How do I know if my cat is seeing right?

mrwright122 · Jan 4, 2009, 02:27 PM

My name is Carrie. I have two cats. Although they were obtained through our local "alley" store, I am quite sure the oldest, Caesar, has Siamese in him. I have been told that siamese cats have eyes that "quiver" and his do from time to time. However, Caesar seems to have trouble focusing. I work for an eye doctor. If Caesar was a human, I would think he has Macular Degeneration, a disease of the eye that affects the central vision. He seems to look at things off to his side rather than directly in front of him. Does anyone have a siamese or know more about this that can give me any answers?

Wondergirl · Jan 4, 2009, 02:37 PM

From travelswithtigger.com --

"Crossed eyes still crop up occasionally within the breed. Though undesirable [for breeding purposes], this is not a problem for the cat, and does not affect its behavior or longevity."

In Lilian Jackson Braun's The Cat Who... books, the female Siamese cat-heroine, Yum Yum, often sits on her brisket or stares off into space with eyes crossed.

Give your vet a call and pick his brain on this one.

Does Caeser "talk" a lot and aways have something to "say"? My rescued probably-part-Abyssinian is like that too.

mrwright122 · Jan 4, 2009, 04:42 PM

YES!! Caesar "talks" all the time. I've never heard another cat do it before, it cracks me up! I can tell what he wants or is feeling when he talks to me. He yells at the birds on our roof through the skylights, talks back when reprimanded and mumbles as his "sister" walks by. LOL !

Wondergirl · Jan 4, 2009, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by mrwright122

YES!!! Ceasar "talks" all the time. I've never heard another cat do it before, it cracks me up!! I can tell what he wants or is feeling when he talks to me. He yells at the birds on our roof through the skylights, talks back when reprimanded and mumbles as his "sister" walks by. LOL !

And I could create a dictionary. Thomas Jefferson makes a certain noise when he's happy (a small, quiet "erm" deep in his throat), a similar noise when he wants to know something (an "erm" that goes up in tone like a question does), an impatient noise when he wants food ("nouwwwwwwwwwww"), a different noise when he doesn't get the food he was hoping for ("noooooooooooooo"), an indignant yowl and head butt when I am fussing over and petting one of the other three cats, and so on.

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