similar to those who become blind gradually. 〈Source 3〉https://www.petassure.com/new-newsletters/special-needs-living-with-a-blind-cat/ Blind cats learn to rely on their other senses. "A cat’s senses of smell and hearing are much more developed than ours. Your cat's sense of smell is superior; it is one of the ways in which she interacts with her environment. Her nostrils are working constantly." "...cats are equipped with glands that secrete pheromones, which are identifying scents and will help her find her way around the house. These glands are found on your cat's cheeks, on her lower legs, and under her tail. She deposits her scent marks as she walks and when she rubs her cheeks against something." "A cat's sense of hearing is amazing. Cats can hear high frequency sounds we cannot. They can also distinguish the tone or pitch of sounds better than we can. And their ability to locate the source of a sound is highly advanced. From a yard away, a cat can distinguish between sound sources only three inches apart. They can also hear sounds at great distances – four or five times farther away than humans." Changes in the area around a blind cat can become confusing, and may lead to an increase in bumping into things. This source agrees with the last in that those who become blind gradually adapt very smoothly and very successfully. Blind cats rely on their whiskers. Therefore, if they were to lose or shorten their whiskers, they would have more difficulty in navigating. Blind cats are sometimes startled by touch, especially if they are sleeping. Using noise to wake blind cats can avoid this. "A blind cat cannot detect danger and run from it, especially if attacked or chased." It is unclear if this applies to cats who are not living with twolegs, but if not, it may still be more difficult for blind cats to detect danger. 〈Source 4〉https://www.greatpetcare.com/cat-health/blind-cat-tips/ "Cats with vision issues tend to be more apprehensive and walk slowly and low to the ground.... Sometimes they keep their legs spread wide, and sometimes they stick out their necks so their whiskers can help them sense their surroundings." "Blind cats “tend to adapt very well using their other senses—especially smell, touch, and hearing—and usually very little needs to be done to help them adapt,”" It is easiest for blind cats to navigate when the area is familiar- if something changes, or if the cat is placed in a new environment, they often become confused or disorientated. "“Cats that have acute vision loss can be quite apprehensive, cautious, and disoriented,” Holmberg says. “All of this can lead to negative behaviors Your formerly peaceful pet may begin peeing outside the litterbox, fighting with other cats in the house, or even becoming aggressive with family members." However, as a cat adapts, this improves. Salamanderkit was born with blindness, so this will not apply to him. 〈Source 5〉 https://www.handicappedpets.com/blog/blind-cat-care/ "Unlike dogs, which are primarily focused on their sense of smell, cats rely on all three senses equally." As a result, blindness has more of an impact, especially when sudden. Blind cats rely on mental maps to navigate. If in a new environment, it often takes longer to adapt than it would for other cats. Much of the information in this source confirms that of the others.
