"But the eyes are blind. One must look with the heart.”

September 25, 2016 8:04 AM

Mumble the Chicken was born without eyes. A year later, Mumble — who lives with the dogs, cats, rabbits, humans and other chickens of the Cummings family in North Somerset, U.K. — has become an ambassador for disabled creatures everywhere.

Her Youtube channel includes:

Mumble's First Pancake
Mumble Dreams
and the heartwarming Mumble Gets Eyes

Mumble's Facebook page

posted by Johnny Wallflower (14 comments total)

Why do dogs and chickens get names, but the cat is just "Pet Cat?"

Does it have something to do with the family pecking order?
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:17 AM on September 25, 2016 [1 favorite]

It is well documented that the naming of cats is a difficult matter.
posted by Wolfdog at 8:21 AM on September 25, 2016 [24 favorites]

My late blind-from-birth kitty was one of the smartest and most capable animals I have ever known. She never stopped amazing me.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 9:27 AM on September 25, 2016 [2 favorites]

Why do dogs and chickens get names, but the cat is just "Pet Cat?"

Because in the cat's case, it is an instruction.
posted by vanar sena at 10:53 AM on September 25, 2016 [31 favorites]

I love this! I love mumble! I loved my pet fish that had no tail!

Across the board we need to stop thinking that being disabled is the worst thing that could happen to you. It is not better to die from measels than it is to grow up having autism*. Blindness is difficult, but it's baseline isn't "suffering". And hell, it wouldn't even be nearly as difficult if we all could agree to start formatting spaces to fit the needs of the disabled! We're the ones making it difficult!


*no, i do not at all think that vaccines cause autism. I'm just saying, even if it was, its an inane fucking reason to hate vaccines.
posted by FirstMateKate at 11:11 AM on September 25, 2016 [4 favorites]

All I could think of was how much chicken shit must be all over their house but then I saw on her facebook that she wears a specially made diaper. As my grandpa used to say "What will they think of next."
posted by bleep at 2:34 PM on September 25, 2016 [3 favorites]

I'm not sure that Mumble enjoyed the pancake all that much. She was just pecking at her food!
posted by Nat "King" Cole Porter Wagoner at 3:24 PM on September 25, 2016 [1 favorite]

It never occurred to me that a steering wheel is an ideal perch for a blind chicken.
posted by wallabear at 3:26 PM on September 25, 2016 [2 favorites]

I had a dog, a Red Heeler, who was blind and deaf since birth. He was a happy little fellow, loved people very much, and lived a long life. He had an amazing memory, and knew exactly where everything was located in the house and in the yard. He would run around at full speed everywhere (as long as you didn't rearrange the furniture). He also learned some sign language. We had to do the signs on his nose and face so he could feel them. He knew: time to eat, sit, shake hands, lie down, stand up, bedtime, and finished (=done doing tricks/ no more treats). After he died, I was taking down the little lean-to he liked to sleep under in the yard and found inside a stash of things he had dug up and collected. Cool rocks and things.
posted by jabah at 3:53 PM on September 25, 2016 [27 favorites]

jabah, there's a lot of dust in here, yes that is what that is, dust in my eyes. Also, if you have photos, we'd love to see them. Please and thank you.
posted by Fizz at 4:24 PM on September 25, 2016 [2 favorites]

I too am suddenly struck by dust in the eyes.
posted by WalkerWestridge at 5:03 PM on September 25, 2016 [1 favorite]

yah it gets everywhere damn dust
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:19 PM on September 25, 2016 [3 favorites]

We had a chicken that lost her vision. It didn't go well when she started walking erratically, causing the other hens to flip out. They weren't comfortable with her odd new gait, and they attacked almost immediately. She was separated from the "flock" - flock in quotes because it's a 3 chicken flock, and kenneled.
posted by Wetterschneider at 8:08 AM on September 26, 2016 [2 favorites]

I too had a chicken who lost her sight to cataracts. I had to keep her separated from the flock and she died eventually from eating too many bits of stone and little bits of sticks etc. Chickens instinct is to constantly peck and feed. A blind chicken is a pretty helpless creature without a lot of special care and hard work. It's really nice that these people have the time to devote to this chicken, but sometimes the kindest thing may indeed be euthanasia.
posted by WalkerWestridge at 8:19 PM on September 28, 2016 [1 favorite]