Are There Hearing Aids Made for Cats?

Animal researchers have experimented with hearing aids for animals, including cats, but current aids are merely amplifiers that boost sound. With such devices, any hearing that remains can better detect sound; but since they amplify all sounds within a range, they may be no more helpful to a partially deaf cat than going without them. Congenital deafness is usually total deafness, for which hearing amplifiers are of no use. Cochlear implants are cost-prohibitive and complicated even for humans; they're not a viable option for pets.

  1. Congenital Deafness

    • Some cats are born deaf due to developmental defects in both hearing apparatuses, while others may be deaf only in one ear. In general, congenital deafness occurs primarily in white cats with blue eyes, cats with even one blue eye have a higher risk of deafness than others. Long-haired cats are more likely to be deaf than short-haired cats. Persians, Ragdolls, Manx cats, and Maine Coon cat are a few breeds prone to congenital deafness.

    Other Causes

    • Other causes of hearing loss may be due to aging. In such cases, hearing loss is usually gradual; some senior cats may still be able to hear some high-pitched sounds after most of their hearing has long gone. Middle ear infections, head injury, and wax and debris that block the ear canal can cause hearing loss. Poisons and long-term use of medications such ase the antibiotics streptomycin, gentamicin, neomycin and kanamycin, can damage the auditory nerves, causing inflammation of the inner ear and deafness.

    Symptoms

    • You'll be able to tell if your cat is going deaf if you observe his actions, including the way he uses his ears. A cat that can hear well cocks his head and looks toward a sound. If your cat doesn't seem attentive, or if he doesn't startle or wake up after you have clapped your hands together, he may have hearing loss. He may respond to a stomp on the floor not because of the sound but because of the vibration it causes.

    Prognosis

    • Deafness caused by inflammation of the ear may be cured through medications or surgery, but congenital deafness is irreversible. Still, if your cat's hearing is permanently impaired, there's no need to lose hope. Cats are extremely adaptable creatures who can usually get along well using their senses of sight, smell and touch, transmitted through their whiskers, to overcompensate for hearing loss. However, never startle a deaf cat -- he might bite -- and never allow him to go outside unattended.