Deaf cats and how to raise them. part 2

Caring for a deaf cat

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Caring for a deaf cat

A terrible disease - deafness - does not bypass our pets either. Some kittens are already born deaf, and many animals lose their hearing for a variety of reasons. For example, with age. Sometimes deafness is temporary and goes away over time. We should remember one thing for ourselves: deafness is not a death sentence! Our article is about the features of caring for sick animals, we address it to the widest circle of readers.

How to determine deafness in a cat? Very often this is incredibly difficult to do. I have been working with cats for a long time, and in my practice there have been individual illustrative cases. So, one cat did not want to react to anything - not to his own nickname, not to promises and temptations, to nothing at all. They suspected deafness and took the animal to the veterinarian. The doctor loudly and unexpectedly clapped his hands, and the malicious cat was noticeably frightened and even cowered. Another case and another cat. He lived with us for a long time - about fifteen years. So, about two years before his death, we noticed that he stopped paying attention to the sounds of the vacuum cleaner, which he had previously been terrified of. This time the diagnosis was correct...

Still, there are several reliable ways to detect deafness in your pet. To do this, you need to try to trace the animal’s reaction to sounds that are of selfish, undoubted interest to it. So, my current cat, pixie-bob Ai-Petri, immediately comes running to the kitchen, as soon as he hears the sounds of a food bowl being moved or filled. Surely you will find something similar if you rummage through your memory. Remember the above-mentioned incident with the vacuum cleaner (I can’t resist a remark: the same Ai-Petri is completely indifferent to the sounds of the vacuum cleaner. All cats are different!). Also try lightly rubbing or scratching the area near or behind the ears and observe your pet's reaction. Finally, there is another ironclad method: try to seize the moment when the animal’s back is to you, and sneak up. The cat will not change its position; it will understand that you have entered the room only when it sees you - which means it has become deaf.

Is it true that all white cats are deaf? No it is not true. But in general, the percentage of deaf cats that are white is an order of magnitude higher compared to owners of other colors (there are especially many deaf white cats with blue eyes). But white color is not synonymous with congenital deafness! If you have a white cat, then use our tips above to test your hearing.

Cat testing. Of course, you shouldn’t rely solely on your own strengths. We would recommend taking your pet to a veterinarian, no matter what age the animal is - a kitten or an elderly cat. Veterinarians have many proven techniques and tests in their arsenal, including the so-called short-latency auditory evoked potentials. A very effective test that can be used to detect deafness in young children. During the test, a clicking sound is sent into the ear, and a sensitive computer determines whether the brain has responded to it or not. Some breeders working with white cats (for example, Angora cats) perform this test without fail. So, if you are interested in a white kitten, you can ask questions to the seller or breeder.

The veterinarian will give you practical advice based on the confirmed diagnosis. Perhaps your pet’s deafness can be treated with medication, or you should accept it and provide the animal with proper care.

Does deafness affect the quality of life of cats? With proper care, the quality of life of our furry pets does not suffer. Cats have other senses that are quite effective, and they are generally able to overcome their illness. The sooner the disease is diagnosed, the better. Of course, the cat should be kept indoors for safety reasons. But, if you live in a country house with a fenced area or garden, then you can let your pet out. The cat suddenly lost her hearing, which means she needs some time to completely “rebuild” and adapt to the new situation. Be especially careful and alert at this moment!

Points to consider. We have already noted the main thing - first of all, take care of the cat’s safety. Examine your own home or apartment with a critical eye to look for potential dangers. You have other pets (for example, dogs), which means you need to take extra care of everything. It should be emphasized that deaf cats disappear from home more often than others. Be sure to microchip your pet or put a collar on it with contact information. Also, be sure to indicate that the animal is deaf.

Look for other ways to communicate with your pet. Think about, for example, how to communicate that the bowl is full of food and lunch is ready. Some authors advise communicating with cats using gestures or signs - it is believed that deaf animals are especially susceptible to them. True, you will need quite a lot of time to study. But it's worth it.

As you can see, everything is not so complicated. Yes, you will spend more time and more attention on a deaf pet. But in general, before you are the same well-known cats - playful, inquisitive, mischievous, but very affectionate. Take care of them!

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How to determine the degree of deafness?

People who decide to have a white kitten need to know all the nuances associated with the peculiarities of its development. Not all kittens are equally deaf. Before buying a new family member, you should find out what type of hearing he or she has already at the stage of selecting an applicant. After all, it may well be that not everyone is able to provide a normal life for a deaf child and teach him to understand a person.

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Everyone knows that kittens meow. It turns out that if a cat is deaf, then he screams in a higher voice than his brothers and sisters. To determine hearing, a simple technique is used: they create noise stimuli to which a deaf animal will not react in any way. For this purpose you can:

• clap your hands loudly;
• turn on the vacuum cleaner;
• slam the door;
• rustle with something that makes a loud sound, for example, chocolate foil or a regular bag.

Of course, if you approach a deaf cat from behind and touch its body, it will flinch in surprise. An ordinary cat reacts completely differently to the arrival of a person. Thanks to his excellent hearing, he will turn around before you approach, or will point his ears in the direction of your steps.

But still, a veterinarian can give a full guarantee that cats are deaf.

How to tell if your cat has hearing problems

So, how do we as owners know if our pet has a hearing problem? In fact, it is not very easy to notice that a cat is completely deaf, because it seeks to compensate for the lack of ability to hear at the expense of other senses available to it. However, if you are very careful, you will still be able to notice that something is wrong.

So, deaf cat:

• She does not respond to the owner’s call, and not only does she not know her name, but she does not even respond to the classic “kitty-kitty.”
• The cat's behavior is somewhat nervous, she is excessively timid and often shudders, without any apparent reason.
• Since the cat cannot hear itself, it meows very loudly.
• Often the cat falls into a state of confusion and seems to lose the ability to navigate in space.
• If deafness is acquired and caused by an infectious disease, an inflammatory process or a foreign body in the ear, the cat may shake its head, rub its ears with its paws, an unpleasant odor may emanate from its ears, discharge may be observed, and the skin in the ear area begins to peel...

Based on these behavioral signs and symptoms, you can determine that something is wrong with your animal's hearing. A veterinarian will be able to make an accurate diagnosis after a complete examination of the animal.

Types of deafness by level of damage

1. Conductive hearing loss is acquired. A pathological obstruction occurs in the path of sound transmission or amplification in the ear. This disorder can occur at the level of the outer ear (this includes malformations, cerumen plugs, otitis or neoplasms, ear parasites) or the middle ear (injuries and malformations of the eardrum, otitis media, otosclerosis). If the disease that caused the pathology is curable, then this type of deafness is reversible.
2. Sensorineural deafness is often congenital. Most often, this is a pathology of the inner ear, which is a damage to the sensors - the hair cells of the inner ear. With their help, mechanical vibrations are converted into electrical impulses. This also includes pathologies of the auditory nerve. The perception of sound with this type of deafness is distorted or disappears completely. When the disease is acquired, its cause is often infectious diseases (meningitis, encephalitis), autoimmune diseases (Wegener's granulomatosis), as well as microcirculatory disorders in the inner ear, Mernier's disease.
3. Central deafness occurs due to severe pathologies of the central nervous system and brain in cats. Its percentage in the total number of cases of deafness is small.
4. Age-related deafness is a consequence of degenerative processes in the body of an animal on the verge of old age. The disease begins with the appearance of senile hearing loss in older individuals. It is slowly progressive and irreversible, and finally gives way to complete deafness.

Symptoms of deafness in cats.

If a cat loses hearing gradually, she may compensate for the loss by using other senses without you even noticing. However, when deafness becomes complete, some symptoms will be noticeable.

• The cat doesn't respond when called
• Becomes fearful and often flinches
• Meows very loudly
• The cat is often confused and does not immediately find his bearings
• Shakes his head
• Rubs ears with paws
• There is an unpleasant odor coming from the cat's ears
• There is discharge from the cat's ears
• The skin in the ear area is peeling

Treatment of the disease

Treatment methods for deafness vary depending on the causes that cause it:

1. Congenital deafness in white cats cannot be treated. From birth, such a cat needs special conditions of care and special methods of communication with the owner.
2. Treatment of ear infections or ear parasites is carried out using antimicrobial and antiparasitic agents, respectively, in combination with pain medications.
3. Benign and malignant neoplasms can only be cured surgically, after which the animal is subjected to chemotherapy to eliminate the consequences of the disease.
4. Ear plugs are removed mechanically, very carefully penetrating the ear cavity with a swab and a cotton swab.

Diagnosis of deafness in cats.

Diagnosis of congenital deafness requires careful observation of the kitten's reaction to sounds. If a deaf kitten is among healthy kittens in a litter, the deafness is quite difficult to notice, since the kitten copies the behavior of the rest of the kittens in the group. For this reason, deafness is usually detected at the age of 3 - 4 weeks, when each kitten should already have a predictable reaction to sounds.

Ear infections, fungus and mites can be identified by a simple examination by your veterinarian. For age-related hearing loss, special tests are needed to determine the cat's reaction to sounds.

Features of congenital deafness

Often congenital deafness in cats is inherited and caused by a genetic failure. White, blue-eyed cats are often born deaf - this is a genetic feature. If you get such an animal, then you should check its hearing first.

Other causes of congenital deafness in kittens are a viral infection in the mother, or exposure to toxic substances on her body during this period. Typically, such deafness manifests itself as degenerative changes in the first week of a kitten’s life.

Treatment of deafness in cats.

If deafness is caused by poisoning with toxic substances, is age-related or hereditary, it cannot be cured. You must help your cat adapt to life without hearing. Because the cat gets scared easily without hearing people approaching. Try not to make sudden movements or appear unexpectedly in front of the cat, if possible, somehow warn the cat. For example, turn the light on and off or stomp on the floor so that the cat feels the vibration. You may also notice that your cat is able to learn to follow your gestures and even read your lips. Try to always give commands in the same words and so that the cat can see your lips, and then show what she should do. You will be surprised how quickly your cat will understand what is required of her.

A cat can adapt to deafness, so be aware that it will require more attention and support.

The cat is beautiful." Some people like fluffy, healthy cats, while others are crazy about statue-like graceful cats whose skin is not covered with hair. But almost everyone agrees that snow-white cats with blue eyes are among the most beautiful.

Unfortunately, there is a myth that white cats cannot hear anything. People believe that if a cat has beautiful white fur and light, bottomless eyes, then with almost one hundred percent probability this cat is deaf. Is it really?