my indoor cat got stuck outside for 6 hours

by Diana
(Selden,NY)

Stitchy

Stitchy

My cat is 14 years old and very healthy and happy. Every now and then he goes outside for like 5-10 minutes and we let him in, he never leaves the backyard. But lastnight, he snuck out of the back door and we didnt know it.. I woke up at 6am and noticed stitchy wasnt in bed with me which was odd. So i got up to look for him and then immediatly knew something was wrong. I heard the meows from outside, i opened the door, he ran in and ate for 20 minutes straight, then had some water. He had a little scratch on his nose but it looks like it was a tree branch not a cat fight. My cat dosnt have front claws so he cant defend himself. I am really worried right now because he is acting wierd, he just looks tired and weak. I dont see any other cuts on him or anything strange. His paws seem weak though. Since he is older i am just assuming the night outside was cold and took alot out of him, so he needs to rest and get better. I do not want to take him to the vet unless extremely necessary, not becuase of money becuase i would pay any amount to get him better. But because he is 14 and hasnt been to the vet since he was 1 or 2, he has been very healthy and if i were to put him in a car at this age, i think that would tramatize the situation even more. I dont even think he would let a vet touch him. Do you think his behavior is normal? what should i do? Thanks so much, please help.


Answer by Kate
I don't think you have to worry, you are probably right about the fact that his night out has taken it out of him as he would have been awake and on full alert all night. My own cat after a night out simply sleeps for the whole of the next day.

Keep an eye on him over the next few days to see if you notice any other signs of illness etc in which case a trip to the vets is the best answer.

I don't know if you have your cat vaccinated or not, if not then it isn't a good idea for him to go out too often as he will be vulnerable to illness if he come into contact with other animals etc.

best wishes Kate
Love the picture, why do cats choose the strangest places to sleep? :)

Comments for my indoor cat got stuck outside for 6 hours

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Declawed
by: Roger

Actually not good to remove front claws. Your actually amputating part of the cat purley for your own convince, certainly not the cats. It's not like cutting your nails that grow back. It's the same as cutting off your fingers.
Other choices...
by: Rit Karath

I wouldn't advise letting a declawed cat outside at all. They can't climb a tree to get away from predators, or defend themselves. We leash trained our cat so that he'd go out with us and stick close by. It's not that hard, they just don't heel/walk like a dog. Sometimes they just sit in one place for a while. Listen to some music, or make a phone call while you give your cat some out time. This is much safer than just letting him out. Especially if declawed.

Also, some vets will make house calls. Call the vets in your area and see if they will come to your house. This is a lot less traumatic for your cat. When my 17 year old was ill, the vet came to him so he didn't have to have any more stress. The charge is the same as an office visit most of the time, but more and more vets are doing this. Keep kitty warm, offer him lots of fresh water.

Good luck!

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