The Good, the Bad, and the Strange


The Good: This morning, I received an e-mail from a parent who told me her fourth-grader is now "excited about reading" thanks to being in my library class.  That made my morning.


The Bad: I am 99.9% certain that The Cat has lost her hearing.  

I started wondering about it this week when I realized that she had not been coming to hang out in the bathroom while I showered (she would hear the water running and hang out on the toilet, waiting to lick the water off my feet).  In fact, she would continue to sit on the kitchen counter and cry her head off.  Even if I stuck my head out of the shower curtain and called to her, she wouldn't come.

Earlier, I called to her while she was sitting on my lap, and she didn't look at me or even tilt her head or ears.  So I did a quick search online for a test or some signs.  She's asleep on the sofa right now--twice I have slammed the lid of a plastic storage bin against the bin, right behind the sofa, and she's hasn't moved.

I am going to call her vet about all this tomorrow, but I don't know what he can really do for her.


The Strange: I thought to myself, "Well, that explains an awful lot of the loud crying."  God only knows how long she's been losing her hearing.

  

Comments

Sara said…
I've had a couple of my older cats lose their hearing. Bonnie did, and now Ace. Possibly Tashi. Honestly, it hasn't been a big deal in their lives. The vet has never said anything but that it's normal in an older cat.

The way she tests it is she snaps her fingers behind their ears. First one, then the other. If they don't react in the least she'll agree with us, say it's normal, and get on with the rest of the exam. She does check their ears and such but she does that anyway.

Really, the only difference is you have to try harder to get their attention and, if they're sleeping and you need them, you have to shake them awake. Little Miss should be fine if it's just age-related.

It's like hyperthyroidism with my cats. Now we just think, "oh, the cat's deaf now," as a normal part of aging.

And that's awesome about the 4th grader! :)
Kate P said…
Thanks, Sara. I was thinking, "Can anything ELSE happen to this cat?" and I just feel bad I can't praise or console her with my voice anymore.
I called the vet today but (as I already knew) he's not in on Thursdays, but I just wanted him to know. The vet techs are really nice and the one with the guinea pig answered the phone. She told me kind of the same stuff you did. I also saw online that a flashlight might help with the night meowing. (Might!)
ccr in MA said…
Poor cat and poor you! But there are non-vocal ways you can show her she's loved. I bet she'd choose cuddling over calling!

And congrats on the kudos, well deserved of course.
Kate P said…
Thanks, CCR. I think she knows I love her--she's still purring up a storm, too, so I guess I will have to figure out how to "purr" back!

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