{"id":2874,"date":"2021-09-15T13:45:33","date_gmt":"2021-09-15T13:45:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carevetdev.kinsta.cloud\/hoschton\/?p=2874"},"modified":"2022-07-06T13:47:34","modified_gmt":"2022-07-06T13:47:34","slug":"caring-for-a-deaf-cat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carevet.com\/hoschton\/blog\/2021\/09\/15\/caring-for-a-deaf-cat\/","title":{"rendered":"Caring For A Deaf Cat"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"post-content\">\n<div style=\"transition: opacity 1s ease-in-out 0s;\" data-rss-type=\"text\">\n<p> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> National Deaf Pet Awareness Week starts September 19th, which is this Sunday. This is definitely a topic that could use more attention. About one percent of the kitty population is deaf. Fluffy can still lead a full and happy life if she can\u2019t hear, and she\u2019ll be just as cute and lovable as other cats. Of course, she will need some extra care. A vet discusses caring for deaf cats below. <\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> Other Senses <\/span> <\/h2>\n<p> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> You may have heard that if one sense is weak or compromised, the others become more prominent and sensitive. This is true for cats as well as people. Fluffy will be quite sensitive to vibrations. Get her toys that vibrate or light up. <\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> Senior Years <\/span> <\/h2>\n<p> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> As Fluffy grows older, her sight may also decline. Using scent markers, night lights, and floor runners will help her find her way around, and can also help keep her from feeling scared or confused. <\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> Don\u2019t Frighten Fluffy <\/span> <\/h2>\n<p> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> Most deaf animals absolutely hate being startled. If you have to wake Fluffy up or approach her from behind, thump your foot so she knows you\u2019re there. <\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> Training <\/span> <\/h2>\n<p> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> Deaf pets sometimes can be trained to respond to hand signals. You may be able to teach Fluffy a few commands. Just keep it simple, and be consistent. (Your cat may still ignore you, but that\u2019s another topic.) Putting a bell on her collar will help you monitor her whereabouts. <\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> Laser Pointers <\/span> <\/h2>\n<p> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> Many kitties love chasing that little red dot from a laser pointer. Use this to your advantage! This can be a fun way to both play with Fluffy and get her attention. Flashlights can also be helpful here. <\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> Safety <\/span> <\/h2>\n<p> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> We recommend that all cats stay inside. This is especially crucial for deaf ones, as they won\u2019t hear things like car horns or brakes, barking dogs, or other sounds. Fluffy may enjoy a catio or enclosure, though. <\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> Offer Safe Spots <\/span> <\/h2>\n<p> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> Our feline buddies are very small and fragile, and they can get frightened easily. Your furball may be more comfortable in spots where she can see what\u2019s going on, and where no one will sneak up on her. Offer her lots of lookouts and hidey-holes, such as cat towers, window seats, and kitty condos. <\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> Cuddles <\/span> <\/h2>\n<p> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> Don\u2019t be surprised if your furball seems very affectionate. Cats that can\u2019t hear well often really crave touch. Give Fluffy lots of snuggles and love! <\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<p> <span style=\"display: initial;\"> Do you have questions or concerns about your cat\u2019s health or care? Contact us, your animal hospital, anytime! <br \/> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>National Deaf Pet Awareness Week starts September 19th, which is this Sunday. This is definitely a topic that could use more attention. About one percent of the kitty population is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":2873,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2874","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carevet.com\/hoschton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2874","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carevet.com\/hoschton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carevet.com\/hoschton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carevet.com\/hoschton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carevet.com\/hoschton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2874"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.carevet.com\/hoschton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2874\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2875,"href":"https:\/\/www.carevet.com\/hoschton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2874\/revisions\/2875"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carevet.com\/hoschton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2873"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carevet.com\/hoschton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2874"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carevet.com\/hoschton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2874"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carevet.com\/hoschton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2874"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}