If the cat is deaf what to do. Deafness in cats - causes and signs of hearing loss

The animal, like man, knows the world through the five main senses. The ears, which perform the function of hearing, are the second most important organ of perception of information after vision. For cats (especially for those who lead a street lifestyle), the importance of this organ cannot be overestimated. Thanks to him, the animal knows how to navigate, recognizes the impending danger and gets its own food.

hearing loss for wild cat tragic. This makes her completely defenseless. But for a pet, this is not the case. For her, deafness is not a tragedy. It only changes the habitual way of life of the animal, forcing it to adapt to new conditions. Given the good adaptive qualities of the cat, then with some attention and help caring owner the quality of existence of a deaf animal can be quite high. Our article will tell you about the types of congenital and acquired deafness, how hearing loss is determined, and what to do if your cat is deaf.

Depending on the origin, deafness in cats can be congenital or acquired.

Congenital deafness can have two causes:

pathology prenatal development fetus, leading to impaired conduction or perception of sounds in the structures of the organ of hearing;
aggravated heredity - the presence of a gene white color skins W.

Acquired hearing loss, which turned into deafness, can be acute or chronic.

acute deafness occurs suddenly, the symptoms increase rapidly, during short period time;
chronic deafness develops gradually over many months or even years. There are stable or progressive deafness.

Many owners know the fact that white cats with blue eyes often have such a congenital defect as deafness. Such cats in their genotype have a special dominant gene W. It is the presence of this gene that makes it likely that White cat will be deaf, very high. In some cases, it reaches 80%. In turn, congenital deafness in individuals of a different color is an extremely rare phenomenon.

The dominant W gene is pleiotropic, that is, it is responsible for the presence of several traits at once. In addition to the white coat color and deafness, it also makes blue eyes dominant. The probability of deafness among white individuals is distributed as follows:

animals with blue eyes are deaf in 80% of cases;
animals with heterochromic eyes (one eye is blue and the other is a different color) have deafness in 40% of cases;
animals with eyes of any color (except blue) have deafness in 20% of cases.

It has been observed that the deafness of white cats, caused by the presence of this gene, can be either unilateral or bilateral (long-haired beauties more often suffer from it).

How deafness is formed in white individuals

It is known that absolutely all kittens are born deaf, with closed eyes. ear canals. By the age of 5-7 days, they gradually open. At the age of two weeks, the kitten is able to determine the direction of the sound, and by a month, he already knows how to distinguish sounds. At white kitten, thanks to genetic disorders, by the time the ears are opened (at a week of age), the organ of Corti atrophies - the receptor part auditory analyzer, located in the auditory labyrinth, responsible for the analysis of sound signals.

Features of natural and artificial selection of white cats

AT wild environment white cats survive much less often than others, since they are much less adapted to unfavorable factors surrounding reality. The reasons for this are as follows:

high probability of deafness;
photophobia, which contributes to light shade eye;
poor vision in low light conditions.

In conditions of artificial breeding, white cats are very popular, as they have an attractive appearance. They are actively bred, despite high probability physical handicap.

Causes of acquired deafness

The most common causes of acquired deafness are:

Symptoms of the disease

Cats adapt well to their condition at the expense of other senses. There is a certain belief that their sensitivity is so sharpened that they hear, perceiving sound vibrations skeletal bones and vibrissae. By fluctuations in the air, they feel movement from behind.

And yet, the onset of deafness can be determined. It is usually accompanied by the following symptoms:

too loud meowing;
lack of reaction to opening the refrigerator door or to the rustling of a bag of food;
loss of orientation, frequent looking back;
shaking the head, rubbing the ears with a paw;
with an infectious disease or sulfur plugs an unpleasant odor may be felt;
the old cat does not respond to its name.

To confirm your suspicions, you need to utter some sound at some distance from the animal. A well-hearing cat will respond by turning its ears. A louder sound will cause fright and a reaction of the whole body. If these signs are absent, it means that the fears have been confirmed, and the cat does not hear at all.

Diagnosis of the disease

If symptoms of deafness appear, you should show your pet to a veterinarian, only he can professionally determine the presence of deafness, its level, and also the cause. There are the following methods for this:

Treatment of the disease

Deafness treatment methods vary depending on the causes that cause it:

We can say that congenital deafness is not a pathology, but a feature of the white suit. Since the animal is born deaf, it does not adapt, but lives, from birth actively including the rest of the senses (sight, touch and smell) into the work. Therefore, caring for such kittens is practically no different from caring for their healthy counterparts.

White individuals are extremely popular among cat lovers, so they are bred, despite existing risks. But an experienced breeder should control this process. Mistakes in the selection of pairs threaten that deafness, as a genetic trait, may manifest itself in offspring. In addition, there Great chance that sickly and non-viable offspring will be obtained.

There are several specific features of keeping deaf pets:

One of the main conditions is that such cats should not be let out alone on the street, as they are prone to various dangers more than others.
You should not approach the cat from behind, so as not to scare it. AT last resort, you can, when entering, slam the door louder or stomp, creating vibrations that are well felt by the animal.
They can read lips, so it is necessary to address her so that she sees the face of the owner.
You need to be extremely careful, being in the same room with a deaf pet, so as not to step on it.

Deafness is not a reason to throw away fluffy pet outside or be euthanized. At careful attention, love and care, this lack will not be noticeable to either the owner or his pet.

Cat hearing loss can be caused by infectious diseases or damage eardrum. Hearing is very important for a cat, as it helps to determine the distance and direction to the source of noise. Deaf cats, however, can lead an almost normal life, but they need help during the adjustment period.

Causes of deafness in cats.

Deafness can be congenital or acquired.

congenital deafness may be hereditary - caused by the action of certain genes: white wool, blue eyes (although not all white blue-eyed cats are deaf), actually deafness; or developed as a result of the action toxic substances or viral infections during fetal development of a kitten. In such cases, deafness appears due to degenerative changes occurring in the first week of life.

In some cases, a cat's hearing can be restored after treatment of the underlying disease that caused the deafness.

Symptoms of deafness in cats.

If a cat loses hearing gradually, it may compensate for the loss with other senses in a way that you may not even notice. However, when the deafness becomes complete, some symptoms will be noticeable.

The cat does not respond when called
Becomes shy, often flinches
Very loud meow
The cat is often confused and does not immediately orientate itself
shakes his head
Rubs ears with paws
There is an unpleasant smell from the cat's ears
There is discharge from the cat's ears
Peeling skin around the ears

Types of hearing loss in cats

There are two types of deafness in cats:

Caused by an infectious disease or cancer. This type of hearing loss is usually reversible. When the disease is cured, hearing is restored. If the disease is not treated, deafness can become permanent.
Deviations in work nervous system- hereditary (as in cats with blue eyes or white color) or acquired, for example, caused by poisoning with any drugs. Older cats can also lose their hearing, this is due to age-related changes in the nerves or the fusion of bones during inner ear. This type of deafness is usually irreversible.

Diagnosis of deafness in cats.

Diagnosis of congenital deafness requires careful observation of the kitten's reaction to sounds. If a deaf kitten is among healthy kittens in a litter, deafness is quite difficult to notice, as the kitten copies the behavior of the rest of the kittens in the group. For this reason, deafness is usually detected at the age of 3 - 4 weeks, when each kitten should already have a predictable reaction to sounds.

Ear infections, fungus and mites can be detected by a veterinarian with a simple examination. With age-related hearing loss, special tests are needed to identify the cat's reaction to sounds.

Treatment of deafness in cats.

If deafness is caused by poisoning toxic substances, is age-related or hereditary, it is impossible to cure it. You must help the cat adapt to life without hearing. Since the cat is easily frightened, not hearing the approach of people. Try not to make sudden movements and not appear unexpectedly in front of the cat, if possible somehow warning the cat. For example, turn on/off the light or stomp on the floor so that the cat feels the vibration. You may also notice that your cat is able to learn to follow your gesture commands and even "lip-read". Try to give commands always with the same words and so that the cat sees your lips, and then show what she should do. You will be surprised how soon the cat will understand what is required of her.

A cat can adapt to deafness, so be aware that she needs more attention and support.

Many cats face such an ailment as deafness. Most often, this pathology affects white blue-eyed cats. The cause of hearing loss in a cat can be infectious diseases or damage to the eardrum. It is worth noting that hearing is a very important sense for an animal. It is necessary to determine the distance and direction to the noise source. Despite this, deaf cats can exist normally. However, they require significant assistance during the adaptation period.

Causes of the disease

Clinical picture of pathology

In the case of gradual hearing loss, the clinic of this disease acquires a mild character. This is due to the compensation of this feeling at the expense of other organs. However, complete deafness leads to more noticeable symptoms:

The cat's lack of response to the call.
Fearfulness and frequent shuddering of the animal.
Very loud meow.
Lack of orientation in space.
Head shaking.
Constant rubbing of ears with paws.
The appearance of an unpleasant odor from the ears of a cat.
Appearance pathological discharge from the ears.
Peeling of the skin around the ears.

Types of deafness in cats

In some cases, hearing loss in animals is due to an infectious disease or cancer. This type of deafness is usually reversible. Treatment of the underlying disease leads to the restoration of hearing. In the absence of treatment, deafness becomes permanent and irreversible.

Various disorders in the functioning of the nervous system lead to irreversible hearing loss. In this case, the pathology is both hereditary and acquired. Acquired deafness in cats may be associated with poisoning by any medicines. It is worth noting that older cats can also become deaf. This happens due to age-related changes nerves or bone fusions in the inner ear.

Diagnosing Hearing Loss in Cats

First of all, a simple examination is shown. By using this method it is possible to identify infectious diseases, fungal infections, ticks. Age-related hearing loss is an indication for the use of special tests. This is necessary to study the cat's reaction to sounds.

Treatment of the disease

If infections or fungi are the cause of hearing loss in cats, appropriate therapy may help full recovery hearing. Purpose antibacterial drugs, insecticides occurs only after complete examination. In tumor processes, chemotherapy and radiation are indicated.

In the case of age-related or hereditary deafness, hearing restoration is not possible. The owner of the animal must help the cat to live without hearing. Due to the slight fright of the animal due to the inability to hear the approach of people, it is envisaged to limit sudden movements and exclude unexpected appearance in front of the cat. Turning the light on and off for the cat to feel the vibration is shown. It is also possible to teach the animal commands given by gestures and even lips. It is forbidden to let sick animals go outside. As a rule, deaf cats are not allowed to be bred.

Probably, those who had white cats noticed that they had hearing problems. Why is this happening and how to check how deaf a cat is?

Causes of deafness

Indeed, statistics show that some blue-eyed cats have poor or no hearing at all because they have inner ear degeneration.

Moreover, such a pathology can be:

unilateral;
bilateral.

It is difficult to understand this fact: a truly deaf cat is usually blue-eyed. But after all, cats with white coat color have not only blue eyes, but also green (like most cats) and yellow (there are even bright orange ones). But there are also such handsome men who have eyes different color. And if one of them is blue, then the white cat will be deaf in the ear on the side of which this eye is located. Paradox? But it is so.

Scientists have known about this feature of albinos for a long time, since the 19th century. Even Charles Darwin wrote about them. In time everything more specialists found a direct link between:

coat color;
blue eye pigment;
inability to hear.

Why are white cats deaf?

Deafness in white cats is due to certain genetic characteristics. Gene white color, which is dominant, specifically affects the processes that occur in small organism at the stage of embryonic development, it also affects the development of hearing. This has been proven through numerous experiments.

If the kitten had representatives or Thais in the family, then the presence of blue eyes does not yet fully guarantee that the grown cat will be deaf. This is due to the fact that the gene with such a pathology is taken from Siamese cats that don't have this problem.

Kittens of many breeds are born with blue eyes, but then their color changes. Therefore, when you see a blue-eyed white kitten, do not be alarmed: it is not yet a fact that he will remain with this eye color and will not hear. Wait a little, let him grow up, and everything will fall into place.

People who decide to have a white kitten need to know all the nuances associated with the peculiarities of its development. Not all kittens are equally deaf. Before buying a new family member, you should already at the stage of choosing an applicant find out what kind of hearing he has. After all, it may well be that not everyone is able to provide normal life deaf child and teach him to understand the person.