Advice For A Deaf Foster Cat

[sunny578]

Hello!

We have had our latest foster cat for a week now. He was having a really hard time at the shelter. Hissed a lot in his cage, didn't eat, and had blood in his urine that the shelter vet thought had to do with stress because his blood and urine tests came back great. He hissed the first few days here, but now lets us pet him and comes out a bit to eat. He comes out to socialize with my husband, but not for me or my very cat savvy daughter. We are pretty sure he is deaf because he seems startled by us when he finally sees that we are in his room (which is a garage that is semi-converted into a living room/foster cat space.)

He spends most of the day and night sitting behind the work bench, either in his cat bed or in his litter box (which he is using well! No more blood in urine!) He might just need more time, but am wondering if anyone out there who has fostered or had a scared deaf cat might have some tips! I think he'd be happier if he migrated over to the living room part of the garage, and I've set up some tunnels that he can use to get over there and feel safe in the process, but for now he is glued to his space behind the work bench.

I usually leave the fluorescent garage lights on because even though there is a window down there, the garage doesn't get much natural light. But maybe, he'd feel more comfortable with them off, and then I could turn them on when I enter the garage and that could serve as a kind of warning that someone is there so I don't startle him every time I go in for a visit.

His previous owners said he is 19(!) although to me he seems more like 12. His blood work is perfect and so is his fur. He lived with them for his whole life. For the first 14 years, he was indoor/outdoor, and for the last 5, he lived exclusively outdoors. (I have no idea why. I'm also not sure why they surrendered him.)

He's a beautiful chocolate point siamese with some white spots on his feet and one on his mouth that looks like a monroe birthmark!

We have dogs who don't have access to his space, but one is old and stinky and I also walk dogs, so I probably smell like dogs more than I realize.

Thank you for any thoughts!

 

[nurseangel]

Hi, bless you and your family for taking in this gentleman. I have never had a deaf cat, but did a little research online to find out some tips for caring for them. The articles I read said to warn your deaf cat before approaching by flicking the lights or stomping your feet. They can feel the vibrations with the foot stomping. Apparently, some deaf cats respond to a dog whistle, which can also serve as notice that you are present.

Deaf cats are also a little harder to care for because they are not afraid of noise, so if they knock something over, it doesn't scare them.

I wish you the best and hope someone with actual experience can give you more advice.

 

[mservant]

My previous 2 cats lost their sight in later years and one almost certainly lost some hearing but not all. She managed well if I clattered about and she definitely sensed when someone was coming in to a room : probably down to vibration plus scents and air movement. I also knew a couple who had a deaf white cat and they used vibration and scent - also kept indoors so that maybe reason for the change in how your guy was cared for.

Cats rely on many different senses and it can be amazing how they compensate. You might find he gets to know people by scent so keeping strong fragrances to a minimum helpful for him in addition to picking up vibration as people move about.
Knocking food bowls on a surface as well as food smells, and other scent and vibration cues to keep him being aware of what's going on could help reduce stress. You never know, he might even decide to hunt and play a little.

 

[di and bob]

My heart goes out to that elderly sweetheart! How someone could surrender a 19 year old cat is beyond me, he must be absolutely terrified and confused.
We had a deaf cat years ago that did very well. The only way we knew he was deaf is because of that startle reflex you talked about. He came to us when we flicked the light on and off. He always had his back to something, a wall etc., I'm sure for instinctive protection. A week is not long at all to get used to a complete new environment and routine, he is actually doing very well. Just continue to interact with him, flicking the light on and off to announce yourself and i'm sure he will warm up to loving care. Offer treats and strokes, touch would be very important to him. The smell of the dogs will get familiar to him in time, but I am sure right now he is uncomfortable with it. You might eventually build a small enclosure out your window so cats can enjoy the sunshine and smells in safety. I think he would enjoy that. Or a perch on the inside for him to look out. As long as he is eating, drinking, and using the litter box, everything is OK. It will take time and patience, an older cat is more confused and unable to take in everything as soon as a young cat. Just offer comfort and i'm sure he will respond. Bless you for giving him comfort and care in his old age, please keep us updated on how he is doing!

 

[nunnc84]

Hello!

We have had our latest foster cat for a week now. He was having a really hard time at the shelter. Hissed a lot in his cage, didn't eat, and had blood in his urine that the shelter vet thought had to do with stress because his blood and urine tests came back great. He hissed the first few days here, but now lets us pet him and comes out a bit to eat. He comes out to socialize with my husband, but not for me or my very cat savvy daughter. We are pretty sure he is deaf because he seems startled by us when he finally sees that we are in his room (which is a garage that is semi-converted into a living room/foster cat space.)

He spends most of the day and night sitting behind the work bench, either in his cat bed or in his litter box (which he is using well! No more blood in urine!) He might just need more time, but am wondering if anyone out there who has fostered or had a scared deaf cat might have some tips! I think he'd be happier if he migrated over to the living room part of the garage, and I've set up some tunnels that he can use to get over there and feel safe in the process, but for now he is glued to his space behind the work bench.

I usually leave the fluorescent garage lights on because even though there is a window down there, the garage doesn't get much natural light. But maybe, he'd feel more comfortable with them off, and then I could turn them on when I enter the garage and that could serve as a kind of warning that someone is there so I don't startle him every time I go in for a visit.

His previous owners said he is 19(!) although to me he seems more like 12. His blood work is perfect and so is his fur. He lived with them for his whole life. For the first 14 years, he was indoor/outdoor, and for the last 5, he lived exclusively outdoors. (I have no idea why. I'm also not sure why they surrendered him.)

He's a beautiful chocolate point siamese with some white spots on his feet and one on his mouth that looks like a monroe birthmark!

We have dogs who don't have access to his space, but one is old and stinky and I also walk dogs, so I probably smell like dogs more than I realize.

Thank you for any thoughts!

I'm following because I have a cat that might go blind later in life.

 

[Jem]

We had a cat who went deaf in his later years. And as others have mentioned, we used light flickers, foot stomps and moving air, we would blow in his direction to rouse him if he was sleeping and we needed to wake him, instead of startling him awake without touch. When it comes to the foot stomps, we didn't just walk around heavy footed all the time. The foot stomps were a deliberate 3 stomp, if we were going near him. If he was sleeping, and we were just passing by, we didn't do the foot stomp, no need to wake him for no reason.
If you could find a secondary light source, like a lamp, to leave on for him and save the bright overhead light for the light flicker warning, that would allow him some light during the day and still provide you with a warning system. And at night just leave it all off.

 

[sunny578]

Hi, bless you and your family for taking in this gentleman. I have never had a deaf cat, but did a little research online to find out some tips for caring for them. The articles I read said to warn your deaf cat before approaching by flicking the lights or stomping your feet. They can feel the vibrations with the foot stomping. Apparently, some deaf cats respond to a dog whistle, which can also serve as notice that you are present.

Deaf cats are also a little harder to care for because they are not afraid of noise, so if they knock something over, it doesn't scare them.

I wish you the best and hope someone with actual experience can give you more advice.

Thank you so much! He is a gentleman--what a great word for him. I hadn't thought of flicking the lights a few times--great idea! It has been helping. Thank you

 

[sunny578]

We had a cat who went deaf in his later years. And as others have mentioned, we used light flickers, foot stomps and moving air, we would blow in his direction to rouse him if he was sleeping and we needed to wake him, instead of startling him awake without touch. When it comes to the foot stomps, we didn't just walk around heavy footed all the time. The foot stomps were a deliberate 3 stomp, if we were going near him. If he was sleeping, and we were just passing by, we didn't do the foot stomp, no need to wake him for no reason.
If you could find a secondary light source, like a lamp, to leave on for him and save the bright overhead light for the light flicker warning, that would allow him some light during the day and still provide you with a warning system. And at night just leave it all off.

This is helpful--thank you! Great idea re: blowing on him if I need to wake him for some reason. Yeah, I should just turn it all off at night. I don't know why I feel like he needs a light on. Thank you!!

 

[sunny578]

My previous 2 cats lost their sight in later years and one almost certainly lost some hearing but not all. She managed well if I clattered about and she definitely sensed when someone was coming in to a room : probably down to vibration plus scents and air movement. I also knew a couple who had a deaf white cat and they used vibration and scent - also kept indoors so that maybe reason for the change in how your guy was cared for.

Cats rely on many different senses and it can be amazing how they compensate. You might find he gets to know people by scent so keeping strong fragrances to a minimum helpful for him in addition to picking up vibration as people move about.
Knocking food bowls on a surface as well as food smells, and other scent and vibration cues to keep him being aware of what's going on could help reduce stress. You never know, he might even decide to hunt and play a little.

Good points, thank you! He did play a little tonight. Good thinking re: the scents. There's some extremely fragrant wood by where he has chosen to camp out, and I wonder if that is messing with him. Yes--I wonder if they dropped him off bc he wasn't fairing outside too well with his hearing loss. Thank you!

 

[sunny578]

My heart goes out to that elderly sweetheart! How someone could surrender a 19 year old cat is beyond me, he must be absolutely terrified and confused.
We had a deaf cat years ago that did very well. The only way we knew he was deaf is because of that startle reflex you talked about. He came to us when we flicked the light on and off. He always had his back to something, a wall etc., I'm sure for instinctive protection. A week is not long at all to get used to a complete new environment and routine, he is actually doing very well. Just continue to interact with him, flicking the light on and off to announce yourself and i'm sure he will warm up to loving care. Offer treats and strokes, touch would be very important to him. The smell of the dogs will get familiar to him in time, but I am sure right now he is uncomfortable with it. You might eventually build a small enclosure out your window so cats can enjoy the sunshine and smells in safety. I think he would enjoy that. Or a perch on the inside for him to look out. As long as he is eating, drinking, and using the litter box, everything is OK. It will take time and patience, an older cat is more confused and unable to take in everything as soon as a young cat. Just offer comfort and i'm sure he will respond. Bless you for giving him comfort and care in his old age, please keep us updated on how he is doing!

Thank you for your response! Yes, he seems to have situated himself so that his back it always to the wall! He does love to be petted--makes sense that touch would be extra important to him. I wonder if he would use a perch once he's more comfortable. When I heard he was 19, I was expecting a completely different cat. He really looks amazing for 12, let alone 19. Thank you!

 

[sabian]

I had a deaf cat once. He was an awesome cat! You have to do things a little different with them. My cat "Sabian" was found on the side of the road. I was in a line of traffic on a very busy road near a popular lake near me, on a Sat. He was on the white line and looked like he was scared to move. I had to turn around and get him. As soon as I sat him on the seat in the car he acted like I was his best friend. This was before the internet, around 1996, 97. I posted fliers a vet clinics and ran an ad in the paper, even knocked on some doors near where I found him. I know he belonged to someone but, nobody ever came forward and claimed him. I was honestly glad because we bonded immediately.

My dad had cancer at the time and this little cat was a nut! He made us all laugh constantly and, he really helped me through some hard times. I still miss him a lot.

When I first found him I was living with my parents helping care for my dad. They had an indoor cat and she hated him so, at night I kept him in the garage and let him out during the day. We lived in a secluded area and he had plenty of room to roam without fear of traffic or predators.

I first realized he was deaf after a couple of days. When I would open the door in the morning to let him out he would usually be asleep. He wouldn't wake up when the door opened and I thought that was odd. The first couple days I startled him because I walked up and touched him. So I would just open the door and stand there. Within 30 seconds to a minute he would wake up. I guess he smelled me is all I could figure.

I play the drums so about the fourth day I just walked over and hit a cymbal. They were set up in the garage. He looked around like he knew there was a noise but he remained calm. I knew then he was deaf for sure.

He was fearless! He would lay between my bass drums when I would practice and sometimes would jump up on the floor tom and lay down and watch me play. He loved riding in the car. He would go to band practice with me and hang out and eventually just go to sleep. It's was loud too and, sometimes as many as 20 people may be there hanging out. He would just go around and let everybody pet him and just chilled like he belonged there! It was crazy. He loved kids too. He would run up to them with his tail in the air like they were the most amazing thing.

His situation was different than you foster though. He was in his element and I found him at like 3 months old. Your guy has been uprooted from every thing he knows and is scared to death.

The only advice I can give is just treat them like a normal cat. Talk them like you would any cat. When you walk in to the room just stand there. More than likely he'll smell you or, just sense your there. Make eye contact with him because he'll communicate with you that way. He'll learn facial expression that you make when your talking to him without you even realizing it. Also hand signs like....when Sabian was doing something wrong I would point at him and shake my finger and say no while shaking my head. He knew what that meant. He would let out a trill and give me a sheepish look. It makes me laugh thinking about it.

My guess is he will come around faster than a regular foster because he won't get spooked as easy by noise. Just give him lot's of love and rubs and remember that his other sense's are probably more developed and he'll depend on them more. A lot of cats don't like eye contact but, in his case, I think you'll find he needs it. Your not located near NC by chance are you?

Hope this helps if I think of anything else I reply back again.

A few pics of Sabian

 

[catluver2019]

I don’t really have anything to add since you already got good advice. I just wanted to say thanks for looking after him!

When can we see him ?

 

[ArchyCat]

Sabian was a handsome cat! Was he an odd-eyed white?

 

[danteshuman]

I wish I could offer advice. I have never had a deaf cat. People have already mentioned how to communicate with him using flickering lights and floor taps. I will add that when I train my cats I use hand signals and they learn the hand signals months before they learn the words. Also when you make eye contact do the slow blink or close your eyes. That is how cats hug.

I would try a cat bed with lots of catnip on it, another bed with lavender and maybe a pine scent somewhere. Perhaps some potted grass. Basically enrich his life as much as possible with things that use his other senses. A window perch with a sturdy screen would be ideal.

Lastly how much human time does he get? In a month (when he is settled) or so can you lock up the cats in a room and kick the dogs outside to let him explore your house? Ideally letting him explore your house a couple hours per day? Can someone spend 3-4 hours just hanging out in the garage with him to? Or maybe inside the house plus an hour of garage cuddles each day? I think he must miss his cuddles.

However everything you are doing is far more than he would get in the shelter. Thank you for taking him in.

 

[sabian]

Sabian was a handsome cat! Was he an odd-eyed white?

Yeah he was odd-eyed. He had a gold eye and a blue eye. I don't have any pics scanned that wasn't taken without a flash. In fact I may not have any at all. I would have to look through all his pics. It was taken with 35mm film. This was before digital camera's.

If you look at the first pic you can see the blue in the left eye and gold in the right.

 

[sabian]

When can we see him ?

I would like to see some pics too!