A Michael Broad Blog
White cats make bad mothers? Infographic. by Michael Broad Do some white cats make bad mothers because they are deaf? Deafness in white cats is associated with a genetic condition linked to the “dominant white” (W) gene. While this condition can lead to challenges in maternal behaviors, it doesn’t inherently make white cats bad …
The title sounds unfair and biased but it isn’t as it is based in biological fact. The prevalence of deafness in pure white domestic cats varies depending on whether they have two blue eyes (the highest proportion of deaf cats), odd-eye colour or non-blue eyes (least likely to be deaf in both ears). Where …
Here are some thoughts on interacting with a deaf cat. I am sure many caregivers have their own successful way but this page may help. I was encouraged to write this article because of a Reddit.com posting in which the person adopted a seven-year-old white cat and discovered that her cat couldn’t hear (see …
FARS is an acronym for ‘feline audiogenic reflex seizures‘. In the past I have used a slightly different terminology namely “audio reflex seizures“. That’s because it was only in about 2015 that the scientists and vets became involved in this condition. In around 2010, as I recall, little was known about it or at …
FALSE! All-white cats are prone to being deaf but not blind. It is inherited deafness. This seems to be due to the multiple effect of the dominant white (DW) gene which removes colour from the coat and eyes and causes deafness through a degeneration of the inner ear. An alternative reason: I have read …
It’s useful to remind ourselves that there is nearly always someone who is suited to a so-called “unadoptable” shelter cat. It’s just a question of the one meeting the other. Here are two examples where the right person met an unadoptable cat and made them adoptable. The stories come from Cats Protection who worked …
There is a surprisingly high percentage of all-white deaf cats. This cutie is deaf and unable to hear her approaching human guardian which means she is more likely to be surprised by his/her close presence when he turns up. It is all very sudden. We know how cats are so sensitive to approaching people …
People are asking Dr Google for advice on why it seems that their cat has gone deaf. This means that their cat has lost hearing substantially. Below is a list of possible causes of feline hearing loss. old age can cause a gradual loss of hearing. Although old, deaf cats sometimes retain their ability …
