My albino cat panics after sleep; is it related to deafness or eye?

It sounds like Marshall has an eye infection. That needs to be checked out by a vet promptly. I'd take him into one now. While there, the vet can give him a health check and discuss this behavior at night.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Angelo. I have the same issue! I have an almost 11 year old Persian who has been deaf since birth, and he does this all the time. I think the reason why they do this is because they want your attention or need something, and because they can't hear themselves make noise, they unintentionally do it extremely loudly. Personally I sleep with ear plugs at night, so I don't hear him at night. I do tend to investigate during the day when I hear him, and it usually is that he wants food. I leave food out all the time for him, which helps, but sometimes he just wants love so I give that to him as well. Make sure he always has plenty of food and water, and give him lots of attention as needed. Angelo will probably hate the dog vest, but you can try it. You can also try Feliway, it's a pheromone diffuser that releases calming pheromones. I hope this helps!

Loud noises can be painful to pets due to their sensitive hearing but it is unlikely to cause true deafness. The only way to definitely tell if she has hearing loss is through an electrical test called BAER test. This is only available at specialized universities and centers. It may be that she has just become accustomed to the loud noise and therefore does not have the same reaction as she used to.

If Cali is behaving normally otherwise, you can try using an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent scratching or rubbing. This may allow time for healing. Also, check her over for fleas or flea dirt. If she is sensitive, just one flea bite could make her very itchy. A pheromonal product, such as Feliway spray or diffuser, may decrease any stress or anxiety due to your new addition (Congratulations, by the way!). Keep the Ivy out of reach if possible. While not high on the toxicity scale, ingestion or chewing of a leaf or two may cause irritation in and around the mouth and/or GI upset. Monitor for worsening of symptoms, squinting of the eye(s) or discharge. See your veterinarian for a physical exam to address non healing or additional symptoms.

I would be concerned that a blind and a deaf cat may clash simply because they would not be able to predict each others movements by being unable to see/hear the other coming and could both be more reactive as a result. It may be worth fostering the new kitten for a trial period but I would recommend insisting that a swab is tested for infectious causes of eye disease prior to bringing her in as any condition which could be transmitted affect the vision of your blind cat would have a serious impact on her quality of life. Not all kitten eye conditions are infectious as birth defects are also possible

Albinism has been reported in cats, and there are a few different types. Complete albinism would result in red irises with no pigment and has been reported in domestic shorthair cats. It's a little tough to see the irises in your picture, and another possibility would be that this cat has pigmented (blue or yellow) irises but dilated pupils and no pigment at the back of the eye, which cases a red 'flash' rather than the typical green 'flash'. Luckily I don't believe true albinism has been linked to other genetic problems. The dominant white coat gene that also typically results in blue eyes has also been linked to deafness.

A head tilt in a kitten often indicates a severe ear infection that affects the middle and inner ear. This could definitely cause her to go deaf in that one ear, but she wouldn't be expected to be completely deaf. However, it is suspicious that she didn't react to the vacuum. It is possible that she has a hereditary defect (more common in white cats) that is causing her to be deaf. In either case, it's best to have her evaluated by a veterinarian. They can help narrow-down the cause of this and ensure she gets the necessary treatment. I hope that helps and all is well with Kee Kee D.