Cat Lovers Community Team
It is also important to teach children appropriate respect for deaf cats. Often, firmly tapping a foot nearby is enough to wake them or get their attention. Inside doesn’t mean devoid of enrichment and activities, though. The warmth of your hands is soothing to them in a silent world.
As mentioned, deaf cats are highly visual and tend to be alert and aware of their surroundings when awake. She cannot hear you call her name to come home. Deafness in older cats is caused by a combination of nerve damage and the bones of the inner ear fusing together. Generally, it is harder to tell that a cat is deaf than it is to tell that a dog is deaf, particularly if there is a hearing cat in the household.
Approach from the front so your cat can see you coming; deaf cats startle easily and feel vulnerable to predators, which amps anxiety. Also, offer your cat a variety of toys. Thankfully, deaf cats adapt to their surroundings surprisingly well and easily compensate for their lack of hearing by using their other senses more. Congenital deafness is a condition that most often occurs in white cats with blue eyes but it is a myth that all white cats or that white cats with blue eyes, green eyes, or one of each is deaf.
If you’re considering adopting a deaf dog or a deaf cat or you have a pet who is going deaf there are several things you can do to help them adjust and thrive. Deaf cats have other senses — touch, smell, taste, and vision — that can be engaged. Some cats are born partially or completely deaf because of a genetic defect; this is called congenital deafness. Get answers to frequently asked questions about deaf dogs and deaf cats, including living with and caring for pets who are hearing impaired.
As deaf cats are commonly white, you also need to be mindful of their risk of skin cancer. She can’t hear outside dangers such as cars, barking dogs, or other noises that could cause injury. The safest place for a deaf cat is indoors. While rehoming a special needs cat can be daunting at first, it is incredibly rewarding and many deaf cats can be very affectionate.
Make time every day to pet, cuddle, and play with your cat. Living Indoors It is very important that deaf cats live as indoors-only cats as they cannot hear danger approaching. You can always build or install a secure cat enclosure so your deaf cat can safely spend time outside.
Do deaf cats sleep a lot?
To determine if your cat is deaf, clap your hands or rattle your keys when she is facing away from you. By making a loud noise, the sound waves travel and are reflected back at them, picked up through their whiskers like a clever cat radar.
What is the life expectancy of a deaf cat?
Don’t let them go outside where they can be killed or injured by threats they cannot hear, like from roaming dogs and speeding cars. They could be born deaf (known as congenital deafness), or develop hearing loss during old age or after physical illness. With a few adjustments to their living space and routine, deaf cats can still lead a very happy and healthy life. Typically, these cats show subtle behavior changes, like not coming when called or not noticing when you arrive home from work.
Chronic ear infections that rupture the ear drum and spread to the middle and inner ear can also lead to deafness. They cannot hear traffic or honking automobile horns, so they need and deserve to live a protected indoor lifestyle. Generally this hearing loss is gradual and is often only noticed at advanced stages of deafness due to other senses (such as smell) adapting to cope. Even cats that are totally deaf from birth can make perfectly satisfactory companions as long as a few precautions are heeded.
Try to keep them out of situations where their safety depends upon their ability to pick up auditory cues. Cats with just one deaf ear may appear perfectly normal, and their problem may never become known to their human companions. Hearing loss has also been genetically linked to specific breeds (particularly white cat with blue eyes) but this is usually evident from a young age. Outdoor enclosures provide great environmental enrichment, and many cats can learn to walk on a harness and leash.
How do you make a deaf cat happy?
Make some noises outside of your cat’s line of sight like tearing paper, jingling keys, crunching foil, or tapping on a cardboard box.
References:
- How to Care for Deaf Cats | Disabled Cats | Cats Protection
- Deaf Dog and Deaf Cat Care | Best Friends Animal Society
