Cat returned home after long time, need help very desperately!

My cat, who is about 5 years old, ran away one day around october. I heard a cat meowing outside about an hour ago, and it turned out to be my once thought lost-forever baby! I immediantly brought her inside, but she has not stopped meowing and hissing at her once-upon-a-time companions. She tries to open the doors to get outside and keeps walking around. I know that maybe she isn't used to living inside after all that time alone, but I just can't bring myself to stick her outside (I am living in an apartment, to let her out would mean to basically say bye-bye forever. I just can't.). Please please please, any advice at all would be so helpful. Please, I love this cat!

Thank you!

Welcome back kitty!

I would confine her to a room that is quiet, with the lights down low to help her calm down. I would keep her completely separated from the other animals in the house until she is vet checked.

She has been gone for 5 years and it will take some time for her as well as the other animals, too. They all will need an adjustment period.

I know you must be excited that she came back after 5 years!!!!

She's 5 yrs old, not gone for 5 yrs (just since October - which is long enough!). If you can afford at least a one-time trial of Feliway you'd probably have half the battle solved. You're so lucky (and so is she)!

I'm sorry for the confusion, she is about 5 years old and has been missing since Oct 2006, so it has been less than a year. Thank you so much for your advice! (I am only 16 so I can't just take her to a vet right away, my mother is sleeping but I will be sure to get her to one as soon as I can!)

She has eaten a small amount of food, but has not drank any water. She is panting a little. I'm sorry if I sound just a little obsessed but I want my kitty to be well again! Is there any way to get her to drink again?

Originally Posted by desperate

I'm sorry for the confusion, she is about 5 years old and has been missing since Oct 2006, so it has been less than a year. Thank you so much for your advice! (I am only 16 so I can't just take her to a vet right away, my mother is sleeping but I will be sure to get her to one as soon as I can!)

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Ooops Im sorry I misread that. I see you said it very clearly, its still early for me.

Its still a beautiful story she is home!

to get kitty to drink. . .do you have any sodium free/natural chicken broth you could put out? Of could you put a dash of tuna juice in water?

Time and patience. I agree that the cat should not go outside any more. Will take awhile to adjust back to indoor life. And your other cat is a stranger; so re-introductions need to be made.

Please get her to a vet to be checked out completely and also have her tested for FELV/FIP - she could have come in contact with those diseases from other cats.

In case you're not familiar with Feliway - it's a plug-in thingy like an air freshener, only gives off cat pheromones - those things cats relate to re sex and other cat related stuff, and it can calm them down when introducing them to each other - Google it, or ask your vet about it, or a store that specializes in pet/cat related things - not cheap, but worth it. Another trick would be to rub each cat with the same towel (and back to the 1st one again) so they smell more alike.

Has the cat been spayed? Is there any chance that she has a litter of kittens outside somewhere?

If she's not hot then the panting is due to anxiety. Keep her in a quiet place with dim lights and go real easy with her for a few days until she relaxes.

If there is any chance that there is a litter of kittens outside somewhere you may want to let her back outside and follow her to see where she goes.

She was fixed several years ago, so no kittens. My mother is having a hard time believing it is indeed our cat, but only because her fur is much darker than it was before we lost her. Is it possible to change fur, or did I get my hopes up?

Sorry for so many questions.

You may not have your own cat back - at least check in the neighbourhood for missing cats, maybe check with local shelters, and let the vet look for a microchip. It would be a shame if it's someone else's cat and they were desperate to have her back too.

[font= "Comic Sans MS"]It's so awesome that your kitty came home! That is fantastic! What a God-sent-miracle!

I have a very hard time telling people to keep their cats indoors. I live very far away from civilization (about 35 miles), and we have about 35 outdoor cats. Including the docile kittens we have left (we gave away 4), we have 10 tame cats. The rest are wild. The only time we ever have a cat die (they almost all have names and I keep track of them) is when they run out into the pasture and a coyote gets them (very, very, very rare), or they die of old age. Never disease, cars, other cats, dogs, anything. So we don't have the dangers of the outdoors. If your cat ran away and came back, and you lived in a pretty rural area, I would see it as safe to let your cat go after a few days indoors; she'll want her meals and sheltered nights! But as you are in town, it is probably not safe to turn her out. There are so many more dangers in the city! So no matter how heart-breaking it is, keep her inside! I would put her in a medium-sized, quiet room with dimmed lighting. Let her calm down, this may take days. Be sure and offer her fresh water and food, a cozy place to sleep. After she is fairly calm, try petting her and spending some time with her. You will have to re-introduce her to other pets you have, as well as indoor life and your family! It will take time, but your efforts will be rewarded. Good luck with her, and again, congratulations, this is so great! I'm ecstatic for you![/font]

Her fur could be a different color because she has been outside for that long. Who knows what she got into. Does she have any distinctive markings that would match your other cat? I hope it is you kitty and she came home for good. But, I would check around the neighborhood just in case.

In the meantime, keep her separated from the other cats (not only could it stress her out, but there could be health problems, fleas, etc). A warm, quiet room would be best, with her own bed, litter box, some toys so she has something to occupy her time. I agree, if you have some chicken broth or tuna water, that might encourage her to drink. Keep her food and water in the room with her so she doesn't feel like she has to fight the other cats for it.

And, basically give her lots of love. Spend time with her, but don't crowd her. Being back indoors is going to be an adjustment for her and it will take time. If you have an old t-shirt you haven't washed, you may want to put that in her bed to get her used to your smell again.

Good luck, and keep us posted!