LOL, now you guys talking about Hearing cats......
but when one really thinks about it, cats aren't 'trainable' like dogs, i suspect those cats recognised your traits as when you 'look' at the cats in a certain timely way - it might not actually 'understand your deafness' - that i doubt it, just it seems you may have come across 'as needing more attention' because the way you'd see their presence (cats) in front of your eyes, and the action you take to reduce the noises you 'dont take notice'. All the while according to the cats, they may well be 'trying to tell you' that it is annoying the heck out of them'.
Their 'motive' to stand in your way or eyes, would be like as so they are trying to do something about it with what would be the only way they 'knows' works. They (cats) are going to go where the source of noise (or at least proximy of the noise) that is, the door where its' knocking or when the car rumbles up the driveway.
In other words, those of you know abit about cats, cats thinks we're dumb (cats next down from dolphins - are the BEST body langauge readers and esp cats USE it to their advantage, whereas dolphins are more pack-type creatures -they like us, and wants to play with us /please us, unlike cats.
Cats are by large, are arrogant , has its own ulterior motive for food or quiteness or something, and will not thank us for the food we feed them, (dogs do , but that's a whole different reason, they're desecent of wolves and thinks as pack aniamls, whereas cats are like nomads)
hmmm but cool, don't read me wrong, it's not all negative, in fact I love cat, well not quite the same was I loves dogs.
ok I DO like cats, i adore them, but i prefer dogs, dogs dont deceive us like cats do. Had seeveral cats before too, but never as 'smart' as you've had described, perhaps becuase ive never had cats when living on my own...so guess from that, i / the hypothetical 'hearing cat' didnt have that same experience, to oppurtune it to be so
just own views.....
i could be wrong, while its highly unlikely that the cats are 'behaving' in exact same way as hearing dogs, put differently we may percieve it they are taking as a role as 'hearing cats' but in reality may be that they aren't trained as one, but self-taught while for it may do it an entirely different reason to our own 'romantic' opinions.
cheers