niao mi is more comfortable with getting around without seeing

I noticed that Niao Mi (our 17 year old cat) is having an easier time getting around without seeing now. He's actually getting on objects above the ground, like he used to. Yesterday, while Troy was eating on the recliner, Niao Mi made his way to where Troy was by first getting on the futon and then jumping on the right hand rest of the recliner. He didn't stay for long, because Troy was wearing shorts. I think Niao Mi prefers Troy's jeans.

He's also sleeping on the futon more, like he did before. And, as I am typing this, he's resting in his carrying case, which sits on top of a storage box. I say he's getting around quite well. He hasn't tried to claw his way onto our bed yet. Less than a week ago, he was sleeping with us approximately an hour or so at night. Wonder whether he'll return to doing that some time.

He's also finding his food and water, most of the time, without any problem. However, if his food has been sitting for several hours or half a day, he can't smell it! As a sympathetic one, I drop some fresh food into his bowl when he looks like he's ready to chomp some more. He's lost a lot of weight in the last few months, though you couldn't tell by looking at him; he has loads of fur.

the failing health of my cat of 17 years

several days ago, i noticed that niao mi (pronounced "knee-owww me") had trouble seeing. don't know whether he's completely blind or nearly blind. whatever the case, he's moving around by familiarity and scent.

another problem is that he's been throwing up yellow at least once every 24 hours, except yesterday. looks like he regurgitated food yesterday.

a friend, te norman, came over yesterday late afternoon. she has cats and she has had cats in the past. she's a very observant, astute, and keen individual when it comes to cats and dogs. i was feeling really sad that niao mi couldn't see. more importantly, i wasn't sure whether that bothered him. she looked for signs of responding badly to not being able to see - such as inappropriate purring, sluggishness, etc. he doesn't seem to be exhibiting that. also, he doesn't have any crustiness or puss around his eyes. his eyes do look dialated though, regardless of the amount of light available in any given place. . .

as for throwing up yellow, we looked for other signs of possible kidney failure and spotted none. there's no blood in his urine. he's still drinking water (in fact he drank water while te was over). he's still eating, when he can smell the food.

so, i'm going to closely monitor what's going on with him. for the time being, i'm going to keep him home (he so hates visiting the veterinarian). and, when i'm home, i try to talk to him more. and, whenever i approach him, i vocally let him know, so i won't startle him when i pet him.

like a book that te brought over noted, cats don't know they're not supposed to be blind; so, they won't mourn their loss of sight. they simply adapt or adjust to not being able to see.