Hi, I've never posted on here before but I wasn't sure who else to ask.
Background is I have two cat who were rescued as kittens a couple of years ago. They are meant to be brothers but are very different in personality in looks. They seem to like each other sometimes and others the play fight. They are both always very affectionate to us and have always been confident and up for a cuddle.
One of them went missing just before lock down, eventually came back after a week clearly had been trapped as skinny and distressed but after a good meal went back to normal. Spent most of lock down cuddly and loving us. Then two weeks ago started wandering more and more each day but always came home. After 3 days a week and a half a go I was getting concerned again but he appeared had food and slept on me for a while then disappeared and didn't see him for a week in the end.
Long story short I posted on fb and a lady down the road said she saw him daily playing with her cats and he sneaked to her bed and tried to eat their food. I asked her to let me know. When he popped round again so I could come get him. I kept walking down every hour incase he appeared and we finally found him a few doors up from her. He didn't seem to know us and bolted into a nearby house. Basically he had found a man who was feeding him and decided he was under fed. We told the man we wanted him back obviously and he reluctantly handed him over making comments about how skinny he was before coming to live with him (he's a greedy cat who eats lots but always wants more and acts like we don't feed him, his brother is the same)
Anyway we've got the cat home now and he's weird. Not cuddly. He seems sort of content after a night's sleep but just not like he normally is. We would always come for a cuddle with me or the children but just walks off now and goes to sleep in my daughters room. Doesn't help that the other cat keeps trying to bite him on the neck trying to be dominant.
Should I worry? We are going away for a week next week so thinking I'll keep him in till we get back as someone will be visiting. 😢😢😢😢 So worried and upset. I feel like I should let that horrible man just keep him if he prefers him to us now. It's only been a week!