Blind Burmese Brothers in the UK
by Erica Head
(Halifax, Nova Scotia)
My mother, who lives in southern England, has two Burmese cats, one brown and one blue, who are brothers. They have had long and more-or-less healthy lives, with free rein to go in and out at will (she lives in the country). They are now 16 years old, and about 2 months ago one went blind, within the space of about 3 days. He had had kidney trouble and had been medicated for some time. The vet thought the onset of blindness, apparently caused by detached retinae, might have been caused by this.
Then about 1 month later, the second cat went blind, in exactly the same way. The pupils became dilated for a couple of days, and after that the cat was blind. This cat, however, had not had any kidney problems and according to the vet is in otherwise good health. It seems to be the most likely cause for this blindness is genetic.
I wonder if this is a trait characteristic of Burmese, but I don't see anything on this website to suggest it might be. I would welcome comments on this. By the way, both cats have adapted very well to their condition. They still go in and out of their cat door, wander around inside and out, and jump on and off chairs as before.
Erica Head
HeadE@mar.dfo-mpo.gc.ca
