Time for another cat story..this time about Albert, our long hair, white, deaf, blue eyed cat who is 5 this year.
Mom was driving to the hospital to visit an elderly friend when a bit of white caught her eye by the side of the road. She turned around and saw it was a tiny kitten just sitting next to the road. Worrying that he might run out if she approached him, she went home to get her friend Peel (who has lots of cats too). Peel covered one side while Mom came from the other. Little Al just sat there looking curious. Mom scooped him up and carried him to safety.
He was bruised and cut but otherwise OK. She asked all the people nearby if they knew who he was. No one did so she figured with his handicap (Mom is hard of hearing too) he belonged to us. We had just lost two other cats, Big Guy and Clarence, and Mom was very sad. Al helped her be happy again.
We named him Albert after Albert Einstein cuz his fur was all sticking up around his head. Looks like a mad scientist sometimes!
He was a handful inside with the other cats..getting into all sorts of trouble. It was hard to train him since he didn't hear. She tried squirting him with water but he never felt it with his thick coat. She tried distracting him but it didn't deter him much. She even tried time outs in a small dog kennel. He didn't like that but never learned...as soon as he got out he was back doing something naughty.
He loves to knock things off the shelves and counters and watch them fall. Cuz he can't hear, it doesn't scare him when there is a loud crash! He loves to find all sorts of unusual places to sleep. I don't think he spent much time with his brothers and sisters when he was real little cuz he doesn't seem to know how to play and relate to other kitties.
It was all cute when he was small but when he got bigger (all 13 pounds) he became a bully to all the black cats. Mom had to make two separate living quarters for the white cats and then the black ones. Al lives with the white cats and two tabbies. Sometimes he picks on the tabbies now. Mom tried homeopathy and flower remedies to help his aggression but nothing worked. We have tried to find info on living with deaf cats but no luck. If anyone has any insight...please tell Mom.
Mom and Dad love him dearly. Al is Dad's favorite buddy so we will always keep him...unless the perfect home was offered. He really needs to be the only pet in a house I think. But he seems to be happy now except for a bit of bullying every now and then.
Oh Albert you are a handsome one... we can see how you would be much loved (in spite of a few minor issues...).
ReplyDeleteAlbert is quite the handsome fellow! We don't know much about living with deaf cats so we can't offer any insight...
ReplyDeleteAl is a very handsome boy! We don't know much about deaf kitties but it sounds like he has been through a lot. He is lucky your mom found him!
ReplyDeleteAlbert is very handsome. We don't have any insight with deaf kitties sorry.
ReplyDeleteAlbert, you are handsome indeed. We have a senior cat, Callie, who has lost her hearing with age. She tends to be aggressive, too. We've read that deaf cats sometimes exhibit fear aggression because their disability makes them fearful and defensive. We've tried Bach's Rescue Remedy, but didn't notice a major difference.
ReplyDeleteOf course, my other cats make it worse because they pick on Callie.
Sharolyn
Look at those beautiful blue eyes!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for stopping in and sending us healing purrs!