Best pet for a blind person

Question

I'd like to know what would be the best pet for me as a blind person.

I don't like dogs at all due to something bad that happened to me and my annoyance with puppies. However, I'm considering either a cat, a hamster or a guinea pig.

My requirements:

• not overly needy;
• minimal to medium maintenance;
• loves to cuddle (while I watch TV!);
• has to be able to handle my occasional absence (visiting relatives, etc.);
• alternatively, a pet I can travel with.

Those are my requirements, and I'm thinking on picking between a cat, a hamster or a guinea pig.

Answer 1

Of the options you listed cat seems to be the obvious answer, they are reasonably independent and quite a lot of them will enjoy a good cuddle.

I don't want to be rude or insensitive as I don't know your full situation but if you went for a long haired breed such as a ragdoll, or birman then they are like a nice warm fluffy teddy bear and you might enjoy the texture of the coat?

In terms of work load do you think you can handle the following:

• Feeding - cats will need feeding a couple of times a day, you can have then on a purely dry diet so that would mean filling a bowl with kibble a couple of times a day or a more infrequent filling of an automated feeder

• Water - cats need fresh water (especially if you are feeding them on dry food) so you'll need to fill a water bowl once or twice daily. Alternatively a pet fountain would allow for less frequent fills/changes

• Toys - cats love to play and need some entertainment, they like to play with their owners but it's not essential, there are many simple toys, soft mice etc and even interactive ones that will keep then happy. They do have a tendency to leave them everywhere though which may present a trip hazard?

• Toilet - if you want the cat to be an indoor kitty then that means a litter tray, normally you'd scoop the poop once a day and do a full change once every four or five days but given the potential messiness in trying to scoop blind it may be easier to just do a wholesale change every other day and leave it at that. An indoor/outdoor cat won't have that problem but you'll be needing a cat flap really for that.

• Travel - some cats can travel but I wouldn't rely upon it. They are very centred on "their" territory. If you are travelling between a couple of familiar locations then that's better for them. If you choose to leave then then they can cope for a couple or three days on their own with automated feeders but anything longer and you'd need to put them in a cattery

• Medical care - assuming no problems then a cat will need annual vaccinations at the vet, quarterly worming tablets and ideally monthly flea treatments and claw clips. The latter three can be done at home but I imagine would require assistance from a sighted person. Especially the claw clipping.

• Safety - most cats are pretty good at getting out the way, most of the time. However some cats are seemingly experts at being trip hazards. I've got one of "each" and little Mr Trip Hazard can materialize right under my feet at the most inconvenient times!

Answer 2

If you do get a cat, some of your requirements point to different age recommendations, so you should figure out what in your list is a higher priority.

If low maintenance/cuddling is your top priority, I would highly recommend an older cat (at least 5 years) over a kitten or young adult. An older cat is going to be lower energy and require less attention (play and cat proofing) and are usually more likely to just want to hang out on the couch with you. An older cat is generally not going to be comfortable traveling.

If being able to travel is your top priority, then you should get a kitten. If you accustom a kitten to frequent travel (and harness/leash training), then they'll be much more comfortable with it later in life.

That being said, I dated a guy who was legally blind and his favorite pet was guinea pigs (he had in the past had cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs). I'm not sure that his vision had any effect on that choice, but he didn't have any problem caring for his pets.

Answer 3

I am completely blind and I have to say cats are very easy to take care of.

If you get a good quality litter, you just have to scoop out the clumps every day which are very easy to feel and hear on the scooper.

Feeding them and giving them fresh water is very easy especially if you have a specific cup or something that you fill up to put in their dish.

Some cats will let you put a collar on them with a bell making it easier to hear them. However, my cat doesn’t like wearing collars but I can still hear her anyway. She likes to cuddle but she is still very independent.

Most cats do not like to travel and get very stressed out when you have to take them places. If you get a kitten you could probably get it accustomed to doing this though. But most cats are fine being left home alone for a few days.