A
genetic anomaly causes blue-eyed white cats to be born deaf. I have not
been able to find out what percentage of them are deaf - but it is
fairly common. Odd-eyed whites are often deaf on
the same side as they are blue eyed! This anomaly is present in all the
several breeds in which blue-eyed white cats occur, from Persian to
Oriental to the lovely Turkish Van.
You would not, of course, go out looking for a deaf cat to adopt, but
you might find a lovely white kitten you want to take home, and
discover that they are deaf. So - then what?
You wonder how great a handicap it is. How difficult it might make it
for you, or the cat.
I usually jokingly reply to
people, when they ask what it is like to have a deaf cat that she is
just like all my other cats. I yell 'no' and she ignores me, just like
all the others do.
In general, deaf cats cope very well with
their disability. Pearl, my deaf cat, has taught me that there are only
a few things I must keep in mind for her comfort. One is that - she
cannot hear me! So I cannot call her to me, 'kitty kitty kitty', like
you can most cats. However, we have developed our own little sign
language. I catch her eye and hold out my hand and make a scratching
motion, as if I were scratching her back. She may decide to come over
and get her back scratched. Thats just the Oriental in her!
But she also cannot hear a shouted
warning, the hiss of another cat behind her, or you walking up to her
when her eyes are closed. It is simply considerate to let her know you
are coming - otherwise she will waken with hisses and slashing claws.
Like all cats, she is sensitive to vibration. If she is asleep on the
bed, I put my weight on the bed a foot or so away from her and that
will generally wake her up without startling her by touching her when
she is sound asleep. My husband has less of a problem, since he is
heavier than I am - she usually seems to sense him walking across the
floor when he gets near. If she is very soundly asleep I might touch
her whiskers gently. She will shake her head a time or two then open
her eyes to see what is tickling her.
As far as shouting a warning - or 'no' -
there are several things that will work. Pearl has had a bit of a hard
life so I try not to startle her unless it is absolutely necessary. I,
personally, dont like the squirt bottle with water method because it
upsets Pearl. However, with a new kitten, you might try it and see how
the kitten reacts. For Pearl, I have a number of 'koosh' balls - these
are very soft balls that have a bit of weight to them. If she is about
to put her dainty foot where it doesnt belong I will toss a 'kooshie'
in her general area. I dont throw them AT her to hit her, just so that
she can see it - it distracts her - and she has gotten the message over
time that when that koosh goes by, I am probably getting up to come get
her out of whatever mess she is in, so its better to just stop or run
off. And besides, she likes to play with them - so often she quits just
to go play with the kooshie.
As
time goes on and you live with your deaf cat, the two of you will work
out a language you both understand.
Of course, you would never want to allow your deaf cat outdoors -
unless you teach them to walk on a leash (the Orientals will learn to
do this) and can be right there with them every minute. The world is
too dangerous a place for cats - and even more so if they cannot hear.
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I know when I
adopted Pearl (who was almost 2 years old) I was curious about a couple
of things. One was whether she chatted or purred. Orientals are usually
very vocal. She does meow, and certainly purrs, although she is
considerably less vocal than other Orientals I have had. (She is just
as opinionated though). The other thing Ive noticed is how expressive
cats ears are. Yes, she still swivels them back and forth and up and
down, but not to catch noises, but to express her mood from moment to
moment. We are used to reading a cats body language by their tail, but
the ears, too, have quite a bit to say.
If she is
alert and interested they are high and perky. If she is relaxed they
are relaxed also and sometimes even swivel slightly to the side and
down. If she is angry, of course, they are flat and pointed back. There
are about a million subtle nuances between these three stages, and you
will soon learn them, as you grow closer to your cat.
My advice, if
you are considering a adopting a deaf cat, is to feel comfortable and
go ahead. So long as you do intend for the cat to always be an indoor
cat, I dont think any other special measures are called for. The little
bit of extra consideration and effort called for will be easy to give
that white bit of fluff as it captures your heart with those gorgeous
blue eyes.
Artist, writer
and webdesigner, Summer Fey Foovay also has the honor of being owned by
Pearl, a deaf, and psychic, cat. Pearl has her own website at <a
http://demented-pixie.com/pearlie_the_psychic_kitty Pearlie the Psychic
Kitty
Living with a Deaf Cat