The white coat gene is linked to inner-ear development, so blue-eyed whites show markedly higher congenital deafness, and odd-eyed cats may be deaf on one side.
Home clues include no reaction to sounds from behind, sleeping through noise, and unusually loud vocalization; vets confirm with professional testing.
Care essentials are strictly indoor living, vibration and hand signals instead of voice recall, approaching within sight to avoid startling, and guarding stairs and heights.
Deaf cats learn and play normally with their other senses and can be trained and enriched; outdoor access is extremely risky and should be firmly avoided.
