It Is Very Quiet In His Little World (About our New Deaf Kitten)

[DonRedwood]

We've been talking about a kitten for quite a while. We have a giant Moose Dog (85lbs) who was raised by our 14 year old Burmese. The Moose Dog is very sweet but the Burmese is getting just too old for those dog & cat wrasslin' matches. Somedays now, after they've been playing for a while, the Burmese will wobble away, his legs kind of rubbery underneath him.

So, we had been talking about a kitten.

Saturday we found the tiniest little runt of a kitten at the Farm store. The little fellow was pure white and cute as anything. We wanted a girl cat but this little guy just seemed like the cat that was for us.

We brought him home and any worries about the Moose being too too rough were pretty much put to rest immediately. She adopted the little pipsqueak the moment she laid eyes on him. He hasn't gone five minutes without a bath since we got him. He's been licked, carried, snuffled and followed like a shadow since the minute we brought him in the door.

We are pet people. Our pets have toys and treats and each one of them has a goofy song and half a dozen pet names. I was once told by a mystic-sort-of-fellow, "You don't talk to your animals as if they were animals. I'm pretty sure your dog thinks she is a human." So we started trying out new names, singing little kitty songs, calling the kitty to us. But something was off. He's affectionate, sweet, playful and, we realized, stone deaf.

You can clap your hands as loud as you can six inches behind him and he doesn't hear a thing.

So while we thought we would be making up a name and cat songs, we've been going through our dog commands to see what hand signals we already use. We got a laser pointer and we are reading up on how to raise a deaf kitty. I'm a special ed teacher. I can figure this out.

But I will admit that we are kind of sad for him. We have a garden that is a wonderland but a corner lot that has corner traffic. Our house is situated between three parks so every few minutes there is another big dog on (or off) a leash trotting on our sidewalk. We worry about our cat that can hear. So this little guy, sadly, gets an indoor life. He won't hear his cute little names or the goofy little song I will probably make up about him. (though he likes to lay on my neck while I hum). I'm sad that he won't hear me talk to him like he is a human.

But my partner summed it up nicely. Our pets, in the past, have kind of picked us. The puppy at the pound who waddled over and fell asleep on my shoe (we buried her as an old grey dog three years ago on New Year's Eve) or the little orange cat at the pound who laid on his back, stuck his arms out of the wire cage, and mewed happily at us as though he'd just found his long-lost human family. This new fellow? "Fate gave us this little guy, he needs us," is how my partner put it. And we love him like crazy already. It never crossed our minds to take him back or not keep him.

And the Moose? She's adopted him. The baby crawls on her head, her back, looks for some milk which means at any time the kitten is trying to nurse on the dog's leg, or her ear, or her snout. If the kitty mews the dog is there in seconds.

It is very quiet in his little world but I think he's going to be OK.

(and just so you all don't worry...my partner is driving out to the farmstore today to check to see if the other white kittens are deaf. We're afraid the farmstore won't be as compassionate as we are. We are going to offer to foster the deaf kittens and find them a home if the farmstore doesn't want them.)

[patrice]

1. .

(we need a cry-happy emoticon)

[DonRedwood]

2. No crying!

Mainly because he is playing "hide in the shoe". He sits in a shoe (in plain sight) for several minutes, then runs as fast as he can to the dog, bites her on the leg, and then runs back to the shoe. He's been playing it all morning and I can't stop laughing at him!

[shrike]

3. White cats are often deaf

Don't know why, but that's been my experience. We had a barn cat who was deaf, and she did just fine. She was quite a personality: I named her Gretchen, and I didn't often name barn cats. But it seemed to suit her.

[DonRedwood]

4. We've read up on it. White cats are deaf 20% of the time. White cats w/blue eyes 80%!

My partner is driving back out to the feed store today to check the other kittens. We're afraid the farmstore might not be as understanding as we are so we're going to offer to foster them while we find them homes.

[shrike]

5. Gretchen had blue eyes

So that explains it. Very nice of you to foster the other kittens. So many healthy pups and kitties get destroyed because there's no one to take care of them.

[DonRedwood]

6. We always try to get our pets from the pound but this time was different.

I'm glad Gretchen found a good home with you. Funny name for a cat :0)

[shrike]

7. It just suited her.

Some pets just name themselves, and she was one of them.

[whathehell]

72. Yep...I had a white, blue eyed cat that was deaf many years ago.

We kept her in the house and she was fine.

[MADem]

21. Yes, it is very common--they adapt quite well.

Imagine being able to see like a cat at night! That's some compensation!

[DonRedwood]

39. I turned on the vacuum and the moose fled, the other cat ran for the hills

the kitten came over and climbed up on the vacuum and seemed thrilled!! He probably loved the vibration of it. No fear whatsoever.

[MADem]

43. Probably felt like a PURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! nt

[DonRedwood]

65. anything that vibrates so far.

he likes laying on our necks and he climbs to my shoulders a lot.

[MADem]

73. He's going to be a good cat, I think.

He'll learn your hand signals and body language in no time!

[FuzzyRabbit]

102. And you will learn his commands even more quickly.

We humans are so easy for cats to train.

[Lucinda]

113. So true!

[alfredo]

40. Cat whiskers are quite senitive, so they might give signals usually reserved

for the ears.

[LisaL]

47. Due to genetics, blue eyed white cats are very frequently deaf.

[DonRedwood]

50. Yup...so we have learned!

[Hell Hath No Fury]

8. Time for a catio!

A great compromise so Kitty gets a taste of the outdoors without all the dangers.

http://catioshowcase.com/

[DonRedwood]

12. That's what we've been talking about!

We have a big front porch so we though we could make 1/2 into a giant cat cage. (Catio! Never heard that before but it is perfect!)

[lunatica]

17. Thanks for that link!

What a great idea!

[Divernan]

38. Terrific link. An elderly cat finds a new life - read on.

One of my kids has an acre of level land around her house on a country road - bordering on horse farms/fields. She has fenced in over 1/3 of an acre adjacent to the rear of her house for her 4 rescue cats. It is a treat to see them cantering across the grass (they look like rocking horses) and dashing up trees; napping on top of a low stone wall or under giant rhododendrons and lilacs, & stalking field mice and butterflies. A 5th cat was recently added - when a relative died, leaving 19 year old Thomas behind, my daughter adopted him. He is very thin and just doesn't gain weight, but he is alert and friendly and the first one meowing at her in the morning to wake up and feed him. Gradually, over the past year (well, I guess he's 20, now), he's learned to explore all the cat friendly areas of her home - his favorite being the cat bed over a heating pad in the dining room bay window, overlooking the aforesaid rear yard, and gardens. The other cats use a cat window, but Thomas can't jump that high. So in the past month dtr. leaves a back door ajar when she goes out to garden, and he's ventured out into the rear yard. - and this old guy, who's spent his entire life indoors, so enjoys exploring every nook and cranny, and patrolling along the fence. Don't know how much life there is left to him, but this past year has certainly been the best for him.

[DonRedwood]

69. very nice!

[DonRedwood]

44. We've started drawing up our plans already!

The little guy will even be able to crawl onto a small tree by our porch!

[Hell Hath No Fury]

51. AWESOME!!!

[DonRedwood]

67. It won't be fancy with a pond

but we might extend it around a little tree.

[SunSeeker]

95. Wow. Those Catio window boxes are great for apartments!

I'm surprised I haven't seen this before. Thanks for the link.

[Mr. David]

9. Are his eyes blue?

If it's white AND blue - it's definitely a deaf cat.

Genetics studies that at least 85% or so with cats with pure white hair and blue eyes shows both recesses that gives them the deafness.

That's what I hear.. but I could be wrong...

(saying that as a deaf guy myself)

[DonRedwood]

13. Welcome to DU Mr. David, We are glad to have you here!

We saw similar statistics on white cats.

I speak very slow sign language...so, a cat might be right at my speed.

[magical thyme]

10. bless your family a million times over....

Don't forget to share his name when you know it. Also for the rest of the kittens

[DonRedwood]

15. Since we are worried for him, it sure has made us fall in love with him quick.

I have a feeling that we will be the lucky ones in this arrangement. Or at least AS lucky. :0)

[Triana]

11. Awwwr. So happy you're giving little Pippy a safe, loving home...

...and the rest too if they need it! You are very special people.

(edit: by "Pippy" I mean Pipsqueak - 'cause you said she's the runt of the litter)

[DonRedwood]

37. If he was a girl that would be a great name!

he's a little tiny thing, that's for sure.

[woo me with science]

64. "Pip"

in Great Expectations was a boy.

Congratulations on your new family member. We had a deaf, white cat, and he was a sweetie.

[DonRedwood]

98. he is super affectionate

when i got home from work he saw me, jumped in the air, ran to me and was purring like an engine the whole time. HE IS SO CUTE!

[blueamy66]

14. Thank you.

[lunatica]

16. You guys are really cool.

[Voice for Peace]

18. She'll be his ears.. good to have a big friend when you can't hear.

[DonRedwood]

19. That's what I'm kind of thinking.

She can be his service dog :0)

[dixiegrrrrl]

22. God, I just LOVE the idea of that big ole dog

being a cat's service dog.
That is too precious of a mental picture.

And yep..you are so right about animals finding us when it is time.
I could tell you stories..........

[DonRedwood]

25. we're training the moose to find the kitty for us!

it's perfect!

she doesn't pick him up, she just runs to him when we say "where's the kitty?"

[Arugula Latte]

20. Aww. Thank you for helping him. He's adorable.

Indoor kitties can have nice lives (I have three). They are much less likely to get killed or injured by cars, people, dogs, coyotes, etc. or get into fights that leave them with infections or kitty leukemia, or eat something poisonous, and so on and so forth...But I think the outdoor enclosure idea is a great one!

[Cassidy]

48. Thank you for not letting your cats roam

I have always thought it was cruel for pet owners to let their pets wander for all of the reasons you state. In addition, in the U.S. roaming cats kill 2.4 billion birds every year (estimate from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service).

We have found 3 dead songbirds already this spring because our neighbors let their cats roam outside. (It is not natural causes when you find the headless body of a finch under the feeder and you regularly see the same cats leaping at the birds.) We chase the cats out of our yard every time we see them, but they keep returning. None of them wear collars, so we don't know whose cats they are, and we can't directly ask their irresponsible owners to keep them off our bird-friendly property. Incidentally, our yard is completely fenced with layers of plastic netting around the tall wooden fence to try to prevent cats and dogs from digging under or squeezing through. Still, they get in.

If any of you cat owners know how the rest of us can keep your pets from making killing fields out of our yards, we would welcome your advice. Also, for those of you who let your cats roam, what could a person like me say that might convince you to do otherwise? Can you begin to understand our frustration? Can you understand why such a free-roaming cat might end up at the Humane society?

[DonRedwood]

57. Hey Cassidy, welcome to DU!

Any friend of birds is a friend of ours!

[DonRedwood]

54. We're going to go with a catio

then he can go out a little bit.

[CrispyQ]

23. He's adorable!

And so is Moose!

In the long run, you will be the lucky ones!

Many, many years ago when my husband & I first got together, he showed me a photo of his mom, standing in the yard, with a cat in a harness on a leash. I laughed so hard I almost cried as I exclaimed, "I would never do that!" Now, 25 years later, I put my cat in a harness on a leash. I grab a book, a light folding lawn chair & I follow her around the yard. The neighbors think I'm nuts, but I've really come to enjoy our time outside.

[DonRedwood]

56. It sounds pretty funny!

But if the cat likes it you gotta do it, even if you look a little nutty :0)

[Arkansas Granny]

24. Since kitty is so young, you should be able to train him to wear a harness so you can

Safely take him outside with you. My cat was a feral kitten that my daughter rescued. She wanted to go outside so bad, but I was afraid she would run away. I found a harness made for cats and had her wear it in the house. When I pet her I would tug on the harness to get her used to a little resistance and to the feel of it in general. One day I clipped a leash on it and took her out. She loved it and was perfectly safe.

[DonRedwood]

27. was she crazy to get outside?

see, we have a cat that used to have his own door to the outside. we got a new neighbor with a mean cat and after a couple grand of vet bills, our cat became an indoor cat. he hates it and still, two years after we made him an indoor cat, he is STILL pissed and cries and yowls at the doors and windows. I wear headphones and listen to music when it gets bad or go outside and work in the yard.

I work in the yard a LOT.

[Arkansas Granny]

35. I don't know about crazy, but she was insistent enough that I feared she would slip out unnoticed

and not be able to find her way home since she didn't know the yard. She is now 12 to and has had her own door for a long time. I live on a quiet street and have a fenced yard that she never leaves. She spends most of her time outdoors, coming inside to eat or when the mood strikes her.

[DonRedwood]

49. my other cat wants to go on walks with the dog

i tried a halter/leash but he laid down and I had to drag him. lol...very funny to see but i finally gave up.

[japple]

88. Have you ever tried joining cat and dog with a short leash. I used to work on a college

campus. One of the employees used to run every day with a couple of huskies. He started out by connecting both dogs to leashes, then he connected the leashes to a belt that he wore around his waist. After a period of time, I noticed that he was running solo and the two dogs, connected by one leash, were running along side. It probably helped that these were "sled" dogs, or working dogs. Your animals seem so companionable that it might just work.

Love your catio idea and hope you will keep us posted. Bless you for saving this wee kitten. He is adorable. As one who works with the local Friends of the Animal Shelter, it's especially gratifying to see a special needs animal get a home.

[bvar22]

26. Kudos!

We are "Pet People" too.

[undergroundpanther]

28. My kitty Bear

is white but not deaf,in fact you would hear him over a nuclear blast if he were hungry.Deafness usually comes with blue eyes in white cats.Bear's eyes are green.He can hear he comes when I call,Deaf cats like deaf people can hear vibrations,he will hear your silly names and goofy songs,just in a different way.
Good luck with your kit,I call bear my sugar bear.

[DonRedwood]

55. sugar bear is a mighty cute name for a white cat!

[undergroundpanther]

75. when I love on him

He gets even sweeter,I tell you my bear will kill any pancreas within 50 miles sugar shock big time especially when he starts chirping and coo ing. almost like a little bird rolling around curling his paws and tail in delight when you rub and kiss his furry belly..His cuteness can be dangerous.Those pink toes get me every time.

[DonRedwood]

107. Ours totally chirps!

OMG...it is the cutest t hing you've ever seen!

[lucca18]

29. Thank you for your compassion and love.

[DonRedwood]

58. Welcome to DU lucca18

and thank you for the kind words. We're already in love with the little guy so we are totally winners in this situation.

[onestepforward]

30. What a sweet kitty!

Me and my husband also sing cat songs to our cats

Our 18 year old cat has gone deaf a few months ago. We previously taught both our cats some sign language which has now come in handy.

They both know the human hand motion to "follow," fingers tapping on the chest to "jump," a finger tapping the mouth to "be quite," a hand wave for "hello, I love you!" and a hand with fingers upright together to "stop" whatever mischievous deeds that they are up to, lol!

[DonRedwood]

112. Very cool

my older cat knows his song and starts purring the moment i start. he also gets "cat massage" on his old hips while I sing so he loves it.

[warrior1]

31. sniff

[DonRedwood]

62. So warrior1, though fierce sounding, is kind of a softy?

It's ok...when we were looking at the kittens this big huge burly farmer guy walked by us, kinda growled "pardon" to cut by us, then saw the kittens and he melted. Stopped, looked at them real serious like, then smiled like a little kid and said, "That's the cutest one." and pointed at his favorite.

Very cute.

[warrior1]

66. it's getting really dusty in here.

[titanicdave]

32. I Also Have

a deaf kitty and have had him since 2001........basically an indoor cat, he still likes to go out once in a while......so I built a little 8x8x8 kitty run for him and my other 2 cats and that is as far as they go...they can all come and go inside or outside through my bedroom window which is open when the weather permits........I also live on a busy street and there are dogs and raccoons here so, everyone here is safe and sound and the birds are also safe....I tried to post the picture of the 3 of them here on this site, but being a basic computer dummy, I cannot figure out how to do that.........oh well.....

[DonRedwood]

59. hey dave! welcome to du

and thanks for the input. we've decided to make our front porch into a window-accesable catio. :0)

[sad-cafe]

33. oh that is really sweet

He will be loved at your home.

[Demoiselle]

34. All our cats are indoor cats.

I really haven't felt any guilt about it. The house is a good size, and they have each other for company.
All five were born under our porch to a pretty pale orange tabby we call Nicole Kitman. Nicole will not come inside. She allows me to pet her when she's eating. And she purrs in appreciation. But no other petting, thank you very much. Her kittens, fully grown now of course, laze about the house and are, I think, quite content. They also have Great Pyrenees for pals. The Pyrs, typical of their dignified breed, ignore them.

[Yo_Mama]

36. She will do fine

With the family.

I'm happy she's found a safe haven!

[BlueJazz]

41. He's adorable but be very careful. There's a possibility he's just checking you out.

I mean, he hears just fine but is thinking....."Soon they'll mention where all the fish are stored and then...heh,heh..the treasure will be all mine ! "

[DonRedwood]

60. lol

we're pretty sure. He climbed on the vacuum while I was vacuuming.

[niyad]

86. that isn't necessarily an indicator. have a new kitten here, most definitely not deaf, who thinks

the vacuum is a big toy.

LOTS of dust in here today. thank you so much for sharing this with us. and thank you for the pics.

[zbdent]

42. How about "Oddette"?

I just looked up "Fate" in different languages, and "odet" was "Fate" in Swedish.

More precisely, Ödet.

Could nickname him "Oddity" ...

[FirstLight]

45. Baby!

I just lost a kitty and it still makes me tear up ...but this story is one that made my heart feel really good for the first time in weeks

thank you for your compassion and love, those are the greatest gifts we share with our furbabies.
how lucky he is to have a service doggie...maybe his name will be 'lucky'

[DonRedwood]

61. Very sorry to hear about your kitty.

We have a little spot in the backyard with two of our pet friends in it. Very sad to loose your little buddies!

[LisaL]

46. Blue eyed white cats are frequently deaf.

"Researchers found that only 17 to 22 percent of white cats with non-blue eyes are born deaf. The percentage rises to 40 percent if the cat has one blue eye, while upwards of 65 to 85 percent of all-white cats with both eyes blue are deaf. Some of these cats are deaf in only one ear. Interestingly, if a white cat with one blue eye is deaf in only one ear, that ear will invariably be on the same side of the head as the blue eye."

http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/askdr/deaf.cfm

[trocar]

52. I love you both. Hugs to the kitten

[DonRedwood]

63. Pleasure to meet you trocar, and welcome to DU!

And what a nice message. :0) We're glad to have someone so nice join us on DU.

[Inkfreak]

53. You're good people. Thank you for adopting! Hope life treats you all well. n/t

[BrotherIvan]

68. There's so much awesome in this story

Good luck to all of you and hugs to that Bethoven kitteh. Please post more pictures whenever you aren't basking in pure amazing. (Maybe if I'm good in this life, I can come back as that little guy and have a big moose as my best friend.)

[DonRedwood]

71. I've probably taken 100 pictures

it is hard to get his attention to get a shot.

[Jamastiene]

70. All the special ad. the deaf kitten will need is

love. It looks like he has found that already. I agree keeping him indoors is a good idea. I've raise several white cats with blue eyes and one with a blue eye and a green eye. Only one was deaf. The rest seemed to hear just fine.

You just have to reassure them and come up with a system to get their attention so they know when their dinner is ready. Also, be sure the pet them as often as possible so that they learn to pay attention to you. Once they connect what you do with what is coming next, they will learn and be just fine. My white cat that was deaf paid attention to me a lot, so he just learned by watching me what was going to happen next. That way he knew when dinner would be ready and when it was time for bed and other important stuff like that.

Here is hoping for a long happy life for you, your partner, and all of your pets. I love people who are good to animals and willing to raise pets others might reject for no good reason. Thanks for taking care of this little kitty.

[DonRedwood]

85. Thank you for those kind wishes!

[Behind the Aegis]

74. Very sweet.

You can still sing to him, especially if he is looking at you or sitting on your chest. I have heard that some percussive instruments work well with training deaf animals, especially bongos, since they have open bottoms (I don't know why that makes a difference). I get this third hand, but my friend's friend would place a toy drum (Fisher Price), on the floor, and played a certain beat for food, for play, and for something else (sleep, maybe, I don't remember). They feel the vibrations and use them like verbal commands (you could still "sing" to him that way too!).

Sounds like you are already prepared, and learning, s I can't offer much in the way of help, just some past info I heard.

Best of luck.


PS...I think it is cute you call your big dog "moose." That makes me giggle.

[Kalidurga]

76. Adorable...

The kitty doesn't know he's deaf. He looks happy.

[DesertFlower]

77. my sister NanceGreggs had a cat who was blind.

he was a great cat and he lived a long life with my sister and her loving family.

glad this little kitten found you and your family.

[Moonwalk]

78. Don't be sad about that indoor life! Outdoor kitties average 5 years. Indoor average 10-15!

He won't get lost, won't get hit by a car, won't get cat-nabbed, will be far less likely to get parasites or diseases, won't face any dangerous wild animals that might bite or hurt him (like dogs, possums, raccoons), won't get skin cancer for that matter (white cats are vulnerable to that--watch how much sun you allow him).

So long as you play with him a lot, he will be happy and content in his limited territory--as well as healthier and more likely to live a good long life keeping your family company.

[DonRedwood]

90. We have a cat who can't go out anymore already

He is MAD at us, yowls, walks on us while we sleep... so that has been hard.

This new little fellow will always be inside so I'm hoping he won't care about the outside.

[Moonwalk]

96. There's a big difference between a cat used to the outside and a kitty that only knows inside...

...it's a matter of territory. The other cat is being cut off from exploring and defending part of its territory, and so it gets mad--also from chasing after mice and going in its usual litterbox, which also upsets it. Cats are creatures of habit and really dislike changes.

But your little kitty will only know the inside as his territory and won't miss what he never had. We have two cats that are purely indoor; the older one had some experience with the outside world in her first home, but not in ours; she peeks out the door when it's open but has never tried to run out. A peek is daring enough for her. The younger one, who we've had from kittenhood, won't even go near the door when it's open; she's terrified that we'll push her out and she'll be exiled from her home-sweet-home. Inside is her territory and gazing out the windows is as outside as she wants to go.

[TDale313]

79. He's very lucky to have found you :-)

And as someone who has had several indoor only kitties over the years, he'll be perfectly happy and safer that way. Congrats on your new little family member.

[jmowreader]

80. Get him on a consistent feeding schedule

Always remember: one of the things he can't hear is the can opener.

[DonRedwood]

87. :0) Very True!

[RILib]

81. cats do very well indoors

and live longer.

Get some cat trees and arrange places like bureaus where she can snooze in front of windows and watch outside.

[Granny M]

82. Thanks for posting this.

Until I read this, I was pretty sure I was the only one who made up songs and multiple nicknames for my pets. My family thinks it's only me. It's a relief to know I am not the only nut out there.

But the kitty is seriously cute and I love how the dog has adopted her. She's going to have a wonderful life, in spite of her hearing impairment. Lucky kitty.

[DonRedwood]

97. I will admit my songs are quite nutty.

When I feed the cats wet food I sing the "Snoutloaf Song"... they come RUNNING.

[Granny M]

101. Love it! LOL

When our Welsh Terrier (or Terrorist, as he's often called), was about 18 months old, he killed a massive spider in the kitchen. My friend started singing 'Spider Dog, Spider Dog" to the tune of Spiderman. A few days later the same friend brought over a laser pointer, and Sam went nuts for it. It was the Red Spider, and we sang Spider Dog to him when he chased it. Mistake - instant obsession. Ditched the pointer, but he still chases light reflections 14 years later. And Spider Dog song was still a trigger for craziness until he got really deaf last year. But the lights still get him going.

[maddiemom]

83. We had a deaf white cat for many years.

Our vet told us a considerable percentage of white cats are deaf. Sugarbunch (from "Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch&quot was quite the little character. We first discovered that something was different because she liked to hop on the front of the upright vacuum sweeper and ride around. She was attracted by the heat and vibration and didn't hear the noise which sends most cats into hiding.

[DonRedwood]

100. any training tips?

[maddiemom]

104. Not really.

We had to touch her to get her attention, of course, but she also responded if we could catch her eye. This was all "no,no" stuff. We had four other cats at the time, and she didn't get close to any of them; was not especially affectionate. Our other cats were very tolerant of her, however. We were always careful to keep her inside.

[maddiemom]

105. Oh, also...

She was most responsive to my then pre-teen daughter, who took the most effort to be very affectionate to her. Sugar would jump into bed with her, or join the other cats on our bed.

[mlmdu]

84. We had a white, blue eyed, deaf cat

She got along fine except the time she fell asleep in the engine area of our car & didn't feel me get in the car. When I started the car, her leg got broken by the fan. While she had a cast on the leg she managed to chase a German Shepherd who came into our yard. She chase him swinging her cast in hopes of inflicting an injury to his nose.

[DonRedwood]

89. Welcome to DU!

Your kitty sounds fierce!

[navarth]

91. Good on ya. Our oldest boy went deaf due to a vet screw up

and I now communicate with him through sight and touch. It's been a great heartbreak to us that he lost his hearing but he gets showered with love every single day, as do all our adorable little shits.

My favorite quote from a cat book I used to have:

'Cats were worshiped as Gods thousands of years ago.
Cats never forgot this.'

May you enjoy many glorious years with this wonderful little boy you have saved.

I am completely in love with every dog that adopts a kitty like this. May your good acts bring you joy.

[MadrasT]

92. I have a deaf white cat also...

...I have a special fondness for white cats with blue eyes and have 3 of them (only one is deaf).

She is about 10 years old now. She's always been a house cat and gets along just fine.

Her meow is especially loud; we've always thought it is due to her not being able to hear herself meow, so she's unaware of the volume.

While my other cats scram when the vacuum comes out, she loves chasing vacuum cleaners and especially loves have her coat vacuumed with a DustBuster. (If I pick up a DustBuster, she comes running over and MEOWS at me until I vacuum her.)

Your new little one is quite the cutie. Thank you for caring for him, and for going the extra step to try to make sure his littermates are also cared for.

[DonRedwood]

99. How did you teach her to stay off the table?

We need help! I am very verbal with the pets. I use a lot of clucks and "ahh ahhs" to tell them no. None of this works with the new guy!

[politicat]

110. My uncle used aluminum foil on anything he didn't want his deaf kitties to get up on.

He crinkled it up, then flattened it out and laid it on the counters, table tops and the "bad path" up the bookcases. (There was a "good path" of specific floating shelves he had built for his cats -- those were covered in carpet and led to a clerestory window he had designated as kitty high rise.) cats don't like the feel of aluminum foil under their paws, so both Gomez and Morticia (odd fellow, my uncle) learned as kittens where they didn't want to go. He left the foil on the forbidden surfaces for about 6 weeks, during which time the Addams kitties had figured out where they didn't want to go. Then the foil came up, and they never tried again to get on the table UNLESS one of them needed to get uncle's attention.

[AndyA]

93. Congratulations on the new family member! He is just as cute as he can be

Don't worry about keeping him indoors, I've always kept my cats inside and they get used to it quickly. Cats don't like change, so having them in a constant environment provides stability and security. Indoor cats live longer lives because they aren't exposed to all the hazards of an outdoor cat.

They sleep so much, especially when they reach adulthood, having a quiet, secure area is very comforting to them.

I don't understand people who allow their pets to roam free outside. In most areas, it's illegal to allow them to do so, and anyone who's lost a pet because it was hit by a car quickly learns that keeping them indoors is best, or keeping them on a leash when outside helps to protect them from dangers they may not understand.

He's got a big friend to keep him company and protect him, and I think that's great!

[sibelian]

94. Such a sad thing...

Some on this thread will oppose my stance, but to me a cat is not a proper cat until he has caught his first mouse and been told what an amazing cat he is. Cats are supposed to hunt. It's what they are for! And to do that, well they need their ears. Their hearing is typically about 10 times as sensitive as a dog's hearing.

My two brat-pusses, Hamish and Harry, have always been VERY prolific hunters. Once, when we came back from holiday and Hamish was relieved to see us he brought a fully fledged, entirely unchewed sparrow in the next morning and laid it on the pillow right next to my face and woke me up with a paw and said "MrrrrrOW." He sat up, very proud of himself, awaiting congratulations. "See? I LOVE you."

Cats are incredibly communicative if you bring them up right.

Our next door neighbour is a bird lover and has a bird-bath. She is not pleased.

[chemenger]

103. I'm sad for your little kitten but you have a wonderful way of telling his story

I'm certain that between you, your partner and Moose the kitten will have a very good life.

[a la izquierda]

106. Good on you!

One of my favorite dogs ever was a deaf, whit pittie owned by a client of my husband. He was THE sweetest dog.

[joeybee12]

108. Adorable...someone brought a feral white kitten like that, all white, blue eyes and deaf...

We made one of the rescue groups that do adoptions take him and his sister...good for you.

[Liberal_in_LA]

109. that doG is huge

I am so glad u are willing to keep the deaf kitTy

[rppper]

111. This is Ugly Pete, my deaf chihuahua....

We inherited him from some friends that were moving two years ago....he's 13 and has been deaf from birth....no front teeth and bugged out eyes too...hence the name...he's a sweet dog with a wonderful personality....this coming from a guy who really doesn't like ankle biters! He's my little buddy.....

[DonRedwood]

114. His little tongue is so cute!

He looks like one happy dog. :0)

[rppper]

115. He's spoiled rotten!

With no teeth to hold it back, his tounge hangs out there a ways! Lol