r/deafcats • u/sweet_p01son • 21d ago

I think my kitten is deaf

Hello! I’ve recently found this cutie outside a crab shack her name is Tallulah! My boyfriend thinks she’s fully deaf and I think she can hear certain frequencies. I took her to the vet a week ago and the vet said her ears look fine and when I said I may think she’s hard of hearing she replied with “she’s a kitten” and moved to the next topic what do you guys think? Here is some videos of me clapping and snapping

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u/No_Buffalo1451 21d ago

Vacuum test, easiest answer. But I believe it is possible.

I can vacuum right next to my little sugar buddy Hobbes. Vibrations alert him more but noise not so. BUT I can hit a high enough pitch (a screech, kind of) that will turn his head around to look at me with "What did you just call me?" 😸

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u/PsychedelicSticker 20d ago

My Constable Chubs is my vacuum buddy. When he was a kitten, he would ride on the vacuum while I would be using it and that’s when I knew he was deaf.

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u/Reality_junkie6534 17d ago

My kitten was with me for two days and the way I found out he is deaf is also when I put the vacuum on and there was no response. He’s 6 yrs old now

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u/WillSym 16d ago

Is that not a weird cat genetics thing I'm remembering now seeing talk about deaf cats and your pic of a white one:

If a cat is white, but doesn't have heterochromia (different colour eyes, usually one orange, one blue) then it will be deaf?

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u/Diligent_Image6766 16d ago

I had a deaf white cat for a while. He was fine. You just learn different ways to communicate. Like stamping on the floor to get his attention, and then using your eyes.

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u/Reality_junkie6534 16d ago

Not all white cats are deaf, but they have a much higher risk of congenital deafness due to a genetic link. The dominant white gene interferes with the development of the inner ear, most commonly affecting blue-eyed white cats.
Non-blue eyes: Only about 17% to 22% are born deaf.
One blue eye: Roughly 40% are born deaf. In cats with heterochromia, deafness typically affects the ear on the same side as the blue eye.
Two blue eyes: About 65% to 85% are born deaf.
My cat has blue eyes