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Woman Thinks Shelter Cat Is Deaf But Soon Learns She Just Has ‘Selective Hearing’

Woman Thinks Shelter Cat Is Deaf But Soon Learns She Just Has ‘Selective Hearing’

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A heartwarming and hilarious video of a cat responding to her owner has gone viral after Jeisen-Simone Tucker was told her newly adopted cat was deaf. To everyone’s surprise, the cat’s “deafness” turned out to be a case of selective hearing.

In the viral TikTok video shared by the owner @jeisensimone, she repeatedly says “hey,” and her six-year-old cat, Cinnamon Martini, responds with a perfectly timed meow. 

The video reveals that the shelter believed Cinnamon was deaf, but Tucker has her own theory. As she shared:

“I think that she might’ve just disliked being in the shelter or the people that worked there, so she purposely ignored them.”

deaf cat
Source: TikTok

It’s no surprise the video has over 1.9 million views!

@jeisensimone

Cinnamon Martini was not messin with them people #catsoftiktok #cats #calico

♬ Funny – Gold-Tiger

The woman adopted the fluffy feline anyway, and it didn’t take her long to realize that Cinnamon’s hearing was just fine. In fact, she quickly became very vocal.

“Once I adopted her, I started talking to her like any other cat. I even told her that I was changing her name from Fluffy to Cinnamon Martini so she would know. I never expected her to respond, but it didn’t feel right just completely not talking to her, so I continued.”

cute deaf cat
Source: TikTok

“Over the first two to three weeks after adopting her, she began talking more and more. Now she’s having full-on conversations and knows her name!”

It turns out Cinnamon doesn’t just respond to Tucker’s voice, she also reacts to the sounds of the doorbell and plastic bags, both of which she dislikes. 

After being overlooked in the shelter for a month, Tucker believes Cinnamon had simply “shut down.” But now, in her loving home, she’s thriving (though her selective hearing remains).

deaf cat with necklace
Source: TikTok

Cinnamon is now described as very sweet, loud, and actually quite talkative! But she only shows her true self to Tucker. 

Around guests, Cinnamon hides away, making Tucker feel like she has “two different cats.” However, when it’s just the two of them, Cinnamon follows her around, chatting away.

The TikTok clip, captioned, “Cinnamon Martini was not messin with them people,” has gathered nearly 700 comments, with users delighted by the cat’s newfound voice.

“She has so much to tell you,” one commenter said, with another adding, “She did a vow of silence until she found her final home.”

sweet black and ginger cat
Source: TikTok

One comment that received over fifty thousand likes simply summed it up: “Selective hearing.”

While many were amused, one commenter suggested checking for ear mites, as Cinnamon could be seen scratching at the start of the video. 

According to the Cornell Feline Health Center, ear mites, if left untreated, can damage a cat’s eardrum and lead to permanent hearing loss.

For now, Cinnamon Martini is happily ‘selective’ with her hearing, enjoying life in a loving home where she can meow for all of LA to hear.

@jeisensimone

Replying to @Sooplush she pretty much responds to anything with “cinna” in it

♬ Little Things – Adrián Berenguer

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