New deaf cat having trouble fitting in.

Good day.

We are integrating an 8 year old deaf cat into our clan of 5 cats. Kaspar is a beautiful, white, totally deaf neutered male cat.

Currently we live with a 16 year old male, a 12 year old male, a 10 year old female, a 4 year old female, a fairly new 8 month old kitten and now the deaf cat.
All the cats are classic 'hard luck cases' that have landed on our doorstep from a variety of situations. All the cats are kept strictly indoors.

Previous integrations have been relatively painless. There are the usual 'political' discussions, some swatting and singing, but rarely have we experienced full out battles. There is a definite ranking, and each is a unique personality from dominant to timid, but they manage to live together well.

The deaf cat though is proving a challenge. At the shelter he was living communally with about 25 other cats. He seemed fairly 'bomb proof' with regards to being startled by other other cats and coped well with all the chaos around him.

But here he is intolerant of the other cats. We keep him in his own room, and have just lately started short exposure to the rest of the house and the other cats. To put it mildly it hasn't gone smoothly. He reacts very violently to being startled. He stalks and then aggressively attacks the other cats. This was not his behavior at the shelter. He tolerates our younger kitten, but not the other cats at all.

We were wondering if you have any suggestions that might make this process any easier. We are intrigued by the Spirit Essences and might give them a try. Any other ideas would be most welcome.
Being unable to use words/sounds with him at all makes us realize just how much cats rely on hearing.

He's a great big sweetheart when he's one-on-one with people. He purrs, wants to be carried, is a big laser pointer fan, and loves to be vacuumed (!). We hope with enough love and time we can fully integrate him, but its a rough path....

Thanks,
Kerrin Scott.

RESPONSE

It is wonderful that you are willing to take in the "hard Luck" cats and give them a wonderful home! Thank you!! Integrating a deaf cat can be more challenging but it sounds like you have the patience to make it happen.
Kaspar is likely reacting out of fear. When cats are scared, they respond with "fight or flight" and, because Kaspar is deaf, he has a lot more adjusting to do than other cats. He tolerates the kitten because, as a young cat, Kasper does not see the little one as a threat. The older cats however, he does perceive as possible threats regardless of whether they have actually threatened him. He feels vulnerable.
We had a deaf cat at one time also and it took him several months to integrate into the household. We would stomp hard on the floor, creating a vibration, to get his attention and kept a laser pointer light with us at all times for the same reasons. He still startled easily but eventually calmed down and made himself to home.
Keep doing what you are doing and try distracting him with the laser light or even giving him a squirt of water to distract him from chasing the other cats. Remember, he feels vulnerable and chasing the other cats is his way of letting them know he can take care of himself!
Definitely try Spirit Essences or Bach Flowers to help him cope with this big adjustment. The most important thing is to just give him time, love and understanding. Because he adjusted to the other cats at the shelter, he will eventually adjust to living in your home with your other cats as well. It will just take more time than usual.
Thank you again for helping cats in need!

Donna
House Full Cats Mom