My 4.5 year old male cat went missing 10 days ago and was found today by a plumber turning on the water in a summer house. I was so thrilled to see him and over the moon as I thought he was gone forever.... And since he ate and drank right away I didn't even think to immediately get him to a vet or even go online to find out what to do next. Despite his having clearly lost some weight, he has been both drinking and eating moist food since coming home and tolerating all of it - which is another reason I didn't think to think it all the way thru.
But the point is, he's eaten nearly three packets of whiskas wet food mixed with a little dry and not only drinking on his own water, but I've been turning on the faucet for him as well as it's his favorite.
It's not that I wouldn't do anything for my cat, but Im currently in the middle of nowhere and the closest vet is closed tomorrow, the emergency vet is over an hour away. And so I am wondering if it is still an emergency if he's drinking and eating quite a bit. Plus, he seems very much his normal energy levels... if only a little needy to be laying on me. I will likely call this emergency vet in the morning, but driving an hour to an emergency vet when the cat seems to be eating and drinking quite a bit is perhaps not necessary.
Everything I've read about dehydration thus far is either about stray cats/kittens or elderly ones that are refusing to drink. Whereas our guy seems exceedingly happy to be home and like I said, he is drinking quite a bit of water and almost three full packets of whiska wet food mixed with dry food. He has not vomited (I fed him half a package of wet food mixed with dry every 20-45 minutes) and has just now used his litter box after about 10 hours of being home.
I checked the scruff of his neck and since he's so fluffy I can't really tell how fast the skin is retracting, but the gums do seem somewhat dry, although not necessarily tacky. I brushed him (because he loves it) and while he shed a lot, his coat was still pretty shiny.
He is so picky about his water that I feel his fountain with zero water filtered. But I didn't even think of pedialyte or look online for what to do next! I can't be sure he was locked in that house the full 10 days, and I can't be sure that in a very old house that there wasn't any water anywhere or maybe even a mouse in the basement. So... If a cat is drinking and eating normally, should I still take him to a vet or just keep doing what I am doing?
But the point is, he's eaten nearly three packets of whiskas wet food mixed with a little dry and not only drinking on his own water, but I've been turning on the faucet for him as well as it's his favorite.
It's not that I wouldn't do anything for my cat, but Im currently in the middle of nowhere and the closest vet is closed tomorrow, the emergency vet is over an hour away. And so I am wondering if it is still an emergency if he's drinking and eating quite a bit. Plus, he seems very much his normal energy levels... if only a little needy to be laying on me. I will likely call this emergency vet in the morning, but driving an hour to an emergency vet when the cat seems to be eating and drinking quite a bit is perhaps not necessary.
Everything I've read about dehydration thus far is either about stray cats/kittens or elderly ones that are refusing to drink. Whereas our guy seems exceedingly happy to be home and like I said, he is drinking quite a bit of water and almost three full packets of whiska wet food mixed with dry food. He has not vomited (I fed him half a package of wet food mixed with dry every 20-45 minutes) and has just now used his litter box after about 10 hours of being home.
I checked the scruff of his neck and since he's so fluffy I can't really tell how fast the skin is retracting, but the gums do seem somewhat dry, although not necessarily tacky. I brushed him (because he loves it) and while he shed a lot, his coat was still pretty shiny.
He is so picky about his water that I feel his fountain with zero water filtered. But I didn't even think of pedialyte or look online for what to do next! I can't be sure he was locked in that house the full 10 days, and I can't be sure that in a very old house that there wasn't any water anywhere or maybe even a mouse in the basement. So... If a cat is drinking and eating normally, should I still take him to a vet or just keep doing what I am doing?
