Blind Cat. My cat has gone blind

Question.
My cat has recently lost his sight through a detached retina in his left eye and a blood clot behind his right eye. He is finding his way round quite well luckily he has his own little territory, which he has never strayed far from. Any information would be appreciated. Also, can you recommend any books dealing with this?

Answer.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is the most common cause of the signs you describe. It is quite common in older cats, especially if the cat has developed problems with the kidneys (chronic renal failure) or has an over-active thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism).

In the early stages the affected cat doesn't show any signs of ill health, so the condition often goes unrecognized until it causes serious problems such as you describe.

The good news is that the high blood pressure itself can usually be treated very effectively with tablets and if treatment can be started quickly enough there may even be some return of vision.
Even if the eyes have been permanently damaged it is still important to try to reduce the blood pressure to a more normal level because, if left untreated, there is a risk of further damage in the kidneys and brain. If your cat has developed high blood pressure then your vet will also want to take blood samples to check for underlying kidney or thyroid disease. I recommend that you take your cat to your vet as soon as possible to investigate this problem further. Many small animal vet practices now have blood pressure monitors for cats. If your vet does not have a monitor then he may be able to arrange for you to visit a neighboring practice, or if a physical examination shows a number of signs that are very characteristic of hypertension, he may recommend starting treatment straight away.

_{source Your Cat Mag.}