---

I suppose Peanut could sense people passing by her custom-made cage at the shelter. She was used to being overlooked, but once in awhile, she would experience the warmth of a hand caressing her.

Although she was four petite pounds of sweetness all rolled into one charming calico cat, the world perceived her as damaged goods. Being visually and hearing impaired didn't place her high on the list of desirable feline companions. Perhaps the fear of falling for her prevented passersby from lingering too long at her cage. One burning question remained unanswered: Can a cat that can't see or hear really experience a fulfilling life?

From a human standpoint, losing sight and hearing is devastating because we depend upon all of our senses to live successfully.

It's not that way at all for a cat. Surprisingly, a cat's sense of smell is its primary tool for navigating their environment and surviving. A cat can smell the world in ways that we will never grasp.

Hidden behind that cute-as-a-button nose is a maze of bones and organs constantly working to provide your cat with vital information. It's equipped with a whopping 19 million odor scent cells. In comparison, humans only have a mere 5 million. Ah ha, so is that why my cats eat all around that crushed pill that I hide in their food, freak out when I bring another cat home without having seen it, sniff their food before they eat it, sniff their litter box before they use it, run to the door when there's another cat outside, sniff my clothes when I come back from the shelter, and can find their way around the house so easily at night? Apparently, their nose knows and that's something to sniff about. A cat's sense of touch is also extraordinary.

Their fine collection of 24 strategically placed, highly sensitive whiskers help them to feel their way around. They act like antennae picking up air currents in a room to help determine where furniture is placed. Even their skin and fur are highly sensitive to touch. A cat can also feel the vibration of your voice if you cuddle close or feel the vibration on the floor when you walk across the room.

So, as you can see, cats can live a good life without having all five senses intact. Obviously sight and hearing would be my preference, but when you're only options are smell, touch and taste - and they are all fashioned in a highly sensitive state - there is no reason why Peanut and others like her cannot experience life to its fullest.

Fortunately for Peanut, a special someone named Leanne Shafner, lingered a little bit too long around her cage. She chose to focus on Peanut's abilities rather than her disabilities and decided to give her a home. From what she tells me, it's all true that a cat in a deficit situation can get by wonderfully in life.

Within minutes of being in her new home, Peanut managed to find her litter box, food and a nice, cozy, sunny spot on Leanne's bed. As expected, she bumped into the furniture, doors and walls at first, but as time went on, her collisions became fewer and fewer. As Leanne says, "She learned the lay of the land quickly!"

In order not to startle Peanut, Leanne approaches her by gently touching the tips of her whiskers and gets down to her level. Sometimes one has to even wonder just how deaf or blind Peanut really is because she responds to light and loud whistles. That's another reason for not discounting the adoption of a deaf or blind cat: You never know the degree of their disability.

Leonardo da Vinci considered cats to be nature's masterpiece because of their remarkable ability to adapt to any type of adversity. They automatically make the necessary adjustments to compensate for their loss and move on. I guess that must be why they say that cats have nine lives.

Disability or ability, which one do you choose to focus on?

Meow!

Linda Faber is a volunteer at the North Attleboro Animal Shelter. She welcomes your comments and can be reached at Faberfamily@juno.com.