Cat subdued after going out

by Sean
(Calgay, Alberta, Canada)

Cat details:

It appears to be a female mackerel Tabby we picked up off the streets in August, 2008. It does not appear to be neutered.

What happened/symptoms:
My cat was outside for more than 12 hours straight for the past two days.
We did not leave it outside, it just didn't come back. And now that its back, it does not want to eat much, or drink much. It also doesn't want to go outside as often. A few days before,it would yowl and yowl constantly to go outside. Would sleep for a few hours and walk around and ask to be let out again. It doesn't seem injured, but it does walk fairly slowly and does not want to play.

Could it be pregnant? Or something else?

Answer by Kate
Unfortunately your guess is as good as mine.

She may have mated and now is subdued afterwards. She may have eaten something bad outside and now feels unwell (this happens to my cat sometimes)
She may even had a bad or frightening experience outside and now she is subdued because of that.

If she is pregnant then there is no way of telling as they won't show any physical signs until a few weeks before the birth. A vet may be able to test her.

All you can do is keep an eye on her for a few days and if she still does not want to eat or shows other signs of illness then take her to the vets as soon as possible.

best wishes Kate

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