To consider homing a blind cat

This may be an expensive solution but would your landlord agree to you buying and installing a new door with a cat flap and storing the original door? I’ve found landlords to be open to ‘temporary’ solutions that preserve their property.

This may not be practical for many reasons but maybe it would work for you.

This is the exact set up I have, they can both go in the garden but only the ‘good eye cat’ can wander. Blind cats are very timid outside as they can’t protect themselves so everything frightens them. Your new cat probably won’t want to go out and will be happy sitting on your knee

Maybe best then for the blind cat to go to a different home with a different set up. Your current cat enjoys its freedom and you would be too worried about the blind cat going out the window and getting lost or not being able to get back in

That's fair, it wouldnt be right to restrict the outdoor cat's life. I take it when you need to leave and the cats not home yet you have to close the window and then he/she waits at the window to be let back in?

Check out pokeypotpie on instagram - she fosters often blind cats or with eye issues. She’s adopted cats with eye issues.
One of the things I’ve seen her do is to help them navigate stairs put books on each step so they can feel the next step (if that makes sense).

What's risky about it? Do you have a cat flap?

A flat would actually be perfect, although they can figure out stairs it’s easier not to have them. I don’t think your existing cat would be scared but like any introduction you should take it slowly (keep the new cat in a confined space for a few days and let them smell each other through the door.) You would need to be careful about making sure they didn’t get outside. But in general, disabled, including blind, cats do really well. There’s no reason why it couldn’t work out!

Our darling old girl has gone blind and she lives in a house with a busy dog and younger cat. We just keep things out of walkways, give her litter trays up and downstairs and bowls of water and bikkies. She is honestly so fine and just deals with it in her stride.
I think you would be doing a wonderful thing OP. Please come back and update us - hopefully with a pic!

I adopted a senior cat. Once we got him we realized that his sight and hearing were suspect.

He failed most of the kitty hearing tests and I’m pretty sure he has advanced cataracts as in I think he can see vague shapes but not sure on full scope if you know what I mean. He was 14+ yo when we adopted him and we’ve had him for 5 years. We have 3 other indoor cats. It’s been a nonissue. You’ll surely get advice on acclimating him. (I’ve heard of using deodorant on stair step edges for a blind dog as an example).

He’s just happy to be a cat… he wants a warm bed, a full belly, and love. The rest are details.

My friend has a blind cat. He was blind from birth and she took him in with his brother who could see, as kittens. They both go in and out and he copes fine although chooses not to go far. You wouldn't realise he was blind a lot of the time although he does occasionally bump into things that are new or have moved. His seeing brother is actually more tentative and easily scared. Another seeing cat later got added to the household and they all got used to each other with no issues.

Edited for typo...

My friend has a blind cat, and a secure balcony the cat likes to sunbathe on
he turned his back for one second and the cat had a pigeon by the throat
he manages very well and loves playing!

The moggies here are melting my black old heart

I think you might need to have a think about how you're going to keep it inside while still letting your other cat come and go as they please? I'd also be a little wary of introducing an old blind cat to another cat, depending on whether they're used to sharing space, as it can be a bit intimidating for them.

That said, if you've worked that out then go ahead!

My old lady cat was blind for the last 8 or 9 months of her life. It was slightly different in that she already knew the house, so could find her way around just fine, but she was absolutely fine with being blind. The only difference I noticed was that she was a little bit more tentative jumping off the bed, and that she wanted more physical contact with me after going blind, she wanted to sleep next to me with physical contact, which she had rarely done before. But otherwise she seemed quite happy, and managed just fine with food and litter tray and jumping up on the bed etc. She even went outside sometimes too, and still enjoyed lying in the sun, although she preferred it if I was there with her.

Blind cats do map the house and cope very well. I’m not sure why pp thinks a large home is required, how much running around is a blind cat going to do?

@JohnnyRememberMe
and @Favouritefruits

What beautiful wee souls!

I'm in a small first floor flat and it was just the two of us. It was amazing how he found his way around, however I think he could see light and movement.

He was a darling boy - obligatory pic! Good luck OP.

We had a blind cat, she was blind from birth so didn't know any different though. She coped so well that we didn't realise for over a year! The only sign was that she sometimes went to go up a step before she was actually quite AT the step and sometimes climbed up places and couldn't get down as she couldn't see where the ground was.

This is my blind cat, she had one eye removed and the other is all glazed over vet thinks she has no vision I do think she can see a little.
i adopted her at 14weeks old, she’s just like a normal cat, she steals food, jumps snd plays but uses her mouth lots, she bites and nibbles her way around the house. She loves being carried. I let her in the garden, she can’t escape but it would be too dangerous to let her out. She likes to sunbathe and catch noisy buzzy flys!

we have another cat we adopted who can see perfect, she washes my blind cat and my blind cat follows her around all the time. They have a great little friendship!

nobody wants a blind cat but they are so loving and no different to a normal cat once they get used to their new surroundings.

Would they let you use a pop up catio if you have some outside space?