Introduction
When cat begins to go deaf the process is normally a gradual one. Cats are gifted with the ability to easily rely on their other senses to make up for one that they lost, and you will probably not be able to tell that your cat is going deaf until they have lost most of their hearing. Most pet owners who discover that their cat has gone deaf have noticed for awhile that something about their pet seemed a little off, but they couldn’t quite put their finger on what it could be.
Symptoms of Deafness in Cats
A cat going deaf shows much more subtle signs, and many pet owners wonder if their cat hasn’t decided to completely ignore them all together. Calling the cat to meal times verbally, or by shaking a bag or opening a can no longer works. Instead the owner must go find the cat, and once the cat sees the food the cat goes running to the food dish. Petting the cat while it is resting may cause a startled reaction that the owner did not see before, and the cat will eventually no longer respond to “Here kitty, kitty, kitty!”
If your cat seems to be losing their hearing, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. Hearing loss is not normally a serious condition, but it is a good idea to make sure that there are no underlying conditions which contributed to your pet’s loss of hearing.