No matter how self-sufficient and independent we might be, every once in a while, everyone is bound to find themselves in a place where they could really use a hero. Likewise, when we see someone else in a situation like this, it’s always admirable to rise to the occasion and become that said hero in need.
A few days ago, a story about this exact thing went viral online. A blind senior cat in his 20th year left home at night and ended up stuck on an ice chunk in the middle of a freezing lake. Hours later, things were looking dire, and they probably would’ve ended tragically if not for a few heroic locals who intervened just in time. Scroll down for the full story!
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Everybody needs a hero sometimes, especially if you're a 20-year-old blind cat stuck on a chunk of ice
Image credits: Westford Animal Control / Facebook
A woman walking by the Nabnasset Lake in Westfold, Massachusetts, noticed a cat stuck on the ice in the middle of the lake and immediately called animal control
It was the 16th of December when a woman named Dawn—while walking by the Nabnasset Lake in Westfold, Massachusetts—noticed a cat-resembling figure frantically trying to find a way off of an ice chunk in the middle of the freezing water. Realizing what was happening, the passerby didn’t waste a moment, immediately calling Wesfold Animal Control.
The rescue team headed over almost instantly, but while they were still en route, the situation turned dire very quickly. “The cat was now submerged in the water with only his head showing,” Wesfold Animal Control staff shared the details on their Facebook post.
Image credits: Westford Animal Control / Facebook
Before animal control could arrive, the cat fell into the water and was moments away from tragedy, but a couple of men working nearby saw the situation and rushed to the rescue
Fortunately, a couple of men, Kris and Nate, who happened to be working remotely nearby, noticed the situation just in time and rushed to help. They were quick to pick up a boat lying close to the lake, and with Kris pushing, Nate jumped to the rescue, grabbing only a shovel to use as a paddle and icebreaker.
The man in the boat grabbed the cat moments before it most likely would’ve been too late and brought him back to shore to be wrapped in blankets. Once the rescue team arrived on site, they saw the severity of the situation and acted accordingly. “We immediately transported the cat for veterinary care where his temperature was so low that it didn’t even register on the thermometer.”
Image credits: Kayla Seymour / Facebook
After the cat was successfully rescued, his owners were found, who revealed that this feline named Tiki is not only 20 years old but is also blind
Even though the cat was no longer in immediate danger, his situation still looked quite poor. Not sure if he would make it, Westford Animal Control searched for his owners, who turned up that same afternoon. “They were able to positively identify him and then informed us that Tiki is not only 20 YEARS OLD but is also BLIND.”
It turns out that Tiki left home sometime at night or early in the morning and was most likely chased onto the ice by predators, finding himself stuck with no way out. “This story is nothing short of a miracle from start to finish,” said the animal control staff on their Facebook post, adding thanks to the local heroes, Dawn, Kris, and Nate, for successfully rescuing Tiki.
Image credits: Kayla Seymour / Facebook
Blindness can affect humans and animals alike. Some may be born blind, and others can develop it due to disease and simply old age, or may even be blinded by external factors. But while for us humans, losing our most important primary sense is absolutely frightening, some species are a lot better at adapting to these changes.
For example, according to Best Friends Network staff, cats can exist with barely noticeable behavioral changes as their loss of sight comes on gradually. As they start losing vision, felines begin to rely a lot more on touch, scent, sound, and memory, while making a lot more use of their whiskers.
Some blind cats might even listen for echoes or walk with their tail tip touching the ground to find their way around. They rarely jump on things, often climbing on them instead, but many memorize heights and distances, continuing with their past behaviors, at least in familiar places.
Image credits: Westford Animal Control / Facebook
Cats who become blind suddenly are likely to deal with a lot more drastic behavioral changes. These animals often become disoriented and hesitant when they walk, bumping into objects and vocalizing a lot more than previously.
Additionally, they may become unwilling to leave their sleeping area, display inappropriate toilet behavior, appear withdrawn, and be unwilling to explore, often meowing when finding themselves needing assistance or assurance.
Image credits: Westford Animal Control / Facebook
Fortunately, most cats are perfectly capable of adjusting to their disability and can continue living a happy and fulfilling life, but it’s always a lot easier with the help of their family. As per this article on Max’s Corner, there are a few important things that can be done to assist.
It begins with patience, as it may take several weeks for your cat to adjust. And even when the animal finally does get used to blindness, since it relies on memory a lot, the most important part in helping them is being consistent, which means not rearranging stuff, picking up after yourself, returning things after moving them, and so on.
Image credits: Westford Animal Control / Facebook
Your cat may need help at times, but that doesn’t mean you should carry them from one place to another. Instead, guide them so that they can learn to do it themselves using other senses. At the same time, it’s crucial to find ways to stimulate their other senses, as they would have to be sharper than when the animal had vision to rely on.
Lastly, you have to be safety conscious, which means placing barriers over or around things like pools, closing toilet lids, removing or covering sharp objects and edges, blocking open stairways, placing a medical alert tag on their collar, and, most importantly, supervising their outside activities, which most likely means using a harness and a leash.
Image credits: Westford Animal Control / Facebook
Ultimately, blind cats, just like Tiki, can have a full life even with such a disability. However, for that to happen, their caretakers have to not be indifferent and become everyday heroes for their little pals, helping them out where needed and giving them the quality of life they deserve.
It’s unclear whether Tiki left home on his own or if his owners don’t pay as much attention to him as they should have, but it seems that, aside from this frightening event, he’s doing quite well—even without vision. Still, hopefully, from now on, his humans will take better care to ensure something like this doesn’t happen again.
What did you think about this story? Have you ever had a blind cat? Share it all in the comments below!
The commenters were rejoicing over the happy ending and didn't hold back when dishing out praise to the local heroes who rescued Tiki
