Deaf Cat....now what?

Hi, this is just my second post so hang in there with me, eh? My girlfriend and I have 18 (plus/minus) cats in and about our house..which is a great deal of work as you must know, but we don't mind. At any rate, most of the cats are from 'China' a feral cat that we trapped about a year ago. She was very 'fertile' and had several litters that we 'rescued'. She lives outside on the property (10 acres, wooded, 1/4 mile off the road), and seems to stay around most of the time. My problem...if it is one...is that 'China' is deaf. I don't believe she was deaf before we trapped her in a 'hava-heart' trap when we had her spayed. tho. BTW, all our cats are neutered. Anyway, I'm concerned that she can't hear...deaf as the proverbial stone. She lives in an outside shed that is insulated, but still cold in the winter time. She comes inside to eat, tho...we have a cat door on our slider. My concerns are that the vet said that trying to figure this out is not easy and could be expensive and problematic, too. The expense does not bother me...I have a good job. I am concerned for the cat, tho. Does anyone have any opinions, experiences with deaf cats? I would appreciate your input into this matter a great deal. I always worry about these 'guys/gals' that live in and out of the house. Thanx in advance of your posts. BAGGER

I don't have any personal experience with deaf cats, but know someone who has 2. Hers are both indoors, so I don't know how well they deal with the great outdoors. I do know that no matter what the cause of being deaf, they live fairly normal. The one cat seems to focus more with her eyes. She knows when someone is coming if there are vibrations. The other cat, you have to be careful with when he's sleeping. He gets startled very easily. Neither one seems to be bothered by it in the least.

Thanx, Sandy for your reply. I worry about, China...as she does live outside. She seems to stay pretty close, but there are many things that can cause her a problem. The neighbors have a couple of dogs. I have 2.5 acres of chainlink, but I'm sure China...as most cats...
roams about. I worry that either a dog, another cat, coyote or whatever will come upon her and ...well, you know. I wonder if anyone has had a deaf cat and had some sort of 'therapy' or whatever to 'fix' the deafness. Other than Beltone...I don't have a clue.
Thanx. BAGGER

Hello! Ur msg sure got my attention! I always wanted a deaf cat because I am deaf myself.

I agree with Sandie- treat her normal- she's just as normal as any other cats- just can't hear.

Also, Sandie's right, cats who are deaf tend to be more sensitive and feel vibrations on wood floors, etc and tend to be more alert to their environment. If you want her attention, try waving your hands or something because moving objects tend to attract attention (this works with deaf people too! haha), pounding on tables, wood floors, etc can also get her attention. Flashing lights in the room will also work.

I don't think surgery or something like that is needed to "fix" the cat's deafness. Just keep an eye on her. I think it's GREAT that you worry and care about her. I know that many people don't want pets that aren't "perfect" GRRRR!!!

Cats are very smart and it's amazing to see how much they can understand. I have some cats who knows I am deaf. I'm sure u are wondering how I know that they know I'm deaf! I noticed that they would touch me in some way to get my attention. For example, Sunni would touch her nose to my face or arm when I'm sleeping to wake me up so I'd go feed her or whatever. She also would use her paws to wake me up. She and Zebra also would meow only when I look at them. I have asked my family if they have heard them meowing while I was not looking and they said nope. So that's how I know they know I'm deaf.

I personally LOVE being deaf and just CAN'T IMAGINE BEING HEARING! Haha. If u have any questions regarding this, let me know!
Enjoy having a deaf cat (LUCKY YOU!)
Pamela

Pamela...thanx for your input concerning my deaf cat. I don't know if you noticed from my post, but this cat lives "outside" in one of my sheds (which is insulated, but still cold in the winter). She's not really 'feral', but is certainly very spooky...altho, we try to coercer her to become more friendly to us. She comes inside to eat thru the cat door in my slider...but isn't interested in staying around with all the others or us, for that matter. If she lived inside, I wouldn't be so concerned. I think it's wonderful that your cats make you aware of their needs. I have some like that as well...
I'm surprised that all cats seem to have different personalities.
I'm wondering if you know if this cat is at a disadvantage living outside...I suppose so, but I do think her other senses have helped her survive at least the 2 years that I know of. Thanx again. BAGGER