The Ever Winking Cat

Meet Obi-Wan, the ever-winking cat. Obi came to us through our neighbor, who rescues and fosters cats from all over Oahu. He came to us with the name Bokeh, but this name was weird to pronounce and we already had a dog named Yoda, so it seemed fitting to give him a good old-fashioned Jedi name. Obi was a rescued kitten who had lost his right eye and is completely blind in his left eye. We aren’t sure what caused him to lose his eye or eyesight, and we have never had a blind cat or any animal, but watching him learn to navigate with sound and intuition has been pretty cool. My husband says, "The Force is strong with this one," whatever that means.

Obi came to live with us as a kitten. He was about six months old when we got him and has always been super curious. Obi started as a tiny little guy but quickly grew into a very long and lanky cat. His furry coat reminds me of a tabby, but he is tan, grey, and black, and a very handsome boy. It didn’t take him long to get the layout of the house and a feel for his new family. Right away, he was super spoiled. We made sure that all his toys made some kind of noise, ordered him his own luxurious and massive cat tower, and got him a top bunk to sleep. Watching Obi figure out how to get around without running into walls or furniture was very entertaining. He would swat his paws out in front of him while he walked to make sure there was nothing in his path. It took us a minute to figure out what he was doing. We couldn’t help but be impressed with his ability to adapt. We tried very hard not to move things around and keep a tidy house, so he wouldn't have to learn the layout over and over again.

Obi is very vocal, letting us know he is hungry, lonely, wanting to play or needing cuddles. Meowing for his can of Fancy Feast, rubbing against the legs of whoever is in the kitchen for his breakfast, he has learned how to get his morning pettings and fed all at the same time. Obi gets wet cat food for breakfast and dinner and a self-feeding dry cat food dish for all the snacking he wants in between meals. Although he can eat from his dry food whenever he wants, I think he secretly holds out for the wet cat food. In the evenings, when he wants to go to bed and cuddle, he gets a little naughty, doing things he knows will get him into trouble to get our attention. Once he has our attention, he will try to lead us up the stairs to the bedroom for his cuddle time. He’s an excellent personal assistant, making sure we always get to bed on time for our beauty rest.

When he isn't moonlighting as our master fly hunter and cat food dish awareness spokesperson, he is finding new ways to impress us. He still finds areas of the house we didn’t know existed and lets us know he doesn’t like them. And, recently, he has become infatuated with the back yard and has even joined us outside, but only until his curiosity is overcome by his love of his home (about three whole seconds). Maybe some day he'll explore the back yard, but until then, I am quite happy with him slinking about inside the house.

My husband and I have never had a disabled pet. Obi’s missing eye problems required quite a bit of vet treatment, and soon we’ll have to start a whole new round of treatment for his other eye. Obi was born almost totally blind and we are not sure he ever had normal vision. However, we sometimes forget that he cannot see. He routinely races up, down, and around with no problems, and it's quite stunning to watch him navigate with such precision. Through all of the good and bad, though, he has inspired us. Nothing holds him back.