Dealing with Your Deaf Cat

Could Your Cat Be Losing Her Hearing?

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.