Lost cat back home-behav. and health ?'s

[Maxwell Smart]

Hi, I recently wrote re: our 1 year old male neutered, indoor only, scaredy cat Max, getting out of the house and being lost. He has been gone almost 5 weeks. After much searching on our own we finally were able to find a seach dog for pets to come out and try to find Max. I am planning on Max being back home safely tonight. I plan on giving him a bath right away. Questions re: his behavior being he has been out in the "wild" for 5 weeks.

1) will he have problems using a litter box now? Should we keep him in a room with his litter box, like we had to when he was little to train him, or will he remember to use it?

2) If he has lost a lot of weight, I know I need to feed him slowly to be gentle on his liver etc. How often and how much do I feed him? He was approx. 6-8 pounds at the time of his disappearance. Any special foods I should give him? i.e. tuna for extra protein etc.

3) We have another cat, a 6 year old female. They got along well before. Do I have to slowly re-introduce them again? Will our 6 year old cat have a hard time adjusting to him? She has been seeking a lot of affection from us since Max has been gone, I know she misses him.

4) Do I have to keep the two cats apart until his vet appt. incase he has an upper respiratory infection etc.?

Tomorrow he is scheduled for a vet appointment to assess his condition/ health. I was told by the humane society to have him checked for parasites as he is likely to have them. Anything else that I we should do for a smooth and healthy transition?

Any suggestions and help are greatly appreciated!!! Thanks!

[Traci]

Assuming you've actually located him and he is indeed in your posession??

The first thing is to indeed seperate him from your other kitty until he's seen by your vet, it would be stressful for both, so yes, reintroducing them again will be necessary, but in time, they should recognize each other again and should be ok.

Vet check is your priority. Ask your vet to weigh, fully examine kitty and ask for a baseline liver and kidney function profile. Chances are, he will be dehydrated, suffered weight loss, nutritional losses and will need these two vital organ functions tested so that nothing is amiss (plus a fecal for parasite identification). Your vet may need to address these concerns medically, pending his exam and findings on bloodwork.

Let us know how it goes with the vet, and when Max is actually back in your possession!