Expert: Jessica - 1/11/2010

Question
Dear Jessica,

I recently sponsored a 3-4 year old cat who is blind from toxoplasmosis (she has since been successfully treated). Brie has been at this no-kill shelter for almost a year since she was rescued from a ranch. I went to meet her today with the idea of fostering her if things went well. Unfortunately, she doesn't seem to be socialized at all and swats at anyone who tries to touch her, even when I made enough noise to alert her to my presence and moved very slowly. There was no hissing, growling, or spitting, but she was definitely wary. I approached Brie a few times over the course of an hour with the same result.

My spouse and I live very quietly with no kids or other pets. I've read up on socializing cats and think I have the time and patience to try it, although I don't have much experience. (The cats I've lived with have all been friendly.) But I'd love to give this cat a life outside a cage if I could.

So, I guess I have two questions for you. 1) Would you recommend trying to socialize this kitty, given our respective situations? and 2) How would you go about socializing a blind cat?

Answer
Hi Jennifer.  How excellent of you to want to help out a special needs kitty!  I think it sounds like your situation is the perfect one for encouraging a blind cat to come out of her shell.  This cat will definitely need special attention, and a quiet home is really essential for a nervous, blind cat.

I always recommend to use food as the primary way to earn a cat’s trust, and this is going to be all the more important with a blind cat.  You should use something very aromatic so that when you approach her, she knows you’re coming with something positive.  You can feed her a few bites of tuna each day without any negative effects, but more than this can cause a Vitamin E depletion, so be careful not to overdo it.  Although it doesn’t smell as tempting, you may want to use chicken breast more often, which can be fed in much larger quantities without any worries.  I boil up a breast and cut it into bite-sized pieces, then store it in the fridge.  Three or four times a day, I offer the cat a few bites of it.  If the cat swats at you before you get too close to hand-feed the treats, see if you can place it on the floor a few feet away, and wait for her to discover it.  You should speak to her gently before approaching to let her know you’re there, and also all the while that you’re feeding her, so she understands who’s providing her with the treats.

As silly as it may sound, I also recommend softly reading her a book each day.  The way she will recognize you most easily is by your voice, and speaking to her a lot will hasten the socialization process.

You might also consider a product called Feliway, a synthetic facial pheromone which helps to calm cats during times of stress.  I use the plug-in diffusers at all times in my home.  You can learn more at www.feliway.com, and purchase the products at pet stores and many websites (amazon.com seems to be least expensive).

Finally, there is a line of flower essences that I like called Spirit Essences, formulated by a widely known holistic vet and an animal behaviorist.  There are a couple formulas that might be beneficial in your situation.  Although this kitty may not be entirely feral, she obviously has serious socialization issues, so the Feral Cat Rehabilitation formula may be a good choice.  The Shelter Adoption formula may also be a good fit, as well as Changing Times.  You can review the descriptions to see which best fit your situation and order at www.spiritessences.com.

I think just getting out of a shelter setting will also be helpful to her.  All the visitors and noise that go on in a shelter can be stressful and especially scary for a blind cat, making them overly defensive.

As this is going to be a foster-only situation, it’s important that any prospective adopters realize she is likely going to be very timid going to a new home, even after you have helped socialize her.  So in order to keep her from being bounced back and forth, try to screen any interested families very carefully, if you have a say in the matter.

Best of luck!

Jessica