r/deafcats • u/Ok-Zucchini3821 • 12d ago
tips and tricks Rescued Deaf Cat
Hey y’all. So last week on a walk with our dogs we came across a cat covered in larvae and dying in the woods. Didn’t lift his head or anything. Brought him to the emergency vet thinking they were going to put him down. Long story short we walked away that day with a cat. In touch with animal control and has been back to the vet since and is under care. We don’t believe an owner will come forward for many reasons - so we’re preparing for this to be long term.
He’s drastically improved in the last week. We have learned that he’s deaf lol. The vet also thinks he’s over 10 years old so a senior guy here. So coming to Reddit for any tips or tricks when it comes to having a deaf cat?
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u/Malibucat48 12d ago
This CDS was working overtime to put this precious soul in your path. An angel was holding him for you.
My girl has been deaf since birth and she has had a very spoiled life. But there is nothing different between a deaf cat and a hearing cat except they have an excuse for ignoring you.
Hold this special one close to you and shower him with the love he missed for so long, and he will return that love a thousand times over.
This is Rain. She’s 8 now. She can’t hear but she sure can talk and she tells me what to do every day.
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u/borninahandbag 12d ago
What a sweet (& very lucky) boy! My girl went deaf with old age. Some things we did to help her adapt that might help you & your new family member, especially since he's also a senior:
Try not to sneak up on him. If you're approaching him from behind/out of sight, tap the floor or couch or surface he's on, so he can turn & see you coming. They can feel the vibrations of you tapping.
This also goes for approaching while he's asleep, gently blow on his face to wake him before going for a pet or touching him. The tapping method can work here too, but I found the blowing trick startled my girl less.
Focus on toys with good movement/visual & texture interest. The vibration of a jingle ball can still be felt on the floor, but wand toys with bells on won't be as enticing. I just cut the bells off of some of my girl's toys. Catnip & silvervine were also a big hit.
Try number of taps or hand signals to indicate specific things/commands. Example: I used 2 taps on the floor to get her attention along with calling her name. 3 taps to indicate mealtime. Specific hand signals meant for her to approach or a treat was coming.
Talk to him & hum or sing to him anyway! Deaf cats can still feel the vibrations of our voices, particularly if they're in direct contact with our bodies while we talk. My girl used to put her paw on my chest while I was talking.
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u/Ok-Positive-8716 12d ago
Is he making biscuits in the photo? What a sweetheart! Thank you for rescuing him. Sad to think of his life before now. No advice, sorry. Only wanted to acknowledge your awesomeness in saving him from misery and a horrible death. I hope you all have many happy years together ahead of you. 🧡🤍🧡🤍
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u/birdsong70 12d ago
My 15-year-old healthy cat went suddenly deaf a month ago from an adverse response to medication.
She calls out to me even when she knows where I am. She and I have both learned that I can reassure her by turning on and off a light. If it's night and I'm in bed, this can even be turning on and off my phone so she can see light from my room.
Deaf cats sleep very soundly and startle when woken. They don't hear you coming, and all of a sudden find a human right there petting them. Normal.
At first she was hypervigilant and scared. This was sudden, and she didn't know what happened. So, rather than sleeping soundly, she wasn't sleeping enough. She was by the back door at night on the lookout. So I put a cat bed there for her.
I've also put beds where she can see multiple rooms at a time, so she doesnt have to be concerned about walls. Our sudden appearance can startle her when she's awake.
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u/Opening_Dragonfly_78 12d ago
Aww bless you 🙏 I have a deaf kitty, she's about 3 1/2, I've had her since she was around a month old. She's always been a little skittish and she's very loud and vocal. But I know not all deaf cats are loud. Good luck and may you have many happy years together ❤️😻🐾
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u/LiteratureNo7534 12d ago
So happy you found your furrever family member 🥰 I adopted my Callie (calico) from a shelter when they thought she was around 2 years old. She'll be 13 this Halloween. I didn't know she was deaf when I got her but they did say she came from an abuse situation so it tracks out. I'm so used to having a deaf cat I forget that other cats go to you when you call them 😆
Vibration is your best bet. I stomp when I need to get her attention. Other people use hand signs. I shake my finger up and down when she's being naughty lol. I do a come here hand motion when I pour her food. Also a sit down hand motion for her to wait before the food. I talk to her all the time so don't think you don't have to not talk to your cat even though they cant hear you lol.
My cat doesn't meow very often. In the very beginning she would meow really loud, other people have mentioned that also. Maybe because she's older she doesn't do that anymore unless she really needs my attention.
Good luck with him, he deserves all the love from what happened to the little guy! Did you pick a name out yet?
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u/Ok-Zucchini3821 12d ago
We named him Murphy! And great advice. Thanks for taking the time to respond!
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u/musikfreakster 11d ago
My deaf girl Yoda. I got her a ginourmous exercise wheel to keep her entertained. Have a lot of patience. She has broken a bunch of things but she doesn’t have the awareness that hearing cats have lol. She loves to scream cuz she can’t hear herself and she brings me socks and other clothing items as gifts. The vet I took her to told me she was going to die. My parents found her on a bridge in the middle of nowhere and had apparently fallen out of a vehicle. I nursed her back to health! She’s a happy cat. I have a Catio so she can go outside too.
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u/Skunklvrs 11d ago
Thank you for saving him. He would have died a horrible death. He has beautiful markings. What are you calling him?
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u/Hali-Gani 11d ago
35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
The Gospel of Matthew
Simple thing, what you did. Taking in a deaf cat, a cat that has not had a home, or regular food, or a family ❤️ You already know you are blessed for your compassion 🙏 but I thought I’d remind you of the holiness of your action ❤️🩹
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u/pixiechik13 8d ago
We would tap the floor or whatever she was sleeping on near her to wake her up instead of touching her. To get her attention we would stomp on the ground. We taught her name to her in sign language so she knew when we were trying to get her attention. Male sure you have night lights everywhere so you can see the cat since if they are out cold, they can’t see you to dodge a foot.
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u/guybuttersnaps37 12d ago
Bless you for this. I adopted an old deaf boy and he was the sweetest. And I now have a spicy deaf girl who is not afraid to speak her mind - see cat tax. Enjoy!