How long should I keep a cat who was missing for weeks in the house?

[LyndaNotLinda]

After some advice as google is not getting me anywhere. I have two cats and a (recently acquired) puppy. One of the cats went missing at the end of May (thread here if you're interested) but was found on Monday so was gone nearly 14 weeks.

Wandering cat (WC) seems in fairly good health (though am taking him for a thorough MOT this afternoon) and very happy to be back - definitely knows us and the house etc. His brother (homebody cat - HC) isn't 100% about WC and is a bit hissy at him but they tolerate one another. They used to be very close so I'm assuming they'll get back there at some point.

The vet that scanned him for his chip recommended I keep him in for two weeks.

BUT as I said , we got a puppy last week so HC has had a puppy turn up one week and a long lost brother the following week. And now the cat flap is locked. He is understandably discombobulated and has been pooing all over the house :( (I know it's not WC as I've seen him using the litter tray).

WC is also very keen to go outside and darts out at every opportunity. It's basically very difficult to let the dog out and keep the cats in and everyone is very cross and trapped in a small space and trying to assert territory. I have got stair gates up but that does mean the kitchen is out of bounds to the cats which they don't like much.

Gosh - sorry that was so long. Anyway - do you reckon I really need to keep them in for two weeks? It's causing so much stress to HCand WC isn't best pleased either :(

[LyndaNotLinda]

And just to add that WC wasn't actually a wanderer before he went missing and is now super-clingy with me. I think he climbed into the back of someone's van or something because he was found miles and miles away

[StarTravels]

Had you moved recently? Is that why he wandered? If he just got lost because he was trapped in a van, I doubt you need to keep them in for 2 weeks as surely he knows his way home and knows the area well? I would work on making home feel safe for them both - keeping the puppy away from them and making sure they have some territory which t is just theirs (which the puppy can't get to). Perhaps try one of those Feliway plug-ins, and butter their feet before they go out for the first time... Old wives tale, but its always worked for me. I think partly because they spend so long sitting outside licking it off that they forget to walk off!

[thecatneuterer]

I think it's fine to let him out straight away. He knows this is his home. As he was found miles away then he either jumped into someone's van or someone deliberately took him. He obviously didn't just wander off as he didn't like his home anymore. So that is just as likely/unlikely to happen again if you let him out straight away or in a month's time.

[thecatneuterer]

Almost X post with Startravels - apart from the buttering the feet old wives' tale - really don't bother with that.

[LyndaNotLinda]

Oh thank you both so much. I suspect everyone's stress levels will plummet if the cats can go out (including mine!)

[LyndaNotLinda]

Well he's just gone out into the back garden, wandered about a bit and come back in again. He seems to have entirely forgotten the purpose of the cat flap!

[thecatneuterer]

Well he's come in again. That's the main thing :)