Deafness is often difficult to assess accurately, mainly because cats are not able to tell us when they have trouble hearing. Usually, it is their failure to obey commands or respond to familiar noises that first alert cat owners to a deafness problem.Compared to humans, cats have a much different range of hearing. Humans can hear sounds in the 20 Hz (low sounds) to 20 kHz (high sounds) range. By comparison, a cat has a
When cat begins to go deaf the process is normally a gradual one. Cats are gifted with the ability to easily rely on their other senses to make up for one that they lost, and you will probably not be able to tell that your cat is going deaf until they have lost most of their hearing. Most pet owners who discover that their cat has gone deaf have noticed for awhile that something about
Deafness in cats can be one of two kinds: conductive or sensorineural.If sounds cannot travel properly in the external or middle ear (i.e. sound does not conduct properly), the problem is said to be conductive. This can occur when there is an ear infection, a ruptured eardrum, blocked ear canals or fluid in the ear. Usually in these patients, hearing loss is only partial and treatment involves medical or surgical correction. If this is the
Acquired hearing loss usually results from damage to the ear components: eardrum, middle or inner ear structures, and nerves. It can also be a consequence of disease or old age. There are some critical signs to look for if you expect your cat might be losing his hearing. These observations will help your veterinarian make a diagnosis.Cats experiencing hearing loss are sound sleepers. Loud, medium, or even soft noises might not wake him. If your