5 Signs of Hearing Problems in Cats

One of the most difficult conditions to assess precisely in cats is deafness. It is because of the obvious reason that they cannot explicitly tell us if they have a difficulty in hearing.

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The usual hearing problems red flags for cat owners are their pet’s failure to follow commands or give a response to familiar sounds. As compared to the humans, the range of hearing frequencies is completely different. While for humans, it ranges between the frequencies of 20 Hz to 20 kHz, but as for cats, their frequency range lies between 48 Hz to 85 kHz.

Some cats can suffer from hereditary deafness, which occurs in some breeds. If a cat has a white colored coat and blue Iris, she is predisposed to hearing problems.

How to Determine If Your Cat Has Hearing Problems

Evaluating hearing problems in cats can be very tricky, especially if the cat only has one damaged ear, or it is partially deaf. Now, as a cat cannot tell what she hears, the ideal criteria for confirming whether a cat can hear sound or not, is through her response to it. This means that the cat should perceive the sound consciously.

If you think that your cat is suffering from a hearing problem, the first thing that you should do is to take her to the vet. The vet will determine whether the cat has a hearing problem, and if so, what is the next course of action.

Luckily, a number of cats who are diagnosed with deafness, continue to live their lives happily. On top of that, cats can easily learn to follow hand gestures, signals, facial expressions, etc. The owner will need to make a few adjustments to how they treat their cat, but they can make it work.

Experts also expose their opinion that some cats breeds have high hearing frequency limit while others have low hearing frequency but that is not completely true, we’re talking about the normal things which can be heard easily if ears are working fine. Let’s discuss signs of the problem.

5 Signs of Hearing Problems in Your Cat

1.  The cat does not respond to the sounds that are familiar to her. Now, as a cat cannot tell what she hears, the ideal criteria for confirming whether a cat can hear sound or not, is through her response to it.

2.  The cat starts to get started in more often, especially if something comes into her field of vision. This means that she did not hear them coming.

3.  The cat does not respond to the commands or follows your usual verbal instructions.

4.  The cat does not respond to the call of her name.

5.  The cat starts to meow are very loudly. If a cat has a hearing problem, she will meow loudly because they seem to enjoy the stimulation caused by the vibration of sound waves.

If a cat is started to lose in the hearing powers, there are other signs too. If the cat does not come to you after you have called her name or does not come rushing after you open her can of food, take her to the vet. If you cat is getting old, hearing loss is a normal condition with age. Visit a vet to make sure that there are no other underlying conditions related to it.

What Are The Causes of Hearing Problems in Cats?

Here are the common causes behind hearing problems in cats who were born with normal hearing abilities:

Old Age Hearing Problems

Just like in humans, eardrums of cats get thick with time, which causes the sounds to fade. In cats that are getting old, hearing problems are a common condition.

Ear infections

Another corporate that can lead to hearing problems are the ear infections. They usually start from the outside of the ear, before moving into the inner area and infecting the ear wax. This irritates the inner ear and leads to inflammation and excess discharge of ear wax.

If it is quickly treated by your vet, it can be cured, and the cat will gain the normal hearing back. If it is left without treatment, it can spiral into the inner and middle ear, which can permanently damage the hearing.

Ear Mites

These extremely contagious parasites are microscopic in size and reside inside the ear canals of animals. They are responsible for causing highly irritating itching sensations inside the ears. The cat will try to scratch the ear to soothe the irritation.

If the itch gets out of control, the cat might damage the outside skin of the year which will make it easier for the infections to seep inside. The infections can seriously damage the eardrum if not attended to promptly.

Ototoxic Meds

Some ototoxic medicines can have serious side effects including damage to the hearing abilities. These drugs include the meds like the antibiotics used for treating diabetes. You will have to weigh the risk posed by the side effects with the danger of leaving a condition without treatment.

Blunt Force Trauma or Exposure to Loud Noise

If a cat has suffered a blunt force trauma to the head or is exposed to loud noises for a long-time period, it can also cause hearing problems.

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