Living with a Deaf Cat

 Living with a Deaf Cat

A genetic anomaly causes blue-eyed white cats to be born deaf. I have not been able to find out what percentage of them are deaf - but it is fairly common. Odd-eyed whites are often deaf on the same side as they are blue eyed! This anomaly is present in all the several breeds in which blue-eyed white cats occur, from Persian to Oriental to the lovely Turkish Van.

You would not, of course, go out looking for a deaf cat to adopt, but you might find a lovely white kitten you want to take home, and discover that they are deaf. So - then what?

You wonder how great a handicap it is. How difficult it might make it for you, or the cat.

I usually jokingly reply to people, when they ask what it is like to have a deaf cat that she is just like all my other cats. I yell "no" and she ignores me, just like all the others do.

In general, deaf cats cope very well with their disability. Pearl, my deaf cat, has taught me that there are only a few things I must keep in mind for her comfort. One is that - she cannot hear me! So I cannot call her to me, "kitty kitty kitty", like you can most cats. However, we have developed our own little sign language. I catch her eye and hold out my hand and make a scratching motion, as if I were scratching her back. She may decide to come over and get her back scratched. That's just the Oriental in her!

But she also cannot hear a shouted warning, the hiss of another cat behind her, or you walking up to her when her eyes are closed. It is simply considerate to let her know you are coming - otherwise she will waken with hisses and slashing claws. Like all cats, she is sensitive to vibration. If she is asleep on the bed, I put my weight on the bed a foot or so away from her and that will generally wake her up without startling her by touching her when she is sound asleep. My husband has less of a problem, since he is heavier than I am - she usually seems to sense him walking across the floor when he gets near. If she is very soundly asleep I might touch her whiskers gently. She will shake her head a time or two then open her eyes to see what is tickling her.

As far as shouting a warning - or "no" - there are several things that will work. Pearl has had a bit of a hard life so I try not to startle her unless it is absolutely necessary. I, personally, don't like the squirt bottle with water method because it upsets Pearl. However, with a new kitten, you might try it and see how the kitten reacts. For Pearl, I have a number of "koosh" balls - these are very soft balls that have a bit of weight to them. If she is about to put her dainty foot where it doesn't belong I will toss a "kooshie" in her general area. I don't throw them AT her to hit her, just so that she can see it - it distracts her - and she has gotten the message over time that when that koosh goes by, I am probably getting up to come get her out of whatever mess she is in, so its better to just stop or run off. And besides, she likes to play with them - so often she quits just to go play with the kooshie.

As time goes on and you live with your deaf cat, the two of you will work out a language you both understand.

Of course, you would never want to allow your deaf cat outdoors - unless you teach them to walk on a leash (the Orientals will learn to do this) and can be right there with them every minute. The world is too dangerous a place for cats - and even more so if they cannot hear.

I know when I adopted Pearl (who was almost 2 years old) I was curious about a couple of things. One was whether she chatted or purred. Orientals are usually very vocal. She does meow, and certainly purrs, although she is considerably less vocal than other Orientals I have had. (She is just as opinionated though). The other thing I've noticed is how expressive cats ears are. Yes, she still swivels them back and forth and up and down, but not to catch noises, but to express her mood from moment to moment. We are used to reading a cats body language by their tail, but the ears, too, have quite a bit to say.

If she is alert and interested they are high and perky. If she is relaxed they are relaxed also and sometimes even swivel slightly to the side and down. If she is angry, of course, they are flat and pointed back. There are about a million subtle nuances between these three stages, and you will soon learn them, as you grow closer to your cat.

My advice, if you are considering a adopting a deaf cat, is to feel comfortable and go ahead. So long as you do intend for the cat to always be an indoor cat, I don't think any other special measures are called for. The little bit of extra consideration and effort called for will be easy to give that white bit of fluff as it captures your heart with those gorgeous blue eyes.
About the Author

Artist, writer and webdesigner, Summer Fey Foovay also has the honor of being owned by Pearl, a deaf, and psychic, cat. Pearl has her own website at Pearlie the Psychic Kitty

 Summer Fey Foovay

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