Tips on Caring for a blind pet

Make a sound with your fingers as you reach out to touch them.

More than a few times, I have come across a blind animal that is startled when you reach down to touch/pet them.  The animal knows you're standing there in front of them, but they don't always know that you're reaching down to touch them.  Immediately before touching them, I suggest making a sound.  I use a simple rubbing together of my fingers, but anything, even a snap of the fingers, works.  Rubbing your thumb against your fingertips, as in the motion of indicating "something cost a lot of money" (if you can visualize it!) produces enough of a sound to let your pet know your hand is close.  It only takes a split second of rubbing, and the animal picks it right up.  As well, a nice little unintentional benefit is that after a few times, the animal gets conditioned to this (rubbing sound = petting), and they expect to be touched.  My cat immediately hunches up his back in preparation for a petting when he hears the sound.

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