- April 19, 2024
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One of the most popular residents of Flagler Beach is a tiger striped cat named Chilidog. He’s mysterious, like all cats, and quite a character, but also unusual, in that he has been blind since he was hit by a car in 2002.
Everyone in the neighborhood knows the 14-year-old cat, according to owner Mike Larson, 58, a house framer.
“Even the people who stay at the motel (next door) come to see him,” he said. Snowbirds in the neighborhood check on Chilidog when they arrive from up north, and someone even brought the cat a wind chime recently as a gift.
People are often surprised to find that Chilidog is blind, as the cat faces their direction when they approach or follows them around. “He hears you,” Larson said.
Chilidog, who was given the name by the Larsons’ son for an unknown reason, has adjusted quite well to his blindness. “He’s had a quality life,” Larson said. “We cater to him and spoil him. He gets whatever he wants. He’s a trip. We thoroughly enjoy him.”
Larson’s wife, Diane, 66, recalled one day when Chilidog was on a table in the yard. The cat suddenly leaped off and caught a dragonfly in midair, startling a visitor. The Larsons assume he could hear the insect flying.
Around the house, Chilidog negotiates quite well. He even jumps up on the kitchen counter and the bed. The Larsons believe he remembers these household features from when he could see. He doesn’t have much of a problem when they move furniture around, either. The Larsons assume he uses his whiskers, much like cats do in the dark.
Chilidog gets walked on a leash and seems to enjoy it immensely. Larson said he can rein the cat in the desired direction with gentle tugs of the leash, or issue warnings of obstacles by saying “Watch it.”
But the family still recalls that day when Chilidog lost his sight.
After Chilidog was hit by the car, he walked a half block to his home, and the Larsons rushed him to an animal hospital. His nose was broken in eight places, his jaw was hanging, one eye was out of its socket and the other eye was black.
The surgery was expensive. “People say they don’t believe I would spend $2,500 on a cat when there are so many,” Mr. Larson said, “but that’s our boy.”
Nancy Peterson, cat program manager for the Humane Society of the United States, said being blind is not a reason to put a healthy cat down. She said you can play with a blind cat. “Get toys that smell or make noise,” she said. “They can climb up and down a cat tree. If you pick them up be sure to put them down in a familiar place. “
Peterson said if someone has a normal cat that starts bumping into things, squints or has discharge from the eyes, they should see a veterinarian because some diseases can be treated and blindness can be prevented.
Peterson said no cat, especially if blind, should roam outdoors where they can be injured or acquire a disease.
“Create a stimulating environment for them indoors,” she said. “They need to play, climb and they need affection. You can take them outside with a leash and harness.”
Deborah Birmingham, canine behavior counselor at the Flagler Humane Society, said an animal may be confused while losing its sight, but will adjust after becoming blind. Birmingham said people should not transfer their own feelings to an animal about going blind.
“Don’t coddle them and over pet them,” she said. “Don’t make like it’s a big deal. They will adjust.”
