not sure if Swampy's deaf

[swampmaxmum]

will have to see how good he is at lip reading! He had a song I sang to him in hospital and he purred, but maybe it was just the being cuddled bit. thanks Ruth x

[Bazsmum]

id mouth the song to him and tap the tune lol x

[swampmaxmum]

so he can't hear me singing him his favourite Swampsongs any more  - no comments about that being a good enough reason for any self respecting feline to go deaf!
it explains why he's been very physically clingy. I just hope he stays quiet and doesn't start yowling as the sound proofing here is inadequate.
thanks, Ruth.
Deaf One's snoring loudly now. I've never seen him so upset as this morning at the vet's though. He must have had 15 blood tests from his neck in the last 6 months but he wasn't having any this morning. It was a new vet's nurse holding him which didn't help. The usual one he likes has left    Vet wouldn't let me hold him.

[Bazsmum]

 .....its not the end of the world tho.....just make sure you use loads of hand gestures and vibrations....i had a deaf cat and never had any probs.....its amazing how quickly they adjust.......we take longer to get used to the idea

[swampmaxmum]

He's definitely deaf. He had his back to his carrier this morning when we opened it up at the vets (so he could come home) and he didn't hear the catch despite being desperate to get back in. The vet said it could be part of his brain deterioration that he got when he was so ill, but common in old animals. I'm pretty upset that he's only 15 which isn't that ancient for a burmese and that he can't hear me or his brozzer Max any more.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I hope he is fine 

Usually deaf cats are quite noisy, so you are lucky in that respect.

I have so many suspicions about Frantas hearing.......he heard the cat flap today from another room!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[swampmaxmum]

thanks everyone for your support. I'm pretty upset cos the Swamp is only 15 and was so robust, a typical burmese hooligan, until last september. If he's deaf but can see ok and he lives indoors (with just supervised illegal visits to the roof) I think he'll be ok.
I've noticed too that his miaowing is less - he does silent miaows now far more than he used to. That's very sweet too.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Kocka was nearly deaf and also partially blind due to blood pressure and totally blind sometimes but she still went out but not very far.

However Franta is nearly completely deaf and he goes outside in the garden.  All the vet did was jangle keys behind their backs and no reaction.

Cats hear much higher frequencies than us and also feel vibrations but I found that if I create a sound like a high pitched whistle Franta could hear it but got very upset cos he couldnt work out either what it was or where it came from so I do not do this. He can feel vibration and will rush up the stairs when i tread.

He used to be able to hear me go pssssssst  but he doesnt seem to be able to hear that now.

If either Franta or the late Kocka were cats that roamed, then maybe I would have to think again and if your cat is a house cat or goes out on a lead and harness, there should be no problem. Franta walks by my side touching my legs or watches me like a dog in obedience trials, to make sure I am still walking with him, its very sweet.

[Bazsmum]

Best thing to do as mentioned is the hearing test........i know my cats can hear me perfectly........they are just selective!
Defo dont let your cat out if you suspect deafness.....far too many dangers out there for a hearing cat never mind a deaf one x

[Liz]

Having a deaf dog for 9 years - 3 of those without noticing thanks to Jazz his ears - she reacted then jumped on him so he reacted was a bit taken a back when vet advised he was totally deaf  It is only if he is outside unsupervised where the issues come in as he can still feel vibration and will react to that

Our 21.5 y.o the dear departed Bertie was blind and moved house, discovered the delights of a new home and garden and even managed to get trapped as he loved his food and the smellier the better so they can adapt the main thing is we never treated him or the dog any differently to what we had before afterall they adapted and we just fitted in

Try a silent dog whistle to see if any higher pitch hearing is left Breeze came to this as he only had high pitch left in one ear and couldn't hear us even if we yelled thankgod he came to signals!

[CurlyCatz]

sorry i wasnt sure what you meant really 

It can be quite tricky to be honest, esp if there are kids in the house but i suppose you just get into the habit of permanently checking doors etc.

[Gwen]

I have never had a completely indoor cat so forgive my ignorance

[CurlyCatz]

I'm not sure how you mean welshgirl. If you want to stop a cat going outdoors then you make the decision it is an indoor cat and take all appropriate steps to ensure they dont get outside so no catflap access, no open doors or windows etc.

[Gwen]

Having indoor/outdoor cats how on earth do you stop a cat from going outside if he wants to?   My cats would kill me if they couldn't go outside for a sunbathe

[swampmaxmum]

thanks! I think he'll cope with not hearing but not seeing as well could be very difficult. I just hope it doesn't come to that. My vet said high bp can make him go blind....He can't take the bp med Istin which is the only one that works cos it hits his liver too much. Fortekor will lower his bp only a tiny bit if he stays on it.
I've tried making noises near his ears and behind him and he doesn't react.  He also has no whiskers to speak of - in a terrible state.  So he can't work out all the things that whiskers are meant to help with. Yes, he's an indoor cat but he is let out on to the flat roof next to our kitchen window which is high and has a parapet around it - all highly illegal - and would hate it in good weather if he couldn't go outside at all or only on a harness.
I feel so dumb for not noticing before.  He hasn't been coming to the front door when we get back for quite a while now and I just thought it was just him.
I'll ask the vet on tuesday but he'll just call 'Swampy' and get nada anyhow.

[Gwen]

Our Pwt went deaf two years before she passed on and she coped with it just fine,like the previous poster said their sense of smell and vibrations are much better than ours so don't worry too much.  Please keep us posted though

[CurlyCatz]

the most common tests would be hearing tests ie holding things behind and to one side of the cat to see if he responds, making different loud noises to see if he has a startle response.
To be honest i wouldnt worry too much, if theres a chance he goes blind and with his other ailments does he get outside anyway ?? i'd say never lets a partially sighted cat out nor a partially hearing cat, if he's indoors then im sure he'll cope just fine. They have much highter tuned senses than us and can use "vibrations" etc  of course their sense of smell is also a great asset.

[swampmaxmum]

It's dawned on me gradually that Swampy doesn't respond the way he used to to sound and being called or whistled to from upstairs (mezzanine so same room), TV bird noises etc. How can I check if he's gone deaf or a bit deaf without invasive tests?  I'm so worried as he has high bp and the vet warned me that that can cause blindness. I can't bear to think of him deaf and blind; I think he could cope with being deaf or a bit deaf as long as it was just age related as he seems happy enough. He's definitely responding to visual signals and lots of love. I wonder if it could be as a result of being so ill last October?
I read on the web that owners can be taken by surprise at deafness as cats mask it with visual response.
Are there any checks I can do and can ask the vet to do (nothing horrible) to make sure there's nothing sinister and to see how deaf he is? He's never been a great one to respond to his name being called. I noticed that clinking plates didn't bring him to eat but rather seeing me go to the kitchen area made him move. He always used to react to my voice, walking in the door and his 'own' whistle noise.....whereas yesterday I walked right up near him and he was startled when he noticed me.
for those who don't know, Swampy is 15 and had cholangiohepatitis or similar last October and is recovering - so far so good.

Sorry to start another thread but Mark suggested I do as may get more response that way.