I'm going to join the world of cat owners!!!!

pinkteapot

Martin - I'm SO pleased he's back. We got our 2-year old boy in October and I'm always scared that when he goes out he won't come back. You've just lived through my nightmare!

Re the carry box. Ours hates his. Even Dreamies won't get him in. We have to force him in and he would splay out his legs in a bid not to go in. Vet taught us a good trick. Put him in backwards rather than forwards. This is a little easier.

Good idea to get him checked over. If the scratches are from a fight then there's a high chance he'll develop an infection as cats have all sorts of germs under their claws. Don't be alarmed by this - it's easily treated. Ours had a fight and his cut got infected. The vet said we could give him antibiotic tablets twice a day for a week, or the vet could give him a single injection that would cover the whole course. We opted for the latter!

martin2345uk

Currently waiting at the vets. Most stressful journey I've ever had. He was so terrified he wet himself in his carry box and on my car seat. Now he's miserably sitting in his own wee

martin2345uk

Well according to the vet, his facial injuries look much more like impact wounds from a car strike, than fight wounds... his bottom tooth has gone straight through his upper lip and made a neat little round hole

He gave him 2 injections of long lasting antibiotics, and gave us some other meds that we're meant to drop into his food from tomorrow.

Poor little wee-stained beast is now lying under the spare bed feeling sorry for himself...

tea_lover

Aww, poor thing! Hope the antibiotics kick in soon and that he's feeling better.

Ours hated the carrier too. He's only been in it once but there was some serious sulking! Didn't last though...he always comes back for the cuddles eventually.

MarylandCookie_2

Oh no, big hugs to you both. Glad he's been checked out, hope he's ok. A trick I learnt is to put cats into their cat basket backwards, bum first, it really works!

paddypaws101

I am so glad he is home Martin.
If the vet thinks he has been in an argument with a car PLEASE do get them to check his diaphragm. Sometimes this can rupture in a RTA and cause serious complications well after the event. My friend recently lost her cat as the vet treated the obvious leg injury but no one spotted this other issue.

tesuhoha

Just to mention if you have problems with getting the cat into the carry case this one is absolutely brilliant and it can also be folded away like a briefcase. Both my cats see this as a play basket and climb into it when its opened out. I have problems getting the cat out that doesn't have to go. It makes vet visits a doddle and I can't praise it enough. It is also compact enough to fit on the front passenger seat floor hence no wee stained car seats.

http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp?dept_id=5926&pf_id=64811

martin2345uk

Well nearly 2 months after his encounter with a car, things are back to normal Chez Derek

Yesterday we took him to the vet for his annual injections, getting him in the box was a struggle but he was a good boy for the vet, didn't struggle too much, didn't hiss or scratch, and most importantly didn't !!!! himself in the cat box on the way there this time.

Hi facial wounds have pretty much healed, just a faint scar down the side of his nose, and a bit of an Elvis style snarl from his split lip.

But he's in near-perfect health*



*He's a tiny bit overweight.. I guess we've been treating him since he went missing! Have to cut down on that.


So happy to have our little guy back (",)

owlet

I've just read the whole thread! You've done a brilliant job Martin & Derek is just gorgeous. Loved the pics. When I had cats, many years ago, one would often disappear for a couple of days. After a while I got used to his patterns & stopped worrying. Obviously Derek was injured & that's a different kettle of fish.

When we went on holiday, my neighbour used to feed my 2 cats & all was well but as soon as we returned the one that liked to go walk about would disappear for a week. Almost as if to say "you abandon me & I'll do the same to you"

He definitely had a mind of his own & was a real hunter gatherer. I was always finding dead rabbits, birds or mice under the kitchen table from his nocturnal hunting trips. Then he would hiss & scratch when I tried to remove them!

Got to love them though!!

tesuhoha

That's a lovely photo.