Dealing with deaf cats

By Celia Haddon

IF your elderly cat stops being frightened of the vaccum cleaner, he/she may have gone deaf.

You can tell if your cat is deaf by making a loud noise out of sight, like dropping a saucepan in the kitchen.

He may also become a little more anxious and rather vocal, as he doesn’t know how loudly he is miaowing.

It’s not something to panic about because deaf cats can lead perfectly happy lives.

As well as their sight, they also have a keen sense of smell (much better than ours) and wonderful whiskers for tactile sensing.

Deaf cats, however, should be indoor-only cats or live in a cat-proof fenced garden.