How to check whether a kitten is deaf or not, the cat cannot hear, what should I do?

If a kitten, having settled into a new apartment, does not pay attention to rustling pieces of paper, does not react to the sound of an opening refrigerator or a running vacuum cleaner, and, closing its eyes, instantly falls asleep, most likely the kitten was born deaf. It happens that a kitten born deaf returns to hearing by the end of the first year of life.

It happens that cats are born deaf.

This congenital defect should not be confused with deafness and blindness in newborn kittens - both resolve over time. Because of their superior vision, deaf cats usually learn to navigate well without hearing. It is sometimes possible to notice such a deficiency only through careful observation. Keep in mind, however, that keeping a deaf cat indoors is more difficult, and outdoors it is bound to get hit by a car or bicycle.

Some white cats are born deaf (an inherited trait related to the color of their fur), and older cats sometimes become deaf as they age, but their other senses allow them to lead quite normal lives.

Like deaf people, deaf cats learn to “listen” with their feet, feeling vibrations with their paws that we sighted people don’t notice.

Most often, deaf kittens are born from the mating of two white cats, or rather albino cats, when the four-legged cat has white not only fur, but also whiskers. Moreover, if kittens have at least slight darkening of the fur on their heads, even without clear outlines, this is a 100% indicator that the animal will not be deaf. If such a spot is not observed in a kitten under 10 months of age, it should be shown to a specialist. Keep in mind that according to statistics, among white cats, only 10-20 percent of kittens are born deaf.

In white cats, deafness occurs quite often, and both a blue-eyed animal (most often), and a different-eyed one (less often), and a yellow-eyed animal (even less often) can be deaf. If your cat really has hearing loss, and this is genetically determined, then nothing can be done. For a domestic cat, this is not so scary - deprived of hearing since childhood, it quite normally adapts to using other senses, and, unlike a person, it does not feel different from others or any “deficiency”.

A cat's hearing loss can be caused by infectious diseases or damage to the eardrum. Hearing is very important for a cat, as it helps determine the distance and direction to the source of noise. Deaf cats, however, can lead almost normal lives, but they need help during the adaptation period.

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.

Probably those who had white cats noticed that they had hearing problems. Why does this happen and how can you check how deaf a cat is?

Symptomatic procedures

If the animal’s hearing has been irreversibly damaged and the cat will remain deaf for the rest of its life, the owner can help it adapt and lead a full life:

There is no need to let a deaf cat outside, it may die. To make it easier to find your cat in the house, you can buy her a collar with a bell.
When the owner comes home or leaves the animal, you need to say goodbye or hello not verbally, but using strokes. A kind word is also pleasant for a cat, but in a situation where the animal is deprived of the opportunity to hear a kind word, it can be physically caressed.
Since the animal does not hear the approach of a person, you need to either stomp a little louder, creating vibration, or allow the pet to see you. If a person suddenly appears from behind the back of an animal, it gets scared.
A deaf cat needs affection and care just as much as a healthy one. But it requires a little more understanding on the part of the owner.
In addition, a deaf cat can be taught to understand gestures. Typically, cats are good at grasping the connection between a gesture and the subsequent action.
You can teach an animal to literally “read lips.” To do this, you need to pronounce the words clearly, with the same intonation and so that the cat looks at the speaker’s mouth. Of course, the animal will not learn large complex phrases, but it will learn to understand its name and the traditional “kys-kys”.

Why are white cats deaf?

Deafness in white cats is explained by certain genetic characteristics. The white color gene, which is dominant, specifically affects the processes that occur in a small organism at the stage of embryonic development, and it also affects the development of hearing. This has been proven through numerous experiments.

If the kitten had representatives or Thais in the family, then the presence of blue eyes does not fully guarantee that the grown cat will be deaf. This is explained by the fact that the gene with this pathology was taken from Siamese cats that do not have this problem.

Kittens of many breeds are born with blue eyes, but their color later changes. Therefore, when you see a blue-eyed white kitten, do not be alarmed: it is not a fact that he will remain with that eye color and will not hear. Wait a little, let him grow up, and everything will fall into place.

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.

Deafness can be temporary or permanent. It usually occurs due to age, a genetic defect, infection, mites, injury, or as a side effect of certain medications. Deafness in cats can be either in one or two ears, partial or complete. The problem may be due to the ear itself or due to the inability of the brain to process information.

How to check if a cat can hear

At home, you can independently test your animal for hearing loss. To do this, it is enough to make a sharp loud sound. A healthy cat will certainly turn around and give a reaction. A deaf cat will not react to a stimulus. To be sure, the animal should not see you; if your hearing is impaired, cats may react not to noise, but to your hand movements or vibrations in the air. The reliability of this method is 95%. If the situation for the cat is very familiar, he sleeps soundly and does not have a fearful disposition, then the faucet may be reluctant to respond to the sound.

You can only get accurate information about whether your pet is deaf at a veterinary clinic. And even then not in every one. To date, a medical test has been developed, which is carried out using special equipment. During its implementation, the frequency and intensity of nerve impulses in the brain that appear as a result of sound exposure are measured. In cats that cannot hear noise, such impulses are completely absent, which proves the presence of deafness. Diagnosis is carried out very rarely; owners often determine the lack of hearing in cats at home quite accurately.

Ear infections, mites and allergies

Ticks can damage the eardrum. Ear mites are a very common disease in cats. Be careful. If a cat scratches its ears and behaves restlessly, it is worth examining it. If you see redness, swelling or a black sticky substance in your ear, this is an alarm, contact your veterinarian immediately. Although these signs may not only indicate the presence of ear mites, they may also indicate the presence of an ear infection.

Food allergies can cause ear infections. If your cat develops an allergy, change the food and contact your veterinarian.

Let's look at some practical tips:

If your cat sleeps on the floor, then stomp more powerfully so that the floor vibrates, then the cat will feel the approach.
If your cat sleeps on the bed, rock the edge of the bed to wake your cat.
If you have a lot of guests, leave the cat indoors.
Try to provoke a reaction from the cat in any way: vibration, gestures, touch.
Never leave a deaf cat outside.
Give your cat a bell and you will always find it in your apartment.

How is diagnosis carried out?

There are two ways to determine allergies - by blood test and by skin testing. Skin tests can be either superficial: applying the allergen to scratched skin, or injection: injecting it under the patient’s skin. All procedures are carried out under the supervision of an allergist to monitor the patient’s condition.

The skin reaction usually appears approximately 30 minutes after the start of the test. A blood test is used when the age or health of the patient does not allow skin testing. This allows you to minimize risks. The blood test is done over several days.

Adopt your deaf cat

A deaf cat is a problem, but no more than a healthy cat that doesn't respond to its name. Cats are very flexible animals and can compensate for hearing loss by using other senses. The main thing to remember is that a cat needs love, both deaf and healthy.

An animal, like a person, experiences the world around it with the help of five basic senses. The ears, which carry out the function of hearing, are the second most important organ of information perception after vision. For cats (especially those who lead an outdoor lifestyle), the importance of this organ cannot be overestimated. Thanks to him, the animal knows how to navigate, recognizes impending danger and gets food for itself.

Hearing loss for a wild cat is tragic. This makes her completely defenseless. But this is not the case for a pet. For her, deafness is not a tragedy. It only changes the animal’s usual way of life, forcing it to adapt to new conditions. If we take into account the good adaptive qualities of a cat, then with some attention and help from a caring owner, the quality of life of a deaf animal can be quite high. Our article will tell you about the types of congenital and acquired deafness, how hearing loss is determined and what to do if your cat is deaf.

Depending on the origin, deafness in cats can be congenital or acquired.

Congenital deafness can have two causes:

pathologies of intrauterine development of the fetus, leading to disruption of conductivity or perception of sounds in the structures of the hearing organ;
aggravated heredity - the presence of the white coat color gene W.

Acquired hearing loss that develops into deafness can be acute or chronic.

acute deafness occurs suddenly, symptoms increase rapidly over a short period of time;
Chronic deafness develops gradually over many months or even years. A distinction is made between stable and progressive deafness.

Many owners know the fact that white cats with blue eyes often have a congenital defect such as deafness. Such cats have a special dominant W gene in their genotype. It is the presence of this gene that makes the likelihood that a white cat will be deaf very high. In some cases it reaches 80%. In turn, congenital deafness in individuals of a different color is an extremely rare phenomenon.

The dominant W gene is pleiotropic, that is, it is responsible for the presence of several traits at once. In addition to white coat color and deafness, it also makes blue eye color dominant. The probability of deafness among white individuals is distributed as follows:

animals with blue eyes are deaf in 80% of cases;
animals with heterochromic eyes (one eye is blue and the other is a different color) are deaf in 40% of cases;
animals with eyes of any color (except blue) are deaf in 20% of cases.

It has been noted that deafness in white cats, caused by the presence of this gene, can be either unilateral or bilateral (long-haired beauties most often suffer from it).

How does deafness develop in white individuals?

It is known that absolutely all kittens are born deaf, with closed ear canals. By the age of 5-7 days they gradually open. At the age of two weeks, the kitten is able to determine the direction of a sound, and by a month, it can already distinguish sounds. In a white kitten, due to genetic disorders, by the time the ears open (at a week of age), the organ of Corti, the receptor part of the auditory analyzer, located in the auditory labyrinth and responsible for analyzing sound signals, atrophies.

Features of natural and artificial selection of white cats

In the wild, white cats survive much less often than others, since they turn out to be much less adapted to the unfavorable factors of the surrounding reality. The reasons for this are as follows:

high probability of deafness;
photophobia, which is promoted by a light shade of the eyes;
poor vision in low light conditions.

In conditions of artificial breeding, white cats are very popular because they have an attractive appearance. They are actively bred, despite the high likelihood of physical defects.

Deaf cat and how to raise her

I had a fixed idea to get a white fluffy cat, I looked for her in the vastness of Avito for more than a month, and as soon as the 1.5 month old kitten appeared, I immediately called and booked, and now I have been waiting for a week and they are bringing him home to me. Happiness knew no bounds, my dream was at home, but after 2 days the whole family noticed that the cat was not afraid of loud sounds, and when her name was called, she didn’t even move her ears. Installed using a vacuum cleaner - dead. So what's now? how to educate? She will never hear anything, will never meet her, but what should she be called? hundreds of questions were spinning in my head, in addition to mites in my ears, a sick stomach, the former owner gave me a black list, so I couldn’t call her (I still wish her “good night”). I looked through all the forums, thought for a week whether I could accept it, the decision was made in a positive way. All the forums are shouting that you won’t even notice the difference, but NO, you will notice and will notice, it will be difficult for you.

1. Deaf cats scream very loudly. In the first nights, around 3 a.m., the cat screamed so loudly that everyone was scared, the sounds were as if one of her paws had already been torn off, and the second was being torn off at that moment, everyone ran to save her, but it turned out to be much more fun, there was a midge sitting on the wall, which she did not I could get it. In the morning, neighbors came to us to find out what kind of brutal acts we committed at night on the poor cat, yes, neighbors heard it from all sides. There are rare deaf cats that don't scream, but you're just incredibly lucky, appreciate it. There will be screams constantly, at night, during the day, when he wants to eat, caresses, he will scream at shoes, insects, people, and at everything. After 2 months, I’ve even gotten used to it and almost sleep peacefully, but new people in the apartment grab my heart.

2. As for the loud noises, you will have to accept that she does everything terribly loud, especially when she buries the litter box. If for an ordinary cat it is clean, then this one will bury it for about an hour and terribly loudly, sometimes to the point that it will turn it over. Imagine the scene, 5 in the morning, and such sounds of tearing off the 10th layer of the floor, bang, bang, bang, dragging her away from him doesn’t help, she comes back and continues this torture.

3. Are you not enough yet? Let's continue, there are many more letters. We sorted it out about strong nerves and earplugs. Deaf cats will climb everywhere, on all surfaces and higher, and all you will do is catch flowers, the TV, and herself. She's just trying to find a higher angle, so take care of the high spots right away. Yes, and if you want to cuddle her, then first turn on the game, find the cat, since calling is useless, in the first week we lost her, we looked everywhere until we thought of crawling under the closet, while we were looking for secluded places on already shaking legs, this creature is simply sleeping.

In the photo above, she has already torn off a piece of paper on the stove and successfully ate a piece, and scattered the rest around the apartment.

4. White cats have a real obsession with cleanliness; if you are not used to living with a rag in your hands, then this cat is definitely not for you. She will find the dirtiest corner, any cobweb and will come in a gentle black shade. We also hide cosmetics; what’s tasty he’ll eat, and the rest he’ll snatch away. There is nothing worse than a dirty white cat. We wash it often, fortunately she is not afraid of water

5. Flowers will fly constantly, all light pots have already been moved into the room and it has already been closed. It is such a pleasure for her to break a pot and roll around in the ground, rolling around, throwing earth, pieces of flowers all over the room, and then run to your bed to show the result. I don’t have a single pot in my apartment that she hasn’t touched.

In the photo there is an egg shell, she stole it and scattered it all over the apartment, so vacuuming at 7 am is already a common thing for everyone.

6. Since white cats were bred artificially, they have 0 immunity. They will get sick constantly. During the 6 months I was with me, I treated mites, my stomach, my eyes 3-4 times, a cold, I was already diagnosed with chronic cholecystitis, a bunch of pills, special food.

7. This is an incredibly expensive pleasure. Let's delve into the calculations, if you don't want to collect the filler from the inverted tray, then you will have to remove it constantly. I use silica gel, 3 liters is enough for me for 1.5 weeks, that’s 1000 per month. Medicinal food 2000 2 kg, that’s enough for 3 weeks for 2 kittens. Plus veterinarians, ultrasounds, tests, sometimes the figure comes out to 5-10 per month! This is not a village cat who was given the leftovers and she will go away happy, then she will snore and happy you will go back to the veterinarian for a massage, since she cannot go to the toilet.

8. How do deaf cats communicate with hearing cats? It's difficult at first. Fate decreed that when Belka was 2.5 months old, I picked up a 2-month-old kitten from the street, during the first week it was the Tatar-Mongol war. Have you ever seen 2 kittens nipping and fighting, it’s a funny sight, only after a week of such battles they were able to understand which of them was in charge. Now they love each other very much, they sleep together, together in the tray. The hearing kitten became her ears. When someone comes, Asya hits Belka and they both run to meet you, if they misbehave on the tables, then the effect is the same, a warning and fight together.

9. Deaf cats not only love their owners, they are dependent on them. Mine doesn’t leave my side at all, she’s been there for all 7 months, wherever she goes. If you leave for the day, she will lie down near the door and wait for you, refuse her, so together we go to the toilet, shower, and eat. We open the doors carefully, otherwise there will be a cat cat. If you abandon them, the cat may simply not survive this stress. Mine is given only to me, I can do everything with her, she constantly purrs, but if Her Royal Majesty touches her mother, then in retaliation she can shit on her bed, yes, yes, that’s right, no one has the right to stroke her Apart from me, this is the most faithful creature of all.

Treatment of the disease

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

We can say that congenital deafness is not a pathology, but a feature of the white color. Since the animal is born deaf, it does not adapt, but lives, from birth actively including the other senses (vision, touch and smell). Therefore, caring for such kittens is practically no different from caring for their healthy counterparts.

White cats are extremely popular among cat lovers, so they are bred despite the risks. But this process should be controlled by an experienced breeder. Errors in the selection of pairs threaten that deafness, as a genetic trait, may manifest itself in the offspring. In addition, there is a high probability that sickly and non-viable offspring will be obtained.

There are several specific features of keeping deaf pets:

One of the main conditions is that such cats should not be allowed to go outside alone, as they are more exposed to various dangers than others.
You should not approach the cat from behind, so as not to scare it. As a last resort, when entering, you can slam the door louder or stomp, creating vibrations that are clearly felt by the animal.
They can read lips, so it is necessary to address her in such a way that she sees the owner’s face.
You need to be extremely careful when being in the same room with a deaf pet so as not to step on it.

Deafness is not a reason to throw your furry pet out onto the street or euthanize it. With careful attention, love and care, this deficiency will not be noticeable to either the owner or his pet.

How to communicate with such a cat?

Of course, keeping deaf cats has its own characteristics. Owners will have to get used to the fact that much of the behavior of such animals will be unusual for them. They will never be able to successfully hunt birds. They won’t make hunters, because you can’t explain to a cat that a bird hears when someone is creeping up on it. This means you need to sneak up on her as quietly as possible.

Deafness in cats can bring them a lot of trouble, because they have to live in a world of hearing people and animals. Therefore, they need constant supervision. They do not need to be allowed outside alone, because they will not even hear a dog or other animal approaching them, which can greatly frighten them. It is even more dangerous to let such cats out onto the street where cars drive. Without hearing the car signal, the cat will not have time to jump away in time and may fall under the wheels.

How to determine deafness in cats and what to do about it

Types of deafness by level of damage

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.
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.
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.
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.

Prevention and care of the ears: how to prevent the development of deafness

High-quality ear prevention and care will help the owner preserve the pet’s hearing.

You don’t have to do anything particularly complicated for this:

It is necessary to examine the inside of the ears and the external auditory canal approximately once a week. If sulfur begins to accumulate there, it must be removed. To do this, use ordinary cotton swabs moistened with sterile vegetable or petroleum jelly. At worst, even saline solution (also sterile) will do. All liquids must be heated to approximately 37° Celsius before use.

If a cat constantly scratches and scratches its ears, and abundant brown deposits are easily visible on the pinnas and in the ear canals themselves, you should immediately treat your pet for otodectosis (ear mites). These parasites often cause severe allergic reactions and, in advanced cases, contribute to the development of severe otitis media. Before using ear drops, you should also carefully remove mite waste in the same way as with regular ear cleaning.

In long-haired cats, excess hair around the ears should be trimmed periodically. This promotes better ventilation of the ear canals, which prevents the creation of favorable conditions for parasites and pathogenic fungi.

Causes of acquired deafness

The most common causes of acquired deafness are:

Traumatic damage to the integrity of the eardrum. These are caused by falls from heights, blows, inept ear cleaning or acoustic trauma.
Complications of infectious diseases. With advanced otitis media, the internal structures of the ear are involved in the inflammatory process, and the pet may become deaf. If the disease progresses and is complicated by purulent inflammation affecting the meninges, there will be a real threat to the animal’s life.
Tumors of the ear structures or parts of the brain responsible for hearing function are the most difficult in terms of treatment and prognosis. Irreversible changes may occur.
Ear parasites cause temporary hearing loss. Severe itching leads to severe scratching and injury to the outer ear structures. Competent and timely treatment can completely correct the situation.
Ear plugs are a consequence of poor hygiene. Your cat's ears should be cleaned regularly to remove any wax that has accumulated there. Increased sulfur production is usually evidence of a malfunction of the excretory system.
Age-related deafness in older cats is an inevitable symptom that is a sign of degenerative changes in the auditory nerve or structures of the inner ear.

Genetic causes of deafness in cats

Elderly pets partially or completely lose their hearing due to degenerative processes and atrophy of nerve endings. Most often, the process of hearing loss is irreversible, but against the background of decreased activity, animals adapt well to deafness. Teach your cat in advance basic gestures that will help you communicate with a deaf cat with age-related hearing loss. If your cat has become deaf from old age, she needs to provide appropriate living conditions and minimize the need to take care of her own safety:

Isolate the animal from the street.

Buy a collar with a bell so you can find your pet if he is hiding.

Always say hello, goodbye and encourage your pet tactilely.

Do not appear suddenly, wait until the pet sees you or create a vibration that the cat will feel, for example, by stomping on the floor.

Congenital deafness in cats is not necessarily associated with color or heredity. Any disturbances in the development of fetuses during the 1st week of pregnancy can lead to atrophy of auditory receptors. The causes of degenerative processes in the development of fetuses are most often associated with disruption of the nervous system of a pregnant cat - intoxication, acute viral and infectious diseases.

Are all white cats deaf? - No, not all. Are all blue-eyed cats deaf? - Again - no! The “stigma” about the deafness of white cats has certain grounds if the animal’s family included Angora cats, which have a risk of gene damage, as a result, improper formation of the inner ear. And again, not all Angora cats are deaf; if the kitten is purchased from responsible breeders, it has documents confirming the absence of genetic “gaps” in both parents.

White cats with blue eyes or heterochromic irises (eyes of different colors) are also carriers of Angora blood. It has been established that in cats with different irises, deafness is observed in the ear that is on the same side as the blue eye. The ears of newborn kittens are covered with a film and an outer leathery membrane. In Angora “heirs” with a mutated gene, by the time their ears open, the organ of Corti (receptors responsible for the perception of sounds) atrophies. That is, the kitten is not born deaf, but the pathology develops in 10–14 days.

In what cases can hearing be restored?

A deaf cat is usually overly fearful and often flinches for no good reason.

If deafness is caused by any disease, well-chosen therapy makes it possible to restore hearing functions by 100%. Based on the examination, the veterinarian prescribes antibiotics for infections, insecticides for parasites, or chemical therapy (in combination with radiation) for tumors.

If hearing loss occurs as a result of severe intoxication, is of a hereditary nature, or is associated with the animal’s advanced age, it cannot be cured.

A few words about breeding white cats

The claim that white kittens are deaf is based on ignorance. There are a number of arguments that prohibit mating of certain individuals. There is no white color in nature; it is a certain mixture of the basic spectrum that produces white radiation when reflected. When talking about white cats, we mean:

Albinos (lack of pigmentation due to gene mutation) – white (transparent) coat, white-blue, pale blue, white iris.

Individuals with the “white spot factor” - visually, the cat looks white, but the color consists of tightly adjacent spots.

Individuals with a dominant white gene are the so-called deaf cat breed in which the genes for all coat and iris colors are suppressed, except for white and bright blue, respectively.

Not all white cats are allowed for exhibitions and breeding. It is strictly forbidden to breed a deaf cat if the disease is caused by genetic disorders. Also, most clubs prohibit white-on-white mating, regardless of iris color, pedigree, physical health and other factors.

Signs of acquired deafness in cats

Gradually progressive deafness in cats is compensated by the sense of touch and smell, which complicates the diagnosis of the disease in the early stages. Even if a pet has 10% hearing, it does not appear deaf. Symptoms indicating complete hearing loss are:

The cat doesn't hear voices. Sometimes, pets completely ignore their owners, which is mistaken for deafness.

Visually, timidity and uncertainty are noticeable; the animal often turns around. Typically, cats turn only their ears to “assess” their environment.

The animal meows unnaturally loudly.

There is discomfort - the cat shakes its head and scratches its ears.

As infections develop, there may be an unpleasant odor from the ears and the release of exudate.

When frightened, the animal prefers to shrink and remain in place.

There is a method to test a cat for deafness. You need to position yourself so that your pet doesn’t see you and knock on any surface. A different range of sounds is produced alternately, from a dull blow to a sharp one, from quiet to loud. At the same time, the cat turns its ears to a quiet sound, and its head to a loud sound. In kittens up to 3–4 weeks of age, deafness is almost invisible; the only sign is a weak “copying” of the behavior of hearing babies.

Important! A cat's whiskers allow you to feel the slightest vibration in the air; during a hearing test, monitor the amplitude of your movements to avoid getting a false result.

Deafness as a consequence of illness

Acquired hearing problems occur due to illness or injury. Changes can be reversible only with timely diagnosis and treatment. Do not self-medicate, contact a veterinarian who, based on experience, will narrow the “diagnostic circle” and tell you what to do first. Common ailments that cause hearing loss include:

Otitis is an infection of the ear canal. An infection that has entered the cavity of the inner ear causes inflammation and, in progress, the formation of pus. Acute otitis media is a very painful disease that leads to partial or complete hearing loss. Without treatment, the animal dies from complications in the form of an inflammatory process in the brain.

Earwax – due to a malfunction of the excretory system, the ear canals become clogged with a dense brown mass. To determine how to treat the patient, the discharge is analyzed to identify the root cause of the deviation; there are two “typical” options - a “bouquet” of impaired metabolism, worm damage and weak immunity, or ear mite damage.

Deafness in cats: basic information

All types of deafness (regardless of their etiology) can be divided into two large groups:

Primary (most often it is congenital). In these cases, hearing loss develops “on its own,” most often due to some genetic reasons, the animal’s initial predisposition to this pathology.

Secondary. In practice it is most common (with the exception of some breeds suffering from the primary variety). It is a consequence of hundreds of different diseases that in one way or another affect the condition of the animal’s hearing organs. This includes both “simple” injuries and neurological pathologies (including especially “successful” attacks of epilepsy).

Signs of cat deafness

Anyone who has had or has a cat at home knows how “sensitively” pets react to the sound of the refrigerator opening or the rustling of a bag of cat food being opened. All this immediately refutes the opinion of many owners about the inherently poor hearing in cats: yes, eyes are important for them, but nocturnal predators (which include many cats) also need hearing.

Accordingly, if it sharply worsens or is absent, symptoms will develop immediately:

The animal immediately stops responding to various sounds. The cat will sit calmly in the next room, as if nothing unusual is happening, even though before it would have rushed headlong towards the food source.

The pet itself begins to behave strangely. This is due to the fact that hearing for cats is not a primary sense, but it is far from useless. The animal becomes more apathetic and tries to get out of its favorite resting places less often. Moreover, many cats are frankly afraid to go outside, even if they used to be desperate “revelers.” This is due to the fact that they cannot adequately identify sources of threats, and therefore tend to avoid excessively close contacts with the external environment.

The cat becomes extremely shy. Any person who has had a cat at least once in his life knows how difficult it is to take a waking pet by surprise. But in cases where the pet is deaf, this is easy to do. But it’s not very safe: cats become so nervous that they can suddenly rush to the side, or even scratch the “impudent” one out of fear.

How to check for deafness?

Let us immediately emphasize that all methods suitable for use at home do not fall into the category of particularly accurate: they can only indirectly indicate deafness or its absence, and therefore the final diagnosis can only be made based on the results of a clinical examination of the animal. So how can you check if a cat is deaf or if his hearing is okay?

Here's what you can do:

Carefully approach the cat and clap your hands sharply. But! This must be done carefully. If the pet is not deaf, there is a chance to suffer from the consequences of his “hysterical” jumping around the house.

Since deaf pets are highly susceptible to various vibrations, you can try to attract the cat's attention by knocking on the floor. If the cat can hear, she will know perfectly well what exactly the owner is doing, which will be noticeable by the twitching of her ears. This sign is not observed in deaf pets. On the contrary, deaf and hard of hearing cats will react sharply, and sometimes even inappropriately, to floor vibrations. They don’t understand what it is and what causes it, and therefore they are very nervous.

How to find out if your kitten or cat is deaf

If the hearing function is impaired in both ears, then this becomes immediately noticeable in the cat’s behavior. She sleeps soundly, without twitching her ears in her sleep. Such animals do not react to noise in any way and are not afraid of loud sounds. They are left indifferent to opening the refrigerator door and opening a bag of food. Even the thunderstorm of many pets does not cause them fear of a vacuum cleaner; on the contrary, deaf pussies even like the air currents it creates. The same signs appear in older cats, but this is caused by senile deafness.

It is believed that cats with hearing loss meow too loudly because they cannot regulate the strength of their voice. But this is not always a sign of deafness.

Interesting! The sound ranges of humans and cats vary greatly. While humans can hear sounds between 20 Hz and 20 kHz, cats hear sounds between 48 Hz and 85 kHz.

Main causes of feline deafness

As we have already written, the reasons for the disappearance or significant weakening of hearing are very diverse, but we will describe the most important ones.

Deafness after otitis media: why is this phenomenon dangerous?

Perhaps, complete or partial loss of hearing after otitis media, i.e. inflammatory process in the inner ear is one of the most common phenomena in veterinary otolaryngology. This is due to the fact that not all owners understand the potential danger of this pathology.

Important! If purulent inflammation develops in the cavity of the inner ear, accompanied by the release of pus, nothing good will come of it.

Pus is a powerful natural “solvent” that can damage and liquefy not only soft tissue, but even bones. Accordingly, after prolonged otitis media, the likelihood of hearing deterioration is extremely high.

Accordingly, it is not difficult to guess about the potential danger of this phenomenon: the hearing organs are located in close proximity to the brain. In addition, there are many blood vessels there.

If otitis media is not treated at all, deafness can become the cat’s smallest problem. He may well die from brain damage, sepsis or similar causes.

Senile hearing loss in cats

With age, pets (and pet owners) do not become healthier. In particular, the blood supply to the tissues in the hearing organs deteriorates, the eardrum becomes “flabby,” and other negative changes accumulate. Senile hearing loss occurs. Alas, nothing can be done about it; old age will take its toll in any case.

Considering that cats are animals with a fairly decent lifespan (subject to normal maintenance and feeding), their hearing begins to deteriorate no earlier than ten years of age. It happens that pets who live to be 14 or more years old hear almost nothing. True, this is not their most serious problem: by this time cats often go blind.

Congenital deafness in cats, its breed variations

The most problematic may be congenital deafness. The following negative environmental factors (as well as their combination) often lead to its development:

Parasitic diseases of the mother. Worm pathologies in pregnant cats are extremely dangerous. It's a matter of migrating parasite larvae. They extremely easily overcome the placental barrier, penetrating the body of unborn kittens. Since young parasites do not choose their “entry point,” they can end up anywhere. In the brain, for example. So in this case, deafness can be perhaps the smallest problem.

Uncontrolled use of various medications is very dangerous. A classic example is the “heavy” old antibiotics from the group of penicillins and tetracyclines. They are prescribed to cats only in the most exceptional, emergency cases. If such a medicine is used when the cat is already pregnant, her kittens may well become deaf. Moreover, there is a considerable risk that the mother herself will become deaf.

Various poisonings can result in a similar outcome. For unborn kittens, toxins are extremely dangerous: they interfere with the process of normal laying and formation of organ systems.

But still, the real “leaders” in the issue of congenital hearing loss are some breeds, some of which we will talk about below.

Is it true that white cats with blue eyes are more likely to be deaf?

This statement may seem like a “horror story,” but in fact this opinion is a very real reflection of reality. Yes, white cats with blue eyes are much more likely than their “polychrome” relatives to be deaf from birth. In addition, they are more likely to become deaf in adulthood.

This is due to recessive genes, which in some animals are associated with either the white color or the blue color of the iris. It is for this reason that many professional breeders prefer not to allow pets with this coloring into breeding.

Interesting! There is an official concept, “white cat deafness.” In such animals, some parts of the inner ear are either not developed at all, or they degrade when the cat is not yet three years old.

Interesting fact. In blue-eyed and white cats, it often happens that one eye has a more pronounced and rich color of the iris. So here it is. It is not known exactly why this happens, but deafness is often caused by the ear on the side of the more “colored” eye. The ear on the opposite side either hears or retains the ability to perceive at least the loudest sounds.

Angora cat and congenital deafness

In principle, we have already described the essence of the problem above. Although not every Angora cat is white (this color is not even the official breed standard), but still “deafness of white cats” is extremely common among them. True, this applies more to animals with blue eyes. Angoras with yellow irises suffer from congenital hearing loss much less frequently.

Important! Deafness can be a sign of an extremely dangerous breed disease, ataxia of Angora cats. It is accompanied by very severe neurodegenerative processes, which often lead to complete or partial paralysis. So, if there is any suspicion of deafness, it is useful to show Angora cats to a veterinarian.

Scottish Fold cats and deafness

Unfortunately, Scottish Folds also often suffer from congenital hearing loss. And if in the case of Angora pets the reason lies in the underdevelopment of some parts of the inner ear, then in the case of the Scots the problem lies in anatomical defects in their development.

Small, neat, slightly “dangling” ears are considered the standard of the breed. Breeders achieved such results through many years of very painstaking selection... as a result of which the genes of numerous hereditary diseases linked with the genes of the “correct” ears.

Deafness is far from the first place among them. However, everything is not so scary. Often deafness among Scots is a consequence of the accumulation of large amounts of sulfur and dirt. These cats are prone to “littering” the ear canals due to their specific structure, so this can often be corrected by carefully monitoring the condition of the hearing organs.

Causes of deafness

Indeed, statistics show that some cats with blue eyes have little or no hearing because they have inner ear degeneration.

Moreover, such a pathology can be:

It is difficult to understand this fact: a truly deaf cat is usually blue-eyed. But cats with white fur have not only blue eyes, but also green (like most cats) and yellow (sometimes even bright orange). But there are also such handsome men who have eyes of different colors. And if one of them is blue, then the white cat will be deaf in the ear on the side of which this eye is located. Paradox? But it is so.

Scientists have known about this feature of albinos for a long time, starting from the 19th century. Even Charles Darwin wrote about them. Over time, more and more specialists found a direct connection between:

coat color;
blue eye pigment;
lack of ability to hear.