Hospitalization/ Returning Home
Both Hospitalization and returning home can cause the cat considerable distress. During a stay at the veterinary practice, cats are required to stay in a cage, are often unable to hide and are manipulated and restrained by strangers and forced to share an environment with many other pets, including dogs.
In addition to dealing with the stressful new environment, the cat may be in pain or not feel well which adds to the distress.
Once the cat returns home, things may not improve. While the cat has been at the vet clinic, his reassuring marks may have disappeared from the walls and furniture and/or been replaced by those of the other cats. As a result, when he comes back home, even if the cat “visually” recognizes his territory, without the facial marks, he will feel lost. Similarly, other cats in the household may not 'recognize' him, as he may smell and/or look different (due to bandages, shaving, Elizabethan collar, etc….)
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United States
