Pure white Maine coon labeled "deaf" by previous pawrents gets adopted by cat dad, starts "reacting" to sounds, leaving him unsure what kind of care he really needs: 'Deaf cats just require a little extra accommodation'

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Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager
Jul 9, 2026 7:00 PM EDT

We all know that cats have "selective hearing", but how can you tell if your cat is just really good at ignoring you or actually deaf?

Felines are famous for listening only when it suits them. They're the kings and queens of following directions that they invented themselves and ignoring all others. Demands like "Get off the counter!" or "You're not allowed up there!" simply pass through one ear and out the other. It's part of the joys of being a pawrent, realizing that your own power is limited. It's a humbling expurrience, truly. But then again, there are some cats that can't listen at all, and many of them are pure white cats with a recessive gene that predisposes them to blindness and deafness.

After adopting a pair of meowjestic Maine coons, our cat dad from Reddit's r/cats community is wondering if his new kitty's previous diagnosis is actually true. One of the pair, Yuki (the foofy, white cloud of a cat), was deaf, according to his previous pawrents. However, now that Yuki is in his new dad's house, he has seen him reacting to certain sounds. So, is Yuki truly deaf or just really good at ignoring whichever hoomans take care of him?

This is the question he asked the meowmbers of the cat community, and as we would expect them to, they came to his adorable aid.

There are benefits to a cat being deaf. You don't have to worry about them running for their lives whenever you vacuum, and the 4th of July will pass by like a nice, Summer breeze. However, if Yuki truly is deaf, he will have to find a way to communicate with him that is safe and understandable for both of them.

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    Cheezburger Image 10645088000
    via SuspectNumerous8714
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    I adopted those two cuties a few weeks ago, Yuki, the white cloud is deaf, at least according to the previous owners.
    via SuspectNumerous8714
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    But I've seen him react to some noises, but I'm not entirely sure if he heard it, or just felt the vibration.
    via SuspectNumerous8714
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    Dam
    via SuspectNumerous8714

  • Some cats need a little more care than others, but you'd be surprised how resilient cats can be. Losing a leg or an eye might be somewhat debilitating for a hooman, but cats learn to adapt pretty quickly. We had a three-legged cat growing up who, somehow, was more active than our four-legged feline. We would always worry about her when she would make these impawssible jumps from the couch to on top of the closet, and yet, she never fell or slipped once. 

  • 05
    Any tips how to determine if he's really deaf? Or how much he actually hears?
    via SuspectNumerous8714
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    Cheezburger Image 10645087744
    via SuspectNumerous8714
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    ThrowRAwathompson Play bird noises on youtube loud (enough where its not overwhelming) to see if maybe he reacts
    via ThrowRAwathompson
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    BluesRuseCruise Snap your fingers by his ear when he's not paying attention (or sleeping) and see if they swivel. It's very common for white cats to be deaf; something in the white coat gene makes them very prone to be deaf or blind (happens with dogs too).
    via BluesRuseCruise
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    MPD1987
    via MPD1987
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    I had a Siamese I got from a shelter and wasn't aware she was deaf when I adopted her. The way I figured it out was walking up behind her and clapping. Zero response. Also, I could be home for hours and if she didn't see me, she'd have no idea I was there. I could even
    via MPD1987
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    vacuum while she was sleeping and she never noticed. If I had to wake her, I'd gently blow on her face. Deaf cats just require a little extra accommodation, and they're happy as can be
    via MPD1987
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    abyssalhorrors Rattle an unseen box of treats. That usually will get a response.
    via abyssalhorrors
  • 13
    SirMightySmurf Just ignoring you very strenuously.
    via SirMightySmurf
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    DjangoPhett Bro just turn the vacuum on that's how we determined for sure my white cat was deaf (after trying the snapping finger and shaking change in a jar and other sh) because those leave a little doubt. Every cat in the world will run away from a vacuum. But not
    via DjangoPhett
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    him, he will come try and sniff it while I'm vacuuming or I can bump him with it while he's sleeping on the floor and he won't even wake up. Oh yeah I have 4 cats so it's pretty obvious this one is the odd one out sometimes when they all scatter and only the doofus is still standing there.
    via DjangoPhett
  • 16
    NYC-WhWmn-ov50 Conversation with vet years ago: "Bringing in new foster, think its deaf, let me know?"
    via NYC-WhWmn-ov50
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    (after a few hours) "Not deaf. VERY skilled at ignoring stuff, but definitely not deaf." "You're sure? "Ignored everything but the sound of the ziplock filled with treats being unzipped. We tested that three times."
    via NYC-WhWmn-ov50
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    One Amphibian 9616 They may be partially deaf, like the person on one side of the video and not the other, or they may simply be selective and choose not to hear.
    via One_Amphibian9616
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    Temporary-Army5945 does he swivel his ears towards noise? most cats move their ears a lot when there's any kind of noise but deaf cats don't
    via Temporary-Army5945
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    tailoftwokitties What color eyes does he have? I had a deaf cat growing up and she was all white with blue eyes. The vet told us the same genes that gives them white fur and blue eyes also carries the gene for deafness.
    via tailoftwokitties
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    Does his meow sound normal? Because our deaf cat couldn't hear what a normal cat sounds like, her meows were really.... off. It was pretty endearing.
    via tailoftwokitties
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    After we got home from the vet and learned she was deaf we wanted to test it. So, we took her in a room away from the other cats and waited for her to fall asleep. Then we played a few loud noises (birds, other cats, and finally an air horn) and she did not respond AT ALL.
    via tailoftwokitties

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