Monday, February 24, 2014

It's hell getting old

As you know, we try to keep things positive here at ATC, but we also try to be honest too. Jim and I have noticed that Tucker has lost a significant portion of his hearing, probably in the past couple of months. He no longer responds when you call his name, and will sometimes get startled when woken from a nap.

We "tested" what he can hear by doing different voices/sounds from different places around the house. Unless he can see us, or is sitting on one of us and can feel the vibration of our voice, he doesn't respond. It saddens me greatly, because he's always been so responsive to our voices. I've started using hand gestures when talking to him, but he has cataracts too, and I know his sight is waning. It's hell getting old, but at least cats don't have the awareness that we do. He lives in the moment.

 I'm not sure what brought this on--did his outdoor adventure take its toll? Just old age? I've read that some antibiotics can cause deafness, but he hasn't had any since last May. He regularly gets check ups and bloodwork (every six months) and nothing shows up there.
 
If anyone has experience with a deaf cat or tips, I'd sure appreciate it. We know cats are amazing animals and can adapt well, but we want to help him as much as possible.

9 comments:

Fuzzy Tales said...

Poor Tucker has had more than his share of health issues. Check with Cheri over at Cats of Wildcat Woods...She's dealt with deaf cats (born deaf, we mean). Lots of purrs to Tucker!

Old Kitty said...

Awwww Tucker!!! Bless is sweet little soul! Hope you get lots of info about deaf kitties! Take care
x

The Rosie Bee said...

:( That poor guy!! But you are very true about cats living in the moment - this can be such a blessing.

Connie - Tails from the Foster Kittens said...

totally sucks getting old, but it is far better than the alternative.

other than that wee bit of pithy wisdom, I've got nothing. Feel free to share what you do though, it will be interesting to learn from your experiences..

Greg_1948 in_WA said...

I know from experience that loud noise exposure damages hearing. He needs to not be around high decibel noises from now on for sure. Quiet is the word of the day. I do not think it was due to his outside adventure. Other than that, I got nothing. Take it easy, old timer!

Summer at sparklecat.com said...

I hope you get some good suggestions. So far, we three here still hear pretty well. The dog is pretty much deaf - my human does not call her but instead claps her hands - that, she can hear, even if she can't see her.

Roberta said...

It sucks getting old even for humans and we can learn so much from our furkids. They take things in stride and sweet Tucker is in excellent hands. Deaf and blind kitties do extremely well according to what I've been reading. Still, I know it's hard to see our babies age. Tucker is so loved.

A Tonl said...

Maxwell: HI Tucker! Nice to meetcha! I'm deaf - got no eardrum at all in one ear. Nope. Nada. Here's another post my momma forgot to tell you about. Hope it helps! http://www.atonkstail.com/2011/09/less-adoptable-deaf-cats.html

The Island Cats said...

We're sorry to hear that Tucker is losing his hearing. We were gonna suggest contacting A Tonk' Tail...but we see they already left you a message!

Two kitties in a basket

 Check out this cuteness! Lucy and Ringo both squeezed into the old wicker bed. We've had this bed for many years; it was Benny's wh...