I realized my elderly cat seems to be deaf

[david68]

I hadn't thought about it that much, but my 15 year-old female cat used to know her name and respond to it. But it's been a while since she did that. She's been on a lot of medications for a combination of hyperthyroidism and stomatitis, plus she's had two oral surgeries. (I read that surgical anesthesia can cause deafness in cats.) I went over her medications, and I don't see any I've given her that are flagged as ototoxic. It only occurred to me after a friend of mine mentioned that she thought her 17 year-old cat is mostly deaf now.

Last night, I clapped my hands loudly behind her, and she didn't react or look. Feels weird that I didn't notice this.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Your cat is old enough that hearing loss may simply be age-related. Odds are her hearing has been gradually decreasing over time which can make it hard sometimes to recognize what is going on. You didn't really ask for any advice, and I certainly couldn't offer much despite the fact that I am pretty sure there is some hearing loss in my 19+yo cat. I just always make a point to avoid approaching her from the back to reduce the chance of startling her. If I have to approach her from behind, I will turn on a light to 'announce' someone is coming into the room or stomp my feet for the vibration effect.

However, I can share a TCS article on the subject, along with a link to other posts that have been made relative to deafness/hearing loss in cat, if that helps any.
The Deaf Cat: From Diagnosis to Daily Life, A Complete Guide - TheCatSite
Search Results for Query: deaf cat | TheCatSite

 

[happilyretired]

My first cat developed deafness when she was 17. The advice above about being careful not to startle the cat is exactly what my vet advised at the time. He also added that they've found that dogs and cats both respond to hearing or vision loss better than humans! My girl certainly didn't seem affected and lived comfortably for another 3 years.