Training deaf cats

Deaf cats can make wonderful pets

Far more resilient than most people, animals adjust amazingly well to all sorts of physical disabilities. By taking a few simple steps, though, owners can help make the lives of their hearing-impaired pets a little easier and a lot more fun.

Deaf cats can be trained

Pet owners often rely on their animals' hearing more than the cats themselves. People use audible phrases for calling their pets, during training, and as a means of showing affection. Certainly, hearing is a useful sense – and a mighty acute one for most animals. It can also protect animals from approaching dangers such as automobiles and wild animals. This is another important reason owners must do their homework.

Tips on training a deaf cat

First and foremost, owners of deaf animals must respect their pets. This means making sure that no one sneaks up on them. Startling your animal once in a while accidentally probably won't scar him for life, but being repeatedly accosted by ill-behaved children or uninformed visitors may cause him to become unnecessarily skittish. Most deaf pets can feel the vibrations of their owners approaching, so just walking normally should cause no problems.

Safety precautions must also be taken when there is a deaf cat in the household. While any pet can be seriously hurt or even killed after escaping the protection of her home, a hearing impaired animal is at an exceptional risk. Owners must be vigilant of open doors and windows at all times.

When training a deaf pet, utilize another sense: sight. Choose clear and distinctive hand signals that will be visible from a distance. Consistency is also vital. If you have used a clicker to train pets in the past, you can also modify this effective form of operant conditioning by using a flashlight instead of a conventional clicker to reinforce desired behaviors.

Vibrating collars can be purchased for calling your pet when he is out of sight. Be certain the one you choose only vibrates and doesn't shock your pet. Whenever you use the remote device to page your cat, remember to reward him for coming to you. Successfully teaching your pet this single command could literally save her life one day.

Finally, remember that just because your cat can't hear you, it doesn't mean you can't talk to him. Your deaf pet may even respond to you by purring or barking. The facial expressions and body language humans exude while talking sometimes convey our thoughts and feelings even more clearly than the audible sounds. The words are only part of the message we send when we speak to our animals.