Is my cat deaf?!

A home for Bert

Samantha had recently moved and wanted to inquire at a local adoption center in her area. "It seemed like a good idea to drop by the Cats Protection Adoption Centre; it never hurts to ask. I spoke with them about my interest in becoming a volunteer and about the various cats that needed a new home. They then introduced me to a cat they thought was deaf," Samantha says. "So he needed a place where he couldn't go outside. When they introduced me to him, he didn't realize I was there until he turned around. At first, he hesitated, but after a few minutes, he lay on my lap. He also stayed there for more than an hour. I knew then that I had to take him home."

Human comfort

The first days together with Bert gave her incredible satisfaction. “It was really nice to be able to offer him that human comfort he had longed for,” Samantha says. “He is my buddy and he mainly provides emotional support. I am truly grateful that I could give a home to a misunderstood cat. His self-confidence has grown enormously since he has been living with me. Our house would not be a home without Bert.”

Not what it seems

A deaf cat in the house, you would think it brings a lot of worries. How did Samantha deal with it?

Fortunately, it turned out afterwards that Bert is not completely deaf. “He suffered from a severe ear infection that perforated his eardrum. We found a large polyp in his ear canal. So he is deaf in one ear, but the other ear still works perfectly!”, says Samantha.

Behavioral expert

Bert even inspired Samantha to start her own business. “I have always had cats, but Bert is a special boy. It is because of him that I now have Feline Fine Behaviour, with which I now want to help owners better understand their cat."

Samantha shares all kinds of tips, advice, and facts on Facebook and Instagram. You will also often see Bert appear; he even has his own column. In ‘Bert’s Top Tip Tuesday’ he shares his perspective on various situations.

Step by step

Samantha even calls her Bert a bit spoiled, since he has no less than two Cat trees. She bought the Devon Rex and the Cat Pleasure for him. “Bert is a bit older and he also has arthritis in his hind legs. So he really needed a cat tree that has ‘steps’, so he can easily use all the platforms. He also needs to be able to fully stretch, since he is a big boy!”