Categories: Diseases & Conditions

Dealing with Your Deaf Cat

You call your cat and she won’t come. Well, maybe she’s just being her old stubborn self. You walk up behind her, stroke her, and she startles. It may take a while to realize that your cat’s uncharacteristic behavior may not be a result of a quirky personality but actually deafness. Deafness can come on gradually with age, as it does in humans. Or it can occur suddenly with illness or an accident. Whatever the reason, you and your cat can adjust.

The Causes of Deafness

Some cats are born deaf. In particular, white cats with blue eyes commonly have congenital deafness,” says Stefanie Schwartz, DVM, MSc, DACVB, Director of Behavior Services at VCA South Shore Animal Hospital in Weymouth, Massachusetts. Any domestic long or short-haired white cat can be affected. Some of the breeds include the White Manx, White Cornish Rex, White Persian, among others. People sometimes don’t even realize their cat is deaf, especially if the cat is deaf in only one ear or at a specific part of the hearing range and the hearing loss is barely evident.

The sudden onset of deafness has several causes. Infections of the of the middle ear (otitis media) or inner ear (otitis interna) can produce temporary or permanent deafness. Otitits media may leave behind debris following an infection that blocks sound transmission to the inner ear. This is known as conduction deafness. However, if otitis interna is not immediately treated, it will produce permanent nerve deafness.

Your veterinarian should examine the ear canal to determine if this is the case. Normal ears do not need to be cleaned, but if debris has accumulated, your veterinarian may prescribe medication to help clean the ear canal or resolve any signs of infection.

“There can also be a foreign body in the ear or a tumor,” says Dr. Schwartz.

Drug toxicity can cause permanent deafness. A group of antibiotics–often used to treat life-threatening conditions in cats must be given cautiously. It seems that these drugs may directly or indirectly destroy the ear’s hair cells, resulting in hear impairment or total deafness.

The same holds true for general anesthesia. Rarely, a cat will wake up with a hearing impairment after general anesthesia. One theory is that the drug shunts away the blood supply to the cochlea (the spiral cavity of the internal ear in which sound vibrations are converted to nerve impulses).

Depending on the loudness, noise trauma, such as an explosion or gunfire can produce temporary or permanent deafness by damaging the ear’s hair cells.

When hearing loss is gradual due to aging, for example–human companions may not notice anything adverse for a while because the cat compensates for hearing impairment through his other senses. But sudden deafness may result in confusion, irritability or over-attachment to human companions. Some cats may start yowling loudly and often, while others will become mute.

Coping with A Silent World

If you suspect that your cat is having hearing difficulties, take him to the veterinarian immediately. Sometimes hearing decline can be caused by a buildup of wax in the ears, just as with humans. If the problem is caused by something treatable, like an ear infection, the deafness may subside. But timely diagnosis and care is crucial. Sometimes your veterinarian may refer you to a veterinary neurologist if further diagnosis is required,says Dr. Schwartz.

Look for behavioral symptoms mentioned above, such as startling, or clinging, excessive crying or a marked decrease in response to your call. A cat with unilateral deafness (in one ear), may turn her head more often to increase the chance of picking up sounds with the hearing ear.

To test your cat’s hearing, snap your fingers close to your cat’s ears without letting your cat see you approach him. Does your cat respond? Does your cat jump defensively if you touch him from behind? These are clues that your cat may not be hearing properly.

“Deafness does not always mean complete hearing loss,” says Dr. Schwartz.. “The degree of deafness ranges. But if there is any impairment, don’t even think twice about letting your cat outdoors,” says Dr. Schwartz.. “Your cat will not be able to perceive danger as accurately with a hearing loss.”

Whatever the degree of hearing loss, there are a number of things you can do to keep up communication between you and your cat. First, if your cat seems anxious or startles when you wake him, tap gently with your fingernails next to him, says Dr. Schwartz, to create a vibration that your cat may sense. This will help wake your cat more gently.

Some cats learn to respond to hand signals, such as dogs do from a long distance. Some people turn a flashlight on and off (followed by a tasty treat) to call their cat.

In general, deaf cats learn to cope very well, relying on their other senses, says Dr. Schwartz.. “A deaf kitty may not hear the can of tuna opening, but she will smell it and come running anyway just like any other kitty.”