It is with such sadness I have to ask about how my previously happy, crazy little boy will be now he has lost his sight. We took him to a specialist yesterday after noticing he'd been a little 'off' recently and appeared to be missing things and more clumsy.
The specialist confirmed that he had end stage PRA and is totally blind.
My husband and I are absolutely devastated. I have already read all the advise and ensured his food, litter and water stay exactly where they have always been, I have cleared any clutter and am talking to him more when I walk into the room he is in, as well as buying him new noisey toys. He seems to be so quiet and sad, I know he is slower as he adjusts but I wonder if he will ever be his old crazy happy self, playing, chasing my husband and his sister Millie (who has no signs of having the disease thankfully)or is he always going to be what appears to be so sad.
I love him no matter what, and I know he will adjust incredibly - but my husband is so sad that he will never be his old self and I can't tell him if he will or not, if there is anyone who has previous experience, I would be so grateful for any of your experience.
Thanks xx

I'm really sorry to hear that. That must be very tough, and a big shock.

I'm not sure if this will help you, or help you feel better, or perhaps worse, but I'll throw it out there. Last year I read this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Homers-Odyssey-Fe ... er+the+cat

It's a pretty heart-warming tale. All cats are different and situations are different (e.g., her cat was blind from an extremely early age), but perhaps it is worth a look. The author also has a website:

http://www.gwencooper.com/living-with-a-blind-cat

Perhaps this is a good starting point. Good luck, I would love to learn how your cat progresses. Keep your chin up, don't give up, I think it can work out fine (easy for me to say as it is).

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The little monsters 3

Thank you. I have already downloaded it and started reading it. I guess only time will tell, but the vets and ophthalmologists have assured us he will be fine. It's up to us to make sure he is happy as he can be. I'll keep people updated as it's not a very well known condition it appears and if I can help anyone else in the future with what we are learning I will. I always think shared experiences help.

One of my cats has very limited vision (and hearing). He really likes to sleep in a sheltered place like the hidey-holes in the cat tree or behind the window curtain in the corner. He is a happy guy, loves to play and cuddle and give his kitty siblings attitude.

If you do need to move any of his necessities, do it slowly so he can find them still. Also be aware of any furniture moving you do. You can also capitalize on his sense of smell - using blankets or towels that smell like him to help guide him to new things. Play with him and love on him like you always have. The biggest piece of advice I could give would be to make sure that he has safe, secluded spots to sleep in and relax in and keep tabs on sharp things so he doesn't hurt himself.

Thank you x

I have not had any experience with cats in this situation.

However, if you are in the UK I would suggest that you watch BBC1 Pets -Wild at Heart (episode 2) on iPlayer as they had a segment on blind cats which was really heartwarming and informative about how cats are really well adapted to dealing with being blind due to their other senses.