Deaf Cats – Cat Care

Deaf cats are not uncommon; in fact as many cats get older they can show signs of deadness. My own old cat had started to show signs of deafness, you could walk right up behind her without her knowing you were there and then she would jump out of her skin when she finally noticed you. It was a worry, as she may not hear traffic coming or other animals etc, so we did start to keep an extra eye on her.

Of course some cats are born deaf and just like deaf humans they compensate by using their other senses more. In some cases these cats are so well adjusted to their disability that it can sometimes be impossible to know that they are in fact deaf.

There are other reasons too where deafness can occur, for instance:

• Wax build up in ear
• Ear mites
• Ear infections
• Noise trauma

picture by Flawka

How do you know if your cat is deaf

There may me many owners out there who have deaf cats or cats with partial hearing, simply because the cats have learned to cope well. However there are some common signs which could indicate that your cat is having hearing problems. For instance:

• Not reacting to loud or sudden sounds like the washing machine or vacuum cleaner
• Not coming when called (if they ever did that its)
• Being startled when you approach from behind
• Shaking of the head
• Signs of disorientation
• Excessive loud meowing
• Discharge coming from ear

Any of these signs could indicate deafness and all need to be checked by   a vet as in some cases the cause of the deafness can be cured with treatment.

How to help deaf cats adapt

Most cats will learn to adapt to their deafness over time but there a few things as an owner you can do to make things a little easier for them.

• Always approach your cat from the front
  
  
• If severely deaf and living in a busy urban area you may want to confine your cat to a penned area while outside for their safety.
  
  
• It is possible to teach some hand signals for the cat to recognise from afar, these are similar to distance dog hand signals.
  
  
• If out at night time a flash light can be used to call your cat in. It may take some time for the cat to recognise this but cats are curious creatures, so flashing a light would grab there attention.
  
  
• Make sure your cat is wearing a collar whilst outside which indicates that they are deaf in case they get lost.

In summary, owning a deaf cat need not be any different from owning a hearing cat. In most cases the cat will compensate for its disability and be able to live a normal happy life.

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