Do you share your home with a deaf cat? Or have you wondered if, perhaps, your feline friend is hard of hearing? If so, you’ve likely wondered how to give a non-hearing cat the best life possible. Like their hearing counterparts, deaf cats can enjoy happy, enriching lives. And for the most part, they do not need much in terms of specialized care.

As a pet parent, you’ve probably looked at your feline friend countless times and wondered what was going through their head. While your cat, unfortunately, can’t talk to you, that does not mean they are unable to communicate. You just have to learn how to speak their language — and no, we don’t mean trying to translate their meows and purrs into English!

Although blindness occurs more often in dogs than cats, it does happen. Despite requiring extra safety precautions around the home, blind cats can lead happy, fulfilling lives. It’s unfortunately common for older cats to suffer vision loss, just as humans begin to experience gradual vision loss as they age and often require reading glasses. This normal change in cats, referred to as nuclear sclerosis, causes a hazy appearance of their eyes and lessens their ability to focus on close objects.

Part of being a responsible cat owner is knowing how to recognize when something isn’t right. While the thought of your beloved companion getting sick is a frightening one, no cat is immune to illness. Even if you are a perfect pet parent and do everything right when caring for your cat, they could suffer from a wide range of health problems.

Pets and kids are a natural combination. You may have even grown up with a few furry family members yourself. Pets provide companionship and comfort, and they can help kids develop responsibility, empathy, and compassion. In most cases, raising kids and animals together benefits families in many ways.

There’s no denying that sending your feline family member in for surgery is frightening. Whether it’s a routine procedure— like a spay or neuter — or something much more complex, a bit of anxiety is normal when your pet needs an operation.

There’s nothing quite as exciting as bringing home a new bundle of joy — especially when it’s a furry one! Adding a kitten to your family is a fun and rewarding experience, but it’s important to remember that a new home filled with brand-new sights, sounds, and smells can be frightening for a tiny kitten. After all, your new baby likely just left behind their mother, a litter of playful siblings, and the only home they have ever known.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to make the transition a bit easier.