I hope this helps either you who have cats like this in your life or guardians that you know who you share it with. On a personal level, I am truly grateful for ALLLL of the video submissions you all sent in of your cats . Keep them coming! We will make more content about specific social needs cats based on your vids, and selfishly it just reminds me what an amazing community we have here. Thank you again love you all
Can you answer my question please. My kitten keeps peeing on my bed. I know I should put more cat litter trays around but I don't want one in my room. What am I meant to do?
Hey Jackson, hope all is good with you & yours -& thanks as always for everything you do for both us & our feline companions! Know this is unrelated to this video, but have been really worried all evening here as have had a neighbour round, shouting us about 'our' black & white cat (I can only assume she means one of the local strays we feed - Rocket) being in her yard. We have taken in one - young & injured - stray already last year, but since she turned out to be pregnant we now have four permanent household kittens, so unfortunately can't fit any more ..& that's even if Rocket wasn't so feral & was up for being a house cat. She's said she's already put out some poison, & in her words he'll be dead soon, but I'm just sooo concerned for both him & any other outdoor cats in the area -both stray & pets 😿 We've already rang our own vets, the RSPCA & the police, & have been trying to warn anyone who we know has outdoor cats in the area ..but just wanted to know if you have any other advice on this crazy situation, any help would be so much appreciated! Much Love & Respect anyway, Laura ❤
I have a cat (K), who’s blind in one eye (2 years old )and I need help. I’m moving back with my family and we have a senior (20) cat. K has shown aggression toward another cat before. Also, he does things like jump on the counter, scrounge for food, eat plants, and my family’s house has a lot of plants. I’m worried how he’ll fare at the new house, if he will eat plants and get sick, if he won’t stop jumping everywhere, if he’ll attack my senior cat. Please help
Not a cat, but as a disabled person I almost feel like the beginning sequence works for everyone. Don't pity me! Just give me what I need! Give me ways to enrich my life! Have a chat with me! And perhaps a yummy snack would do, thank you! :)
What I was thinking, too. I don't really qualify myself, but my spouse is congenitally blind. Apparently a lot of adults would pity him. and some still do. I hear them do it sometimes. Fortunately, his parents weren't keen on pity. And I certainly have never been tempted to try it. When I remember he can't see for beans, lol.
I have a blind cat. I adopted 6 years ago. He is totally amazing. I swear he lives in a sighted parallel universe to guide him. He plays with soft no noise plush toys. He find bugs and spiders on carpet. He blasts around the house and never bumps into anything. From day one in my house he was at home with no special training. He finds everything just fine. He follows me all around and has to inspect anything I am working on. I like camping and took him along once. He Loves camping and nature. He'd rather be outside than in the house. He has been to lakes,rivers and even the the Atlantic ocean and dips his toes. He guards my girl cats like a father guards their daughters. He is the best brother. Best cat ever!
My late girl, Sox, same: best cat ever. We had to put her to sleep at 17, cancer. Miss her always. My new love, Babette, a Siamese mix, is soon five. Special needs, love her as much, but differently 🐱❤️
As my cats got older, I added night lights in all the areas they liked to go: food, litter box, rooms where they like the window view, etc. I found that as the sun went down and humans retreated from rooms and turned off lights, my elder cats would vocalize anxiously. They may not be deaf or blind, just a little more hard of hearing and seeing less clearly. So I gave them more light to feel safer by, and know where they were when they woke up in the dark without their human nearby. Also as a compromise, since I like to sleep in a cold room, I bought a whelping pad for my senior cat. He wants to be on the bed with me, in my room with me, so I gave him a heated bed on my bed by my feet where he can be warm.
I have two tripod kitties, one missing a back leg and the other a front leg. They are so so sweet and manage to navigate around so well - people underestimate how well cats can adapt :)
I had a neighbor years ago who had a cat with an amputated tail. She crawled up under the hood of a car for warmth and someone turned the key while she was in there. Her tail got caught between the alternator belt and the pulley.
We just lost my 16 year old girl in December and let me tell you, she was struggling in her last days but she had her personality all the way to the very end. She racked up quite the list of ailments in her later years: hyperthyroidism at 13, arthritis at 14, and finally GI lymphoma at 16. She only lived a few weeks more with meds to keep her comfy, on top of her daily thyroid medication. Her last night with us she could barely get around but she insisted on "helping" me wrap Christmas gifts by nosing in the wrapping paper tub for ribbon (she was always a fiend for ribbon if we let her, which we quickly learned not to lol). She always loved lunch ham so we shared a ham sandwich together before she had to go. Thank you for including senior babies in here, they can definitely be a lot of work but I am very proud of the quality of life we gave her in her last days. So so worth it.
My cousin had a cat with CH she was the sweetest thing ❤️ Wobbles lived to be 20 years old. You almost cringed when she would want to jump in your lap cause you never knew where she was going to land 😂😂😂
My one eyed Siddie could spot the tiniest item on the floor with his one good eye. He had to have his little left eye removed at 5 weeks old one week after I adopted him. Dr. Brokman couldn't say if his eye condition was congenital or injury, either way his eye was removed and he lived a perfectly normal life . Healthy, happy, loved to the moon and back. He went to cat cat Heaven on June 8th, 2016 but he lives on in my heart ❤️ and in the hearts of his three adoptive feline siblings family . He's a planet !! 😻😇❤️
That's good to know 👍 my kitty seems to be doing great. I think I worry more than he does. I'm always afraid one of the bigger cat's are going to hurt him. But he's fearless and goes after them😻 he's maybe 4-5 months old now. I've had him since November rescued from the road. We call him Lucky 😽 vet told me he's going to lose his eye he's going to take it out. 😿
Got a one eyed cat too. Perfect depth perception as far as I can tell. It was a tumor. Wish I had made him a pirate sooner rather than try to save the eye.
My husband and I just adopted a blind cat, he was hiding in our garden, so we are starting to see how a life with a blind cat is, wondering how to introduce him to the other 2 wee cats of the house :)
@@fromhereandthere460 I used a big dog crate. Lucky was just tiny though 🤔 I had one big enough so I had room for litter and everything. Just until the bigger cat's were somewhat used to him. And I would let him out when I was home and gradually within a couple of weeks I was able to leave them all together. With the 🐕 dog😜🙃 it's a zoo 😂 He's a little stinker and picks on them. It's fun to watch them play it's almost like there's a cat hierarchy or something. It's like my oldest cat is the biggest and it's like they understand he's the boss of things 😼 the kitten seems to understand that he can only push the bigger cat's so far. 😺 Lucky did have a broken leg and jaw when I found him so I was kinda trying to limit his ability to hurt himself.
@@rjay7019 They do amazing! Mine had hers out at 4 months, we adopted her at 5 months. They adapt amazingly. One of the things I frequently noticed was her testing out her new depth perception with her paw on small objects, and depth perception does seem to be the biggest struggle at the beginning, but again they learn the change and test it out and find their limits. The other one was learning that there were things on her bad side that she might not be seeing (careful with toys goin that way at first, they have no idea what happened lmao). She definitely had a few bumps at the beginning but nothing terrible, she'd always just bump off and look in confusion. Now a days she has no depth perception problems and only runs into stuff the way normal cats do. They do not let that one eye stop them. Also their nose gets better! It takes our other 2 eyed cat 3x as long to realize there's food around, and by the time he does she's already climbing on us begging lol
My Penny is 21 and recently became mostly blind. She used to love window seats and watching birds. I already have a heated bed for. This video is really what I need right now.
My Coco is 14 years old, half blind, deaf, and a tripod! But she still gets around and chases her 13 year old son, Oscar.. she truly is an inspiration to me.
I have a blind cat. When we first rescued her, we couldn't tell she was blind- her previous owner hadn't noticed she was loosing her vision. Sadly she was getting harassed by the other cats in the household, and now she has a little PTSD. She's very nervous. She can move around easily, but it took a lot of time and patience for her to feel safe and confident. She's very loving now, though we still haven't found a way to play with her. She gets so easily scared by any sounds or motions. Loves her treats- but struggles to find them if they don't smell strong enough. I've found talking to her really helps, lets her know where I am, let's her associate my voice with treats, food, petting time- helps to calm her.
I travel full-time in my truck camper with my dog and a senior cat. Five months ago, I found a blind 5-weeks-old kitten in the woods separated from her feral mother and littermates and absolutely terrified. Because of my senior cat (he really didn't need to be subjected to the antics of a kitten) and living in a very small camper plus moving from place to place frequently, I felt it was best to find a rescue facility for her. Contacted four agencies and even drove 60 miles to one, but all said the best outcome for her would be a sanctuary facility and couldn't guarantee she wouldn't be euthanized. So, that's when Diva became part of our little family of traveling nomads. It's a good thing I didn't surrender her because about a month after finding her, she developed a nerve condition that causes her a great deal of pain, panic, and causes her head and limbs to become spastic. She would definitely have been euthanized had I surrendered her to one of the four shelters. I have a traditional vet and also a homeopathic vet for my pets. I decided my homeopathic vet would be the best place to start as the pharmaceutical medications all have negative effects on the liver and kidneys. Anyway, the vet mixed up a tincture of herbs and also prescribed CBD. The treatments seemed to lessen the severity and quantity of her episodes, and then she stopped experiencing them altogether. Once the medication was finished, the vet thought it best to see how she would do on her own. She has been off the herbal medication but still on CBD for three weeks. She did have two very mild, short episodes. So far, we are optimistic about her progress. Turns out Diva has no vision in one eye and very slight vision in her other eye -- most likely shadows. Therefore, to help her navigate the camper, I've put up ramps and climbing structures so she can get get from the floor to the booth to the counters and the bed. She is gaining confidence and even runs the course instead of tentatively walking it. Like my senior cat, Diva is harness and leash trained and loves following the dog when we explore outdoors around camp. The dog and she are great pals, which takes pressure off my senior cat, who is adjusting to her but not thrilled to have her around. It is fascinating to watch her play. Noise is definitely an attractant, but she also tends to zero in on things a fully sighted cat would ignore and she will fiddle with them as if they are toys, such as one of the wall lights at the head of my bed. She is very vocal and talks to me all the time. She has taught me to vocalize upon returning if I've been gone for a few hours. Otherwise, she panics until she knows it's me. Diva is teaching me new ways of playing, communicating, and spending time together that I never thought possible. Caring for a blind cat is highly rewarding. It takes some thought and planning but is so worth it.
There was a tripod cat that lived in my parents' neighborhood several years ago. Sweetest, most energetic kitty, and that girl was FAST!! She ran easily as fast as her four-legged friends, and with surprising elegance! Makes me sad to think she's probably gone now, that was many years ago. But hey, if she is, she's in kitty heaven, reunited with her missing leg. ❤️
A little over a year ago I adopted a cat. I saw her on line and thought no one is going to adopt this bedraggled looking very old kitty. A few days later I went to see her. She had been living in an outside colony, was dirty, smelled and her fur was a mess. I took her home the next day. April had heated beds, soft beds by the patio window for sunshine bathing, all the food she wanted, fountains, lots and lots of litter pans and when she couldn't get in or out I got some restaurant bun pans which were very big with a small lip so that she could walk in on one side and keep walking straight and out, she didn't have to turn around, I covered the floor in her room with a vinyl tablecloth for accidents. Little April stayed with me for one year and my Vet told me that it was probably the best year of her life. These kitties will bring joy and patience to your life.
Thanks for this. I adopted a 6 year old cat who had gone deaf 6 months before. She stayed in a carrier by herself and didn't interact with cats nor humans. She wasn't doing so well. I researched all I could for deaf cats, and there's very little out there! But I did my best to slowly bring her out of her shell and communicate. I have hand signs for "Dinner!" and "Get off the table", which she follows. I show her my keys and wave bye when I'm leaving. I leave a light on at night for the rare occasion she falls asleep not in bed with me. She always wakes up scared sounding if I don't. When she doesn't see me, she'll hunt for me or bring forth her "cat sonar" which involves a blood-curdling yowl until I present myself 😂. Her sense of smell is amazing, and I rarely sneak up on her...she knows when I am near, not 100% sure how. She had lived all her life in the shelter, and she's doing great, has the run of the place and two catios. Loves playing, having me chase her, and her many cat trees and scratching posts, and freeze-dried chicken treat "fetch". Thank you again for spotlighting these cats' needs! And for all the other helpful videos I've used. Hope my tips help anyone considering adopting a deaf cat. Do it!
My kitty is both blind and deaf. This happened gradually over the past couple of years. He is amazing. Knows where everything is, loves his food (demands it), knows where his litter box is and has a favorite chair he can get up and down on. Loves being petted and brushed. I was scared at first that he’d have no life at all but he has proved us wrong. He uses his nose and whiskers to sense everything. I make a air current when I’m approaching him so I don’t scare him and he does respond to treats! Thanks for the video. Oh and his is definitely not mute. You can hear him down the street.
@@josie4peace I wrote this 11 months ago, and he is still here! Still making his needs known, still likes cuddles, still demands his food, still has a voice that can rattle windows. In fact, he's bellowing at me right now. Just cause he can. :-)
Never personally had a special needs cat but there’s an organisation / cat shelter where I volunteer every now and then. We’ve had some special needs fur babies that sadly often got overlooked. They were so incredibly precious 💜 a big thank you to everyone who doesn’t see a special needs cat as “damaged goods” but a living being and deserving of love 💕 and has taken one (or two or more 😋) home.
Even if your cat is happy busy and healthy now, kitty might not always be that way! Every pet is an accident away from needing accomodations. Even old age can limit your cat’s old routine. Loving your cat often means being prepared to change things up as they change.
thanks for your post... it's a timely reminder. My 18-year-old cat just went blind this past week. but she's a trooper... I'm fascinated by how she's adapting. each day she knows more than the day before. Yes I'm needing to adapt too, to give her what she needs.
My deaf cat is really attentive and always looking at me, since day one we taught her sign language which works GREAT! And an upside… my 5 other cats now ALSO understand our sign language!
Omg same my white cat who is deaf also know sign language and he is verry smart he can also do tricks and all that. I have also a black cat who can hear and everytime I communicate with the deaf kitty with sign language the black kitty also does the things that I wanted the deaf one to do 😅😂 it’s so cute 😻
Great advice and thank you for pointing out that they don't need pity and there's nothing sad about them! We have two young active blind cats. While it's very good advice not to rearrange your whole house every month, moving some things around can actually be enriching for the more outgoing cats! Ours love boxes, the laundry basket and anything else that gets left in random places. New cat trees are always a huge hit to climb and explore. Same goes for new human furniture. So by all means don't move stuff around too much - but if you need or want to change something, you totally can. Blind cats can also handle moves as well as seeing cats (meaning: it depends on the cat).
Loved seeing examples of homemade solutions. Our house is full of homemade catification furniture, and it’s cool to see what others are doing. We have a cat with special needs, and I’m always amazed at how many beautiful people are out there giving these cats their best lives. It’s wonderful! 😻
My Snowy Cat is pure white, almost albino, with pink nose/ears, pale pink/green eyes, and has been deaf his whole life. He compensates by being highly aware of light, shadows and movement. He shrieks loudly at me with joy when he discovers that I’m right there with him. I expect he can faintly hear his own voice so that loud shriek is his meow! However, Snowy ChristMas Noel startles easily if he isn’t paying attention to his environment. I hug and love on him, kiss his sweet face and his ears, then make raspberries on them and he purrs wildly because he can feel the bumblebee vibrations!😻❤️✝️
Oh my goodness, Carol! My late girl, Sox, looked exactly like yours, except her eyes were gold, and she wasn't deaf. We lost her at 17, in 2002, to cancer; had to put her to sleep. Someone had abandoned her in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. A vet found her, she was six months old. Best cat ever. I will always miss her 🐱❤️
@@donnabaardsen5372 I’m sorry for your loss of Sox😭but what a wonderful life you gave her! A true from “Rags to Riches” story, and you loved her, treated her like a Queen! Thank you for giving her the best life a kitty could hope for😻🙏❤️✝️
That's so cute!! My one eyed Siddie was also a fetch master. He was super cute playing toss and fetch the mini mousies. He loved them so much he would fall asleep with one his little mouth after tiring out from play. Siddie was
I once rented a room in a seaside town (actually I lived in a 1 car garage) and absolutely could not have pets, since I didn't even have running water, and the 'landlord' lived above the garage. When I would take walks in the neighborhood, I often ran into the sweetest, most loving one eyed cat. She had a great personality, and didn't seem feral at all. I never found out where she lived, but since I was forced into catlessness by my landlord, I really appreciated having the interaction with this cat. She didn't appear to be daunted or defeated by her disability. Her empty eye socket was healed over and was clearly a years old wound. Maybe there was a nice person who owned her, or else someone in the neighborhood fed her. Because she was very domesticated and sweet.
I would have found a family for it, because there was a cat that came to my cat colony, he stayed around, I tried making friends but he was wary of me, he had one good eye, the other had something wrong with it, I could tell he was unable to see through it, I had planned on trapping him to take him to the Vet, and getting him TNR, which is what I I do, but even though I put traps out, I never did get him, on time. I found him one day in front of my house, runned over, I've never forgotten that scene, I know it was because of his bad eye, he didn't see the car from that side. I've always blamed myself, I felt I should try harder to catch him.
Hi Jackson Galaxy, Do you have a cat bed that is heated? My cat loves my old heating pad that barely gets warm. It will stop working pretty soon. I would like to have a replacement for her. Thank you. Roberta Haney.
@@texasgal3903 - I know the guilt of thinking you did not do enough. I worked nights and on my way home one morning, I saw a dog next to the highway who looked very frightened. I tried and tried to catch him, but he just ran from me each time. I was tired and afraid that I would end up chasing him into the road, so I gave up. On my way back to work that evening, I found him dead on the highway near where I was trying to catch him. This was years ago and I still feel the guilt of not trying harder.
Legally blind human here. Would also recommend carpet runners or door matts to put at the top or bottom of stairs so they know by floor texture when stairs are coming up. I have 3 cats (2 Maine Coons and a fluffy rescue) and we found an amazing wand toy at Tractor Supply with a mouse on the end that squeaked when it is moved. Could be a fantastic toy for a blind cat.
There's this neighbourhood cat, one-eyed, he is the best climber and the most affectionate (and also the most clingy). I love him. Apparently a chicken did it to him, he also tends to avoid them...
My 14 year old princess lost her hearing at some undefined point in time. I don‘t know for sure cause she hid it so well it took me a while to realise… Though we have both already found other ways to communicate with each other, I am really looking forward to this video!
I really appreciate this. So many folks love and value cats with those extra needs. I think the learning curve can intimidate some potential cat parents, so videos like this make those needs much less intimidating and I really think this kind of stuff will help some of those cats find some happy homes and sooner.
I have a big soft spot for seniors and handicapable kitties, and have had many over my lifetime. My “heart” kitty Spike, was adopted from Cat House On The Kings at 15. It was love at first sight for us both. Before that was one eyed Rupert who really had no limitations. Now our beautiful girls Sadie and Faith, Faith is a tripod and had nerve damage when she suffered a broken pelvis at 3 months old. It was a breeze to add stairs to our bed, couch and their special “spying spot” which is on top of my file cabinets, starts with stairs which take her to the credenza and a 2x4 which I covered in sisal, which serves as a ramp, which takes her to the top of the cabinets. She is just as abled as her beloved sister.
Your statement is simultaneously true and untrue. People have been keeping and raising CH cats for years, allowing them to live happy lives. So that's not new whatsoever. However, there are still a lot of people out there (idiots, IMO) who don't know anything about CH and think it's painful for the cat. And some of these idiots happen to be vets. So it can still be a death sentence, depending on which vet the cat is taken to and how much the owner/rescuer knows about CH (or cares to learn). I'm in a large CH group on Facebook and there are always people joining who say their vet recommended euthanasia and they're unsure what to do. The community does their best to convince them, but I'm sure for every person who joins, there's at least one other who doesn't join and just believes the vet. While having it on Jackson's YT channel is great, I don't think he mentioned anything about it not being painful, so it's not as though he helped dispel that myth.
I have a precious 3 legged Calico girl and she is AMAZING!! She doesn’t know she is special needs! We do have tons of stairs and ways for her to get up and down and we also pad these areas with super soft blankets and make sure the stairs are short and easy for her and less stress on her body when she is going down. She is missing her front left limb. We still play with her with toys and she plays like any other cat. We also make sure she is active and has a healthy weight as having one that’s overweight with only 3 limbs puts more stress on their body. We have extra padding on all her beds to help with her comfort when sleeping. I noticed her favorite sleeping spot is a brand new pillow still in the bag. She LOVES it❤❤❤❤I love my 3 legger❤❤❤❤These special needs cats really are the most amazing little souls I have ever met.
I adopted a cat who had kittens before she was a year old, she has only 1 eye also. They did not have any info on her other than that. She was a rescue, but when they put her up for adoption, she could not get calmed down enough so they gave her drugs. I saw her briefly in her cage and immediately said i will take her home. I did and she hid under the couch for anout a week. She did come out to use her box and she ate ravenously. She has since gotten over the fear and is now out with me and my little dog. She rubs up against me and the dog. A genuinely great cat, and i think i made a great decision by getting her.
You are an amazing compassionate human being and a real life cat hero!! Thank you for your kind love for your precious kitty. I'm ecstatic thar you, your kitty and you dog have a loving healthy life together!! ❤️😇😻🐶
@@lauriej9418 your response was a little confusing bc my name is Laurie too lol. Laurie's ❤️ 🐈 's love cats. I'm so happy that we are card carrying members . Much love to you all!!❤️🐶😻😇
Thanks so much. My Bill is blind from kittenhood and I feel guilty that I struggle to find ways to play with him. His raw cat is FIESTY and he never got the memo that he has a disability. My little boy, my teacher and my inspiration. Billy says don’t let anything hold you back!
Thank you, Jackson Galaxy, for the great teaching on improving the life of the Special Needs Cat😻All my kitties are rescued and some of them are unadoptable, rescued from death row. I love them all. Each one is a treasure with it’s own purrrsonality!😻When our great Creator GOD made cats❤️🐈⬛😻🐈❤️ He looked at them and said they’re Purrrfect!😻A cat’s Love is healing medicine😻Blessings & Love❤️✝️ Minister Carole
As my Butterball got older, she lost her hearing until the end of her life when most of it was completely gone. She was just as loving and sweet and playful as any hearing cat, I just had to wake her up in different ways. Loved that cat with all of my heart.
We just put all the clues together last night and realized our 14 week old Maine Coon is deaf. We are extremely sad but also happy that we are his guardians. We will give him the best life possible and do everything we can to show him our love.
My cat, Darragh has 1 eye & severe allergies. She needs a lot. But I wouldn't have it any other way. She's the best. I found her on the streets when I lived in a bad neighborhood a few years ago. The only good thing was the sheer amt. of stray cats. Why pay adoption fees when you can just find a cat for free? I took her in & it was a rough road at 1st, but now she's the absolute best furry companion anyone could ever ask for. She follows me from room to room, knows her name, comes when I call her, & can understand a few compound words. I'm so glad you made a video about something like this. I'm actually disabled and tried to rehome her b/c I was having a very hard time taking care of her, but I'm so glad I ended up keeping her in my life b/c the rewards are endless. Turns out people really don't want to adopt special needs kitties. Due to her one eye sitch, she will fall out of bed, so I had to adjust my sleeping to sleep on the outside. She bumps into wall & my leg if she's about to go & so am I. We've collided once & she actually bruised my shin. A few adjustments is all it took for her to be OK. Also, she was afraid of a lot of odd things & other people, dogs, & kids, so that makes her options even more limited. And last, but not least, she also gives high fives.
So I recently lost my black kitty of 17 years old but now I have a tripod black kitten of 5 months but he runs around like he had 4 he's so full of life and energy it's sad to think that no one wanted to adopt him because he has only 3 legs but he has me now ☺️
My mom has a tripod cat. It is from a birth defect to where one of his legs did not fully develop and is just a short nub. We call him Happy Cat. He does things just like any other cat except jumping up on certain things. Appreciate the advice from Jackson.
I very much appreciate this video, thank you! We've had deaf cats, we have one now, Whitey, and find that they are super sensitive to our feelings. Almost mind reading like. And we have stomping patterns (with our feet) that we use for communicating, Whitey knows each one. But she does like to sit at the back screen door singing the song of her people, we call it. She can scream so loud you can hear it all over the neighborhood, it sounds like we're torturing her. So our neighbors know that our deaf cat just wants attention. She also has a habit where she picks at an interior door so it rattles the whole house. She does the same thing with the loose heavy mirror in the bathroom, bang, bang bang, she goes on for minutes on end. She has trained us to come when she does it, works every time. So, deaf cat? Anything that reverberates can be communication. I think....
My uncle had a tripod beagle dog when i was little... he said he was the fastest hunting dog he ever had.. he was also such a sweetheart. It never slowed him down.
Thanks for the tips! I already knew most of these things, but the others I'll keep in mind for the issues I don't have experience with yet. I have 2 cats and one of them is very special needs. (the other is just needy and thinks she is special) Almost 10 years ago I adopted a 4-year-old whose former caretaker abused/neglected her badly. She has PTSD, chronic health issues, a crooked leg, cannot maintain her nails, has allergies/intolerances and recently started going utterly deaf. She's the most cuddly little bundle of joy ever. She is a senior now. All I have to do is get scratching boards and posts with sturdy bases that won't wobble when she uses them, ensure she has ramps/stair-like platforms to go to high places, give her a special diet, ensure she sees or feels me arriving before I try touching her to avoid frightening her, limit my playtime and intensity to what she feels comfortable with and avoid making sweeping movements around her. When she has a (PTSD-fueled) panic attack, I need to cuddle her to help her settle down, because I appear to be her emotional support human.
I have a male black cat that lost his right back leg by being hit by a car. A good Samaritan rescued him to Southern Arizona Humane Society where after his leg amputation & healing, I got the privilege to adopt my 2 month old Mystic. And he can move, run, climb and jump like a normal cat - he's so FAST!!! And he will be turning 10 yrs old this May!
I have a 20-year-old. She used to play like a champ, but she has zero interest anymore. We've tried everything - no luck. You've given me some ideas I haven't thought of, though. Fingers crossed!
I love your videos. Every beloved kitty needs a loving home. My wife and I have had 9 cats over the last 33 years. No one’s ever asked for a new cell phone or back talked us. All they do is love and give unconditionally. I love my boys and my girl.
I always had "used "cats, old, toothless, blind or with other health problems. They are all just amazing. Full of life and happiness. Just give them time to find their own way around, and, as mentioned by Jackson, don't change too much. An open drawer can be very painful for them. But even such bad experiences, it never stopped them. Get up and try again. We can learn a lot from special needs cats.
Just adopted a CH kitten. She's precious! Ruby Lou. I have 3 normal and took in this baby that was dumped at a VERY busy intersection in my city. What a sweet blessing!
My Nehemiah was almost a tripod when he came home with a broken front leg. It was badly broken but a very skillful surgeon put in a screw and 3 pins and saved his leg. He has a limp but can use the bad leg in the cat box, I think he is a lefty, and uses it for balance when jumping. One of the sweetest things he does is put his paw in the air and shakes my hand. I think it's his way of saying thank you for going to the expense and effort to save my life and my limb. He runs up to me and put up that paw and I tickle his toe pads.
Our CH cat Bonk is the happiest sweetest cat we've ever had and brings us so much joy. We already had catified for our senior cat and Bonk uses those steps and modifications to jump around the house like a maniac.
My cats name Stewart and I get strangled after due to throat surgery for a completely thyroid removal and cancer, I also lost two vocalcords.. Stewart realizes when I have trouble and he jumps off the head of my bed onto my back to help me catch my breath. I always reward him afterwards with maybe a treat or extra playtime and invite him to my hugs. He has even got to lick my chin lols.
I have a solid white, one blue eye one green eye deaf cat that I rescued 9 years ago. We have the best relationship, LaLa is her name. You couldn’t tell her she’s disabled, love love love her! A week ago a neighbors outside cat that has moved onto my porch since 2022 came up to me and it’s eye was ruptured and other eye foggy, I took to emergency vet after neighbor gave him to me and he had to have eyes removed so now I’m trying to learn how to care for this sweet blind baby I have moved in my house. Thank you for your videos!
After adopting my first special needs cat, I don't think I will ever get a "normal" cat again. I initially started looking for a special needs cat because I have birds, and I wanted to get a cat who was less likley to go after them than most cats. (Sidenote: even special needs cats should not be left alone with birds or other small animals! They are less likely to chase or catch them, but they are still cats and can still try) I saw Bourbon on Petfinder and immediately knew, even before opening his profile, that he was my cat. He was trapped at about 1 year old, and found to have a chronic form of vestibular disease. He was considered feral at first, but after being passed around through a few rescues, he came to one that put a lot of work in and now he is an absolute baby. His vestibular disease means that he has a head tilt, balance issues, and part of his face is paralyzed (he slow winks instead of blinks 🤣) He is incredibly affectionate, and I honestly cannot imagine my life without him. I adopted a blind kitten, Seymour, a few months later, and he was sweet as can be. He loved to be pet and would shove his face in my hands and purr, and loved to have his eye sockets rubbed (his eyes had been removed). He unfortunately ended up with FIP and passed away at about 8 months old. A few months after he passed, I was looking on Petfinder again and saw Fish, who has moderate CH. He was 6 weeks old when I brought him home, and is now 9 months old. He is an absolute mad man. He loves to play, loves to eat, loves to talk, and loves attention. He is basically a wobbly puppy, right down to loving his kong toys. When he gets excited he flops around, hense the name Fish. He cannot run, so when he wants to get somewhere fast, he launches himself across the room with as much force as he possibly can. He can walk slowly, but is fairly unsteady and falls often. But he does not know the difference, and he does not let it slow him down. They may not be normal cats, but I would not change a thing about them. They are happy, sweet, amazing animals, and give me so much joy. If you are considered adopting a special needs cat, but are hesitant because they can come with unexpected challenges, I say go for it. The challenges are far outweighed by the amazing moments you share with these guys.
Blind, Deaf and Senior! Thats my sweet bella 💕 shes a calico I rescued from the streets, the rescue said she was around 8, but my vet later said she was much, much older, prob 12. She also has a heart/trachea tumor that causes a small heart murmur. Bella being deaf & blind, plus a chatting Calico means she will catterwall for hours, and for all sorts of reasons! Sometimes its that she's lost and wants a ride to her bed area to recalibrate. Ive never taken care of a special needs cat, and being blessed with Bella has been the most heartwarming experience. My home maybe covered in textile mats, mini steps, heated beds, and lots of poolnoodles but she's living out her Golden Years in style 💜
I had a one eyed cat named Emma who I lost a few years ago to a tumor in her renal duct. Nothing stopped her! She ran, jumped and played like any of my other cats. If she happened to bump into something on her left side that she didn't see in time, she had the classic "I meant to do that!" cat look. For my senior cats, I can testify to how much they loooove the heated beds! I put self heating pads on their cat trees and they have been a big hit, too. My one cat now has Chronic Respiratory Tract Disease and he sneezes a lot. Love him to pieces! They don't pity themselves, they don't complain, they just live life.
I have a 12-year-old-deaf-cat (born deaf) and we communicate so well! From early on I taught her some key elements: follow, time to eat, cuddle and no. She is so smart and we play with interactive toys (on the bright side we don't have to buy ones that make noise), we even play hide and seek together! She understands that we can hear so whenever she wants to get our attention, she would smack something as she only meows to tell us to hurry up with food. Since june we have adopted a kitten that can hear and I have to admit that it felt so weird the first few days! Little things would disturb her while the other didn't stop snoring! I never truly understood how much cat could hear until now! The only downside is that she startles easily when we approach her (if she doesn't sees us) but once she does see who it was, she gets super excited. Give a deaf cat a chance if you live in place you know that they cannot escape.
We love the air prey! Just now my cat just turned from a sleepy cozy lump next me to a ferocious hunter when she heard the clicky sound just in the video. It’s definitely one of her favorites, but it’s been out less lately since we got a few new toys for Christmas, but I guess I better go dig it out!
We just rescued a totally blind cat over thanksgiving week. Someone dropped her off and just left her in freezing temps and in the woods to fend for herself 🥲 Veterinarian said she was near a year old. What a blessing she is.
We had an absolutely sweet foster tuxedo cat called Bunny who was a tripod. She was as active as her 4-legged brother and the best thing was that she stayed in my arms while I was sitting outside and a hummingbird came to our feeder and hovered in front of her. They checked each other out!
I love this....we have a one eyed manx who is sometimes very clumsy and falls, a lot. He's on meds for epilepsy, and has poop issues. He's full of personality and is fearless. He will pick on his sister knowing he will get his butt kicked! We also have a one eyed super senior who has declined a lot in the past few months. Imaging and labs don't show anything wrong, so we are taking it one day at a time and making each one good for him. He likes to curl up inside my coat to be warm and comfy. Our other two cats (another manx and a long haired calico) are "normal". They all help complete our family and they are dearly loved. Jackson, thank you for all you do!
As someone who currently has their eye on a handsome tripod cat own at the shelter, I really appreciate this video. Hoping I get the chance to give him a warn, loving home.
I adore special need cats, n met many while volunteering at a cat shelter. I one day would like 2 rescue one, when i'm financialy able 2 care for them properly. What angels!
My 15lb Siberian Bella was born with moderate cerebellar hypoplasia, abandoned by her backyard breeder at a pet store when she was 2 weeks old. From the start, she made it clear, do not pity me, I'm not any different & will find my way. Being Siberian, she leaps high & uses her claws to climb the bed and sofa, I added benches to make it easy for her to climb down. She's strong & no different than my other cat, other than her model catwalk. Take a chance on a different abled cat, they will melt your heart and show you anything is possible.
This past May a neighbor brought us a very small kitten that had been found lying in the gutter. He was filthy, he was scared to death, he was maybe 2 1/2 weeks old. He trembled, his eyes were not fully opened and he did not appear to hear us. When we took him to the vet, we discovered that he had cerebellar hypoplasia. So now we have a lovely almost 9 month old neurospicy kitten.
Great video! I have an almost 16 year old senior and he has his very own towel bed on the heated bathroom floor, which he loves. He also plays like a kitten still!
"i've never had a special needs cat but I would absolutely adopt any cat. But I would be very afraid I couldn't properly care for a deaf cat. I'm blind myself with no light perception which I foresee as being a problem in several ways: I'm most afraid of hurting or scaring them because if I can't see where they are and they can't hear me behind them, both of us would be unaware of what's about to happen. But I also am very unsure of anything to do with lights so I think it would be hard to communicate with them. I just don't think I could provide them with the safest and happiest environment or bond. That being said, my senior cat has recently developed bad spinal issues that effects her use of her back legs, particularly on the right. But I'm able to help her because I can hear where she's trying to walk and she knows how to get my attention when she needs help. And I know she's there because she almost always greets me with a little meow when she sees me walk by. She had years to learn how to interact with me in a way that worked. And I know her habbits.
I have a blind kitten who feels most comfortable when she can feel a little "burrowed", so a little semi-circle of blanket she can snuggle into is perfect. I purchased a little cushion that has a border that's meant for carriers that's become a scent soaker for her and it's really helpful when I need to indicate to her that she's safe to lay down somewhere and she won't fall off of anything.
I have one tripod cat and a cat that's closing in on a super senior age (she's 15). The eldest has been through cancer treatment and surgery, she became really wobbly and thin, but has gained weight since. She really doesn't like running after things anymore (except my leg lol) but she will gladly watch and try to catch a toy. I thought it might be a problem, she's not interested that much, but now I see that can happen as they age. And I'm amazed by our tripod, he adapted so well. Even door dashed up the stairs a few times like our other cats :D So those tips definitely help, thank you!
Jackson, I love your videos! I have a home with an 18 year old ginger and recently added a 5 month old kitten. In a month and a half, my kitten's 2 brothers will be joining my household and I just recently found out one of the kittens has been attacked by a dog. He is alive, his owner right now is a vet and keeping good care of him. He will more then likely lose an eye and am hoping he recovers (his skull and jaw were fractured, luckily no brain damage). I still have a home for him in the near future. This video has great tips, and arrived at the right time. Thank you.
My cat Deanie, who is bottle baby, I rescued her and her brother when her stray mother I fed died, has severe CH. She is happy active and will be 7 at the end of Oct. She gets where she needs to go but sometimes she will just let me know when she wants me to carry her. lol. She’s very spoiled and I feel lucky to have her.
My cat has a wonky back leg and permanent breathing issues from a bad respiratory infection she had before I adopted her. Her breathing can be loud, she doesn't really purr and her meows are mostly voiceless, so people are a little surprised when they meet her for the first time, but she still loves to run, play and jump, and is very cuddly. Most of the time I kind of forget about these things because that's just who she is.
Excellent video Jackson:) I have 3 cats, all siblings. One has one eye(cancer), one has CP (cerebal palsy) and the other one is "normal". My brother has a cat with CH. This is all great info:)
Awesome video, Jackson!! I really think this concept has the potential to be a great sub-series. Two of the other conditions that came up in the Live Chat (and ones I would also love to understand how to accomodate better) were 1) Pica and 2) Feline Asthma. Both of those definitely inform playtime and day to day, and we'd love your insights on how to work around/with enriching them.
You're THE BEST, Jackson. I appreciate your love and commitment to the feline community. My beloved love partner in a cat is 15 years old and considering the fact that he was rescued from cold and starvation in 2008 (had 3 vertebrae of tail cut) and almost died with a first full urinary blockage in 2013 and another less important 6 years ago (My bad I guess but he's super fine with his appropriate diet the last 6 years. Miracles happen when you LOVE 😉, meaning NO vet required), he is doing really great for his age. I've been giving him a pinch of Pet Recovery extra strength every morning for a couple of years. I do some stretching with him a few times a day and love to play with him although I cannot do much with CFS and FM. He's been sleeping more lately but eats and drinks well and we are super happy to be alive and together (I'm almost 64) 😊. So again, thank you. God bliss. 🙏
My sweet boy had ch. met him & his brother the day they were born. Had planned on just taking one kitty home but read that having a playmate was a good thing. I fell in love before I knew he had ch but that did not change my mind ❤ He had severe ch. Could only get around by dragging himself with his front paws. He did a really good job at it to. I would often find him at the far end of my kitchen(no rug except by food bowls) at his brothers water bowl! He was the best kitty. Omg he loved to be loved, cuddled, kissed. (His twin brother is the opposite. No love, cuddles, doesn't like to be pet. It's like there not even related!)I often had to fight my 3yo granddaughter for him. Especially at feeding time. When he passed she told me right away, we need to get another kitty just like him meme, one that can't walk! I want another ch kitty like him so bad but I just can't take the chance of getting my heart broken again. It's been a year this month and I still cry sometimes when I'm alone. His name was Andy btw and he was just 7 months old. He does from a seizure but if that didn't happen the kidney failure they were about to diagnose him with would have :( He had the best 7 months any kitty could have though and we were close enough to the hospital to get back there and give him love before he left us. He hated the walker btw. He may have learned to like it but time ran out. Damn that was a novel. I was thinking about him a lot today and just happened to watch this video.
This is a so needed video for everyone who has o is planning on adopting a special needs cat, thank you for this video and helping us make our cats lives better
I have super senior. The two major things that made big improvement in his quality of life was ramps to get up to his favorite places and a few extra places on the floor to sleep if he feels extra sore from is arthritis. Regular checkups at your vet are a must for super seniors.
I’m so glad you finally made a video about special needs kitties! My two young boys (Berlioz, 2, mild CH and Wonder, 1, blind) have their own needs but absolutely are little demons like any others 😅 I’ll submit some clips of them playing
Jackson, I adopted a cat that got hit by a car and has a permanent head tilt, and has a slight tremor, I listened to you because you are an absolute genius, when it comes to cats, everything I have done from your advice works. Maxamillion is thriving I have only had him since Dec 14, 2022. He is a wall flower but he is gaining confidence. We are now ready to move on to catification in our home. Thank you sooo much. He is gaining confidence and is beginning to trust me. I cant believe how quickly he has come into himself. He is an amazing Furbaby. I was living by myself and was feeling lonely, so I would work extra hours so I was not home alone. Now i have booked my holidays, so Max and I can spend time together and I can catify our home. Thank you so much
I have a mild CH baby he is a mess but play has made him so much better. I also have a blind head trauma foster. That may have CH too. Still working on the best environment for him.
I adopted a disabled cat, he was deaf, he recently passed. Everyone pitied him and it felt so odd and to a point offensive. I eventually became disabled myself. I want to continue to adopt and care for disabled cats. People pity them but then don’t want them. They’re just like every other cat and my disabled cat was the best cat I’ve ever had.
