And Just How Blind Or How Deaf Is Bobby?

For those of you who have been following this blog, I guess you know all about Bobby. His story and everything he has done for the numerous cats I’ve fostered (and adopted) is just too long to sum up in one paragraph.

Bobby is now 15 years and 3 months old.

But recently, you’d also read that two vets have confirmed that Bobby is now blind AND deaf. Well, I know he is pretty blind because bumping into the walls and the furniture is the norm of the day even in the old house (where he spent his first 15 years). In this new house, he, as expected, continues to bump into the wall and the furniture. And when I vacuum-clean the room, he doesn’t budge or react even when the vacuum cleaner is right beside his ears.

If I don’t hand-feed him, he takes half an hour to find his food bowl. So, nowadays, I hand-feed him for all his meals. I’d put him on my lap, and hold the food bowl to his mouth. Even then, he sometimes doesn’t sense the food. I’d have to start it off by force-feeding him some chunks of meat before he starts eating from the bowl.

So, we all think Bobby IS pretty blind, is definitely deaf and I do wonder if he has also lost his sense of smell.

However…

If I leave this room and go out to the living area or upstairs without taking him along, it is just a matter of time before he starts banging his head on the cat-grille, asking to be let out.

So, how does he know I’ve left the room? He’s blind, he’s deaf and he can hardly smell.

ESP?

Even from upstairs, if I go downstairs and leave him be (because he is still asleep), the next thing you know, he’s coming down the stairs! How does he know where the stairs is, in the first place? �This is a brand new house.

Once, he went to my bathroom to pee at night. And he pee-ed right beside the drainhole, too! How did he find the bathroom (how does it know it’s a bathroom) and how did he find the drainhole? He’s as blind as a bat, remember?

And now, here’s the story that will top it all….

Yesterday, we left Bobby outside on the patio to socialise with Heidi (Sunshine). After awhile, I came in to attend to the cats and kind of forgot to bring Bobby in. This is only Bobby’s second time being outside in the garden. The first time, he fumbled around without quite knowing where he was, but we let him smell the flowers and get some sunshine.

My son, Jia-Wen and my husband were watching TV in the living room. Suddenly, they heard someone banging real hard on the front door.

Who is that, they wondered. Is it Mr Gorilla?

They checked and it was Bobby!!

“Hey, who left Bobby outside?”, they asked.

Oops….me. Sorry, Bobby…

Now, how did he get from the patio (which is at the side) to the front door? And how did he know that he should bang on the front door?

You tell me….

There are more things in heaven and on earth that is dreamt of in our philosophy – Shakespeare.

Is Bobby blind, deaf and has he lost his sense of smell?

Don’t know!!

Here are some photos of my “classic” dog frolicking in the garden on his first trip out of the house.

�I’ve been working on the railroad,
All the live long day…
(Remember this folk song?!!)

�With one of his best friends, Cow, on one of those cold days.

Source: http://myanimalcare.org/2012/02/02/and-just-how-blind-or-how-deaf-is-bobby/

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AnimalCare is a registered society that promotes caregiving to street animals and helps in their neutering and medical needs. AnimalCare has a Medical Fund, Food Fund and Education Fund.

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