Advice please for lost cat found but acting strange.

[sweepster]

Have you tried transferring scents (rubbing a towel or flannel over one cat, then the other, and vice versa)?  Might make them accept him again more quickly.

[Karen-covcats]

I rang the vets this morning and got him booked in the monday morning thats the earliest they had. I think i will go and get some feliway tomorrow. The other cats didnt attack because i think they kbow its him he is just differnet so they are very unsure of him. Like last night i thought it might help him in the pen to have his best friend in with him to as he always looks after pongo but she hissed at him to so i had to take her out. He is very chilled in the pen and i can easily go up for a fuss but i suppose because he has the security in there.

[sweepster]

I think I'd err on the side of caution, given his behaviour and the other cats' responses to him, and get him checked over by the vet as sometimes injuries (bites etc) can be very difficult to see under the fur.  Feliway might help too as he's obviously been traumatised by something (another cat?  Fox?  Dog?  Darth Vader?).  Hope he feels better soon.

[Karen-covcats]

ok well i opened the pen and he jumped straight upto the bookcase the cats usually sit on next to the window they like to jump out onto the fence outside ( i have a catflap buit they rarely use) i had shut the window so he stayed there for a while and lied down. anyway after a while he jumped down and was going up for a fuss when called but very jumpy if i moved at all. then spent most the afetrnoon under the kitchen cupboard coming out when called but then going back. I have put him back in the pen so i can let the other cats out and cos the kids may open a door or something. He is really jumpy bless him! Didnt help my other cats hissed at him he obiviously doesnt smell the same so they are warely.

[Karen-covcats]

How old is he now?

He is 15 months next week.

Apart from his behaviour to being carried in the woods, is he OK being carried elsewhere?

Have you thoroughly checked his neck for any signs of struggling when he lost his collar?

Whilst I would be tempted to get him checked out by vet asap, I think I'd give him a few days to calm down first.  I'd certainly give him some Zylkene with his food and use some feliway spray too.  Poor lamb.  Long time to be AWOL 

He wasnt happy when i held him last night to move him from the carrier to the pen but is very happy to be fussed. Cant see anything where his collar was. He hasnt tried to make a rush for freedom when fussing him in the pen. been out shopping this morning for lots of treats for him and going to now make sure all windows cat flaps are shut and let him have a roam of the huse for abit see how he goes.

[Janeyk]

Glad to hear that Jedi is safely home 

I think I would treat him just as you normally do but keep him in for a while now until he seems back to his normal self, who knows what's has happended whilst he's been out, something may have scared him.  If he doesn't improve I just let the vet take a look.  

[Desley (booktigger)]

How old is he now?

[Angiew]

poor jedi,

there he was pretending to be the big cat that is stalking walsgrave hospital and having a whale of a time when mummy and daddy try to grab in and take him home for bedtime!!
 

bet your kids do the same

[Rosella moggy]

Apart from his behaviour to being carried in the woods, is he OK being carried elsewhere?

Have you thoroughly checked his neck for any signs of struggling when he lost his collar?

Whilst I would be tempted to get him checked out by vet asap, I think I'd give him a few days to calm down first.  I'd certainly give him some Zylkene with his food and use some feliway spray too.  Poor lamb.  Long time to be AWOL 

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

Karen when Zephyr went missing he was like this when I eventually found him.  I tried to pick him up and he was kicking and struggling and not at all a happy boy.  However as soon as we got back home and he had a chance to relax and chill out he turned into a complete limpet and wouldn't leave my side, giving me headbutts and purring like a tractor.  If Jedi was on "high alert" due to being lost in the woods he wouldn't have liked to be picked up and cuddled (all part of the fight / flight response) ..... he would have been pumped full of adrenaline.

I'm sure after a good nights sleep he'll be back to his old self and you'll probably find he stays close to home for the next few days.

[Karen-covcats]

as long as it is Jedi!!!

I'm sure he'll be OK in a few days.

Must admit if he wasnt such a distinctive colour and he has a tiny spot of white on his chest i would wonder. But when on the floor he acts like usual loving fuss and chewing my hair! but in the woods when picking him up and trying to leave woods he really acted feral!
Hopefully he will be ok but im going to be very scared when i eventually let him out again

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

I agree with Lesley and Gill.  I would keep Jedi indoors for a few days and give him chance to rebuild his confiendence and get lots of love and cuddles from Mummy and Daddy  

[Angiew]

as long as it is Jedi!!!

I'm sure he'll be OK in a few days.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

If what Lesley says doesnt work then I would get him checked out by the vets incase there is another problem you cant see,

I do hope he gets back to normal as soon as he realizes he is safe and at home 

[LesleyW]

I definitely wouldn't let him outside for a while.  When cats are taken out of their normal surroundings they can behave very differently from the confident little boys and girls we know.  Imagine how you would feel if you had been out in the woods for a few days and nights on your own and all the weird sounds and sights you would encounter.

I think if he seems calm tomorrow you could let him out of the pen and give him plenty of fuss and cuddles to reassure him but I would keep him indoors for a few days.

hope he returns to his normal self soon.

[Karen-covcats]

My baby Jedi had been missing since last thursday, He loves to go out and go into the wooded area behind our house. But he always comes back to me when i call him. Since last friday i have been out calling him all times of day and was really worrying about him. I did go into the woods yesterday and heard nothing but today me and my hubby went back to the woods and went through them, after a while another cat jumped out and ran away from us back where we came from so i followed it back down to the end of the woods near our house. Then heard a very quiet meow after ages trying to find where it was coming from my hubby spotted Jedi but he ran away. I evenutally coaxed him out and he was his usual self loving the fuss until i picked him up where he was very scared. tried to fuss him to calm him down but as soon as i tried to walk out of the woods he freaked and got away. Luckily he was easy to coax back but did the same every time. We had to go get a carrier in the end to get him out of the woods and back home. At home still very scared so have placed him in a pen which at first he was trying to get out and then he has eaten , had a fuss without trying to get out and now gone to sleep.
He is a very protective cat and even when we calling another cat a few months ago came up to us and then went into woods and returned a min later with the cat we were calling! So my hubby wasnt sure whether his behaviour is because of the ohter cat we saw or because someone has hurt him or something else. He has no marks on him but he has lost his collar. He usually is a very friendly very confident cat and i dont now what to do for the best, do i let him out the pen now or give him a dya or so, and whether to keep him in for a bit now or just to treat him as normal.
Any advice is much appreciated i dont want to go through the last few days again.