Possible deaf kitten?

Question

One of the kittens of the litter(2 weeks old) is pure white. He has some Siamese blood, so he may have color points as he ages and will have blue eyes. My concern mostly to is because he screams when picked up, unlike all the other kittens who only slightly meow if even. He's probably still too young to be able to tell by his eyes. It's possible his eyes could turn green or have color points so he may not be deaf because of his white fur and blue eyes, but is the excessive meowing/crying an indication of being deaf?

Answer 1

"but is the excessive meowing/crying an indication of being deaf?"

no. translation = "MAAAAAAAAAAAA! something big has me! help! MAAAAAAAA!!!!!

he cant see very well, and the only scent he has learned is moms. when he starts to walk, mom will teach him you are ok, and he will stop screaming.

you cant test for deafness yet, as he really doesnt understand sounds yet. he hears mom, but does not realize there are other things to hear.

when he starts to walk, make a soft scratching noise behind him, his ears should rotate, or he should turn to investigate.

kittens should not be handled before 4 weeks old.

Answer 2

I have a white,blue-eyed cat who is deaf,and he is VERY vocal.He is so loud that he sounds like a peacock! I would test the kitten's hearing in a few weeks. Put him in a quiet room and then drop something or clang two metal lids together and see if he startles.Also,when he is asleep,clap your hands next to his ears to see if he wakes. If he doesn't startle or wake when you make noise,then he is most likely deaf. He will still make a wonderful pet,though,but you CANNOT let him outside,as he would get killed very quickly,not being able to hear anything.

Edit: It is fine to handle the kittens gently.It is good for them to be socialized to humans.Of course you wouldn't take them away from mom for long periods of time,or handle them roughly. Also,clapping your hands to check their startle reflex will not damage their hearing!! This is how the vet checked my cat's startle reflex to assure me that he was deaf ( we were already pretty sure,anyway,with his coloring and behavior,and she said that deaf cats ARE very loud,as they cannot hear themselves!)

Answer 3

It doesn't sound like it is an indication of being deaf. In my experience, all the deaf white cats I've encountered were quiet. I never heard them meow. I'm guessing their inability to hear played a part. Cats meow as a way to communicate and since these cats can't hear themselves or other cats they seem to never learn how to do it.

Answer 4

No, this is not a sign of deafness, the baby is too young to be picked up and moved away from mom, should be left with mom till at least 4-5 wks old...the kitten is still too young to understand handling or sounds or touching other than its mom.

you do not need to be making any loud sounds around the litter till they are old enough to understand the sounds...then at about 5 wks take the kitten to the vet and let the vet check for deafness, this is the safest way to determine if the baby will be deaf or not.

making loud noises or clapping hands can damage a young kittens or even a pups ears at this age...do not do it....and besides, it will only alarm the mom as well......

and congrats on the new kittens.

Answer 5

Please take your Kitten to the Vet ASAP. It may need medical Attention. Also read http://www.freewebs.com/soniapaul/articl... on how to keep your kittens/ cats Happy!