Dear Miss Paws: We have rescued a very young white, blue-eyed kitten who is deaf. We have been told that all white, blue-eyed cats are genetically deaf? Is this true? We plan on having him neutered, but would like to know a little bit about the problem. Is there anything else we should watch out for?A. There is a genetic link between white cats and deafness, however it is not as cut and dried as you have been told. - Most white cats are NOT deaf, but most cats that are deaf are WHITE.
- White cats generally have blue or gold eyes (or one of each color), but those with blue eyes are more likely to be deaf than those with gold eyes.
- An odd-eyed kitten (one eye blue, one eye gold or other color) are more likely to be deaf on the blue-eyed side.
I have a white male cat with one blue eye and one light green eye. He is not totally deaf and we have never pursued the issue so we don’t know if he is deaf in one ear. He behaves as any other cat, but is especially affectionate with humans and very companionable with other cats and dogs. We had him neutered at 6 months because we neuter all of our animals as a matter of course. If we had been aware of the possible hearing problem we would have taken extra pains to make sure he was neutered before passing a possible defective gene on to any kittens. There are several different genes which cause the same physical appearance (white, blue-eyed) so it all depends on the cat’s genetic make-up and not its physical appearance. For instance, there is a gene for white spotting cats which can also create the appearance of a totally white cat but have no link to deafness. There are other genes which cause white, albino, and deaf traits which are predominant in other parts of the world and other breeds of cats such as Siamese and Burmese which can carry some of these traits occasionally. Deaf cats may be quite defensive – such as strike out first and ask questions later. Some deaf cats can be taught to come to you outside at night using an off and on technique with a flashlight – particularly if you follow up with a treat. Some deaf cats can be taught hand signals. Attaching a bell to his collar will allow you to locate him, and writing “I am deaf” on his collar may help locate him if he roams and is found by others. You will have to watch for warning noises he cannot hear such as car engines, lawnmowers and barking dogs. Deaf cats may make excessive noise because they cannot modulate their meows. Enjoy your new little one!
|
