It happens every January or February--my feral cat, Muffin, takes off for 3-4 days, then returns exhausted, sleeps and eats a lot, and then perks back up after a day or two. This time around, Muffin returned last Saturday and was really exhausted, hungry, and thirsty, and had a minor scratch inside his ear that isn't infected. It's been almost a week since his return, and he's still eating and drinking a lot more than usual, and spending most of his time inside his heated house (of course it is chilly outside). I should mention he's 6-7 years old. I'm wondering if I should give him a dose of Drontal (de-wormer) in his food in case he picked up a parasite while away? Or do you think his increased appetite is due to him still recovering from not getting the calories and water he is used to while he was away? Unfortunately I can't trap him to get him to a vet (he is trap savvy) , but I am able to give him medicine in his food when needed. To those who have experienced their feral disappearing for a few days, I was wondering how long they had increased appetite after they'd been gone a few days.
