Q&A Saturday

Q&A Saturdays are an opportunity for friends to ask questions and get to know Lucius, or to ask questions about blind kitties in general. I can't diagnose conditions or give medical advice, but will always answer whenever I'm able.

Please note: All answers followed by the symbols <3 >^..^< denote that Lucius has provided the answer ;)

Does Lucius live in the house with everyone, or is he kept to more one area? He's out in population with everyone else. The only time he's been separated was right after he was adopted. The shelter had advised use to keep him quarantined from the other cats for a couple of weeks, in the event that he would bring something contagious out of the shelter.

Does he do stairs? This is a good question, one that I honestly don't know the answer to. Our house is one-story, as have been any houses or hotels that we've visited. We do have a small "pet staircase" that is used for Midge (one of our senior kitties) to get from the floor to the top of the bed. It has three steps. Lucius used that for the first time as a baby, two days after he was allowed into the rest of the house. He did use each step. Knowing that, and knowing how well he does with jumping up onto and down from furniture, I believe he'd do fine with stairs, he'd just have to get to know them.

How much do you weigh? 7 lbs. at the last weighing. <3 >^..^<

How long are you from nose to tail, or whatever ends are easiest to measure? 20" from my nose to base of my tail, then 8.5" from the base to the end of my tail <3 >^..^<

Do you like the sound of the TV or movies? TV and movies are ok as long as they are not too loud (what the humans consider too loud), then my ears will go back. I like some music <3 >^..^<

Dry or wet food? Both! But I like wet food much better <3 >^..^<

Can Mom rub your belly or do you attack her hand like lots of kitties do? I don't much like my belly rubbed, I'll kick if anyone tries <3 >^..^<

Do you hide behind something before you pounce on your "prey" (a little ball or toy)? I do hide sometimes, when I find a good spot for it. I don't hide so much from toys, but I do pounce. And before the pounce, I do the "butt wiggle" that some kitties do. Only with me, sometimes my whole body wiggles <3 >^..^<

Do you have a softer body part than others? The fur under my chin and on my chest is softer than everywhere else <3 >^..^<

Are you afraid of strange people or animals? It depends on the person, animal, and situation. With people, I'm usually a little shy at first, until I'm able to sniff them out and decide that they are safe. Once I decide that, I'll let them hold me and get comfortable enough to fall asleep. My mom believes that with people, a lot also depends on what vibes other humans in the house give off. It's often said that animals can feel energy from humans. So for instance, one day someone will come into the house and my family will feel friendly, I'll act friendly in turn. The same person could come back at a later time when things are not so friendly with my humans, I'll feel the tension and I'll stay clear from them. I behave for veterinarians, but I don't appreciate being stuck with the thermometer down there.

And for animals, we've had foster dogs off and on, and three kitty siblings have come into the house since I was adopted. I wasn't sure of the dogs. I didn't want to interact while they were here, but I was alright. And the kitties, well when any kitties meet, there's usually some hissing for a day or two. That's how it was here, but it soon went away and we all love each other. <3 >^..^<

Do you like being around other pets in your home? Definitely. I love them all <3 >^..^<

How does a blind kitty find the litter box? A veterinarian asked my mom this once, but he answered himself before she had a chance to answer. His answer was "I suppose he'd be able to smell it."  My sense of smell is incredible and helps me in many ways, but I've also learned my way around using my other senses. If the litter box is ever moved, my mom takes me to the new location right away to let me know. I sniff around for a few minutes to check what's nearby, and remember from there. I'm happy and proud to say that I've never once had an accident. I also "cover" better than any of the sighted kitties in the house <3 >^..^<

Do you play differently from sighted kitties? Most seem to rely on sight to track & pounce on toys & treats. I use different senses than sighted kitties, but the play is the same. Lots of people who have seen me play ask if I'm really blind. Sound is very important in this. I'm often able to accurately gauge the location of a toy when I hear it drop. Having toys that make sounds (with bells or rattles inside) or have a distinct smell (like catnip) also help <3 >^..^<

What kinds of toys do you prefer? Toys that make noise (with rattles or bells inside), catnip toys, and mouse toys made with real fur or feathers (the smell is easier to detect) <3 >^..^<

Is there a designated "treat time"? During my parents' dinner time <3 >^..^<

Do you have a favorite brand/flavor of treat? Whiskas Temptations, any flavor but "Creamy Dairy," something about that one isn't appealing. "Tempting Tuna" is my favorite. Anything with tuna <3 >^..^<

Any other special needs animals in your home? My sister, Midge. She is 15 years old this year. She was diagnosed with diabetes last Fall and suffers from occasional seizures <3 >^..^<

Favorite room in the house? The sewing room. The door stays closed unless my mom is in there working, so fabrics won't get covered with kitty hair and supplies won't go missing (there's a certain disappearing ink marker that I like to go after). But when that door opens, I dash in and stay as long as possible. It was my room for a few weeks when I was a baby, after I was adopted and had to be separated from the other kitties <3 >^..^<

Favorite toy? A little plush mouse that has a bell inside. I hide him sometimes and dig him out when I want to play. And somtimes, I'll drop him in my water dish or food bowl. The little mouse came from the dollar store but has held up to this day, even through the wash <3 >^..^<

Baskets, blankets or beds, which do you prefer? I've got a little bed that I love, but that bed aside, blankets win. I've got a blanket in each room, all perfect for napping and making biscuits <3 >^..^<

How long did it take for Lucius to get used to wearing bow ties? He took to them right away. I stick to bow ties, though, as he doesn't seem fond of long, formal ties. I believe that's probably due to being too bulky or invasive, whereas the bow ties are similar to a collar.

Does he have a path through the house so he knows his way around? He does have at least one path to get wherever it is he wants to go, but depending on what room he's in or what piece of furniture he's on, he could have several paths. If something is in his way (one of the other cats, for instance) it's just a matter of sticking his nose or taking his paw to feel the surroundings, and he'll make his way from there.

Does he have favorite places to sleep? He has favorite places to sleep for each room, and I rarely see him sleep elsewhere. In the living room, he likes a chair that we have sitting by the front door (when Midge isn't already sitting in it), his cat bed up by the fish tank, or (most often) the armrest of the couch next to me or directly behind me on a blanket. In the sewing room, he's got a fleece blanket next to the sewing table. And in the bedroom, he sleeps on my side of the bed. That's usually where he is when I come home from being out.

Something really cute about his sleeping pattern is that he's got the same routine every night. On the first night he was allowed out (he had to be separated from the other cats for a couple of weeks after adoption), he climbed up onto the bed and slept curled up under my chin. Every night since he's slept in the bend of one of my knees. He's there when I go to sleep and when I wake up in the morning. My little white shadow.

Does Lucius have a keen sense in that he knows your feelings mom? I definitely believe that he's very much in-tune with me. If I'm calm, he'll be relaxed and purring. If there's a visitor that I'm unsure of, he'll sit across the room, standoffish for a while. When I'm sick, he'll sit up against me, wherever I am, and stay until I get up. If the illness is something bigger, he'll cry and run frantically around the house. And I believe, more than anything, that he knows he's loved. He purrs every time I talk to him or pick him up.

Why do pictures of Lucius always show him with his face tilted upwards? Do you say something to him so that he responds by looking up at you? Part of it may be that he's able to feel something in the air with his whiskers, but I believe he's able to gauge distance by scent strength. Whenever he's spoken to, or I'm moving from room to room, or if he hears a new, unfamiliar noise, his nose is up and his face will follow the direction of the sound. I believe his scent gathering may be the equivalent  of a person following movement with their eyes. I'm always talking to Lucius while taking photos, letting him know that I'm taking photos, why I'm taking photos, telling him how handsome he is, what a good boy he is. He sits purring and I think his nose being up is just following movement, in that instance.

What sounds scare you the most? Hail storms, plastic bags, the freezer door opening, and ice cubes coming out of the tray <3 >^..^<

My question is, are your other senses more sharp since you don't have vision? Very much so. I've got a mental map of the house to find my way around, my memory is amazing, and I can hear a fly buzzing from the other size of the house <3 >^..^<

Blog Relaunch, and the Year Recapped

It seems like just last month that I had published Lucius' page on Facebook. The year has flown by, and so much has happened. The blog, unfortunately, has gone relatively unused, but I plan to change that - starting now. To catch up, I'll recap the year:

Lucius' Facebook page was created on July 18, 2013, then publicly published on the 19th. On the first day, the page reached nearly 500 followers (or "friends," as I call them on his page). I've never considered it a "fan page," but rather as a community of people who care about him - his friends.

Ten days after publishing the page, Lucius was shown immense support as the cat community rallied and voted him as Modern Cat's "Cat of the Week" for the week of July 29th. What an honor! We weren't looking for publicity or personal exposure, but saw this as an opportunity for Lucius' story to reach others.

Between October and November, 2013, a project took place in which ornaments were made of Lucius' paw prints. The ornaments went on sale in December, with 100% of proceeds donated to charity. Through the help and support of Lucius' friends, the ornaments were purchased and shipped all around the world, with just over $800 raised and donated to our local special needs cat rescue, Wayward Whiskers Cat Rescue.

In March, 2014, Lucius appeared alongside his buddy and fellow blind kitty, Goo aka "Mr. Magoo Who? The Blind Kitty Whole Stole My Heart," in a Rhode Island newspaper column written on the subject of microphthalmia (meaning "small eyes," the condition that both kitties suffer from).

In June, after a proper and thorough application process, Lucius was accepted into a volunteer program through Children's Hospital in which (through me), he will be a supportive "pen pal" for children undergoing treatment. A few weeks later, Lucius again appeared in the Gabby Dog column. This time, with his mission as the subject of the article.

The mission of Lucius' online presence was initially to spread his story, not for purposes of personal exposure, but with the hopes of people, or even one person, reading his story and taking from it inspiration and/or information enough to pass on to someone else or to personally give a second look and second thought to a blind or special needs animal. The purpose of advocating for blind cats, attempting to dispel misconceptions, and save as many blind cats as possible is still (and will remain) the main focus of our mission and Lucius' online presence. The mission has been extended, though it may (at first) sound simple and insignificant, to bringing smiles. Smiles can have such an impact. You never know who is struggling from what, who could benefit from a smile, and how that smile may affect their day.

Over the course of the year, messages with updates, stories and photos were received regarding blind kitties who were saved, either through fostering or adoption; some citing Lucius' story and page as the inspiration, others through networking only directly from Lucius' page. In total, I am aware of seven blind cats who have been saved in this year; seven kitties who were given a brief window as a chance to live, who were saved and now have happy lives in loving homes.

I offer a virtual, mental toast in honor of an accomplished year, and my thanks to all who made such wonderful events possible.