Cat doesn’t recognise his brother post surgery

[Snooks1971]

I’ve since read online that this is a “thing” and not un-common when one cat returns home after an op (every day’s a school day!) but am posting for any advice or tips that aren’t recommended online (and success stories please!)

So, 2 brothers, rescued at 6 months, now approx 14months old.
One bro had major surgery at the weekend and was overnight at the vets for 3 nights. Happily brought him home yesterday and imagined a joyful purry reunion. The opposite from the brother in residence! He truly doesn’t recognise him. Hissing, growling, big tail etc. Poorly cat is perplexed by this reaction.

We are being careful and almost treating them like cats who are new to each other, giving them both their own spaces, feeding separately, watching them like hawks. It”s been 24 hours and things are getting a bit better with less reaction from “healthy” cat. Will things get better soon?

Sorry long post, I’m prone to a waffle.

It will be because he smells different. Try rubbing the cat who was at the vets all over with a blanket the other cat sleeps on so he will smell like home again.

Swap over their blankets so they get other cats scent. Get Feliway plug in. They should soon settle.

I honestly wouldn’t do anything and would just let them get on with it.

Yes this happened with mine.

one had an op and was away for three days.

the other two were very suspicious.
they got over it in a few days. I ignored it unless they were pissing her off (could tell by the hissing)

Thanks everyone - such quick replies! Very encouraging!

We have swapped over their blankets, and keep rubbing them with each others blankets too.

I think we are just extra cautious because poorly cat was the runt of the litter and is tiny, and his brother clearly hogged all the womb space and is built like a brick privvy, so just worried about any fighting and tearing of stitches. They were always play fighting and rough housing before the op…

It's probably because he smells different. Having a general anaesthetic can make them give off an odd smell for a while. We don't notice it,but cats certainly do! My late DM's reacted like this when one of had an operation under GA. It will probably take a few days, maybe a week for them to settle down.

He smells of the horrible place with disinfectant and pee and injections, not home. It'll wear off in the next couple of days.

Thanks again - it’s remarkable isn’t it, just when you think you know everything about cats.
Just ordered a Feliway with delivery tomorrow.

I was just saying last night that our young DC (now grown up) used to smell of pre-school after coming home, not unpleasant, just medicinal and “different”.

I had one sister come home from surgery - bad reaction to the anaesthetic and vomited everywhere.

Emergency appointment duly made with the vet for the following day.

By which time she was fine but her sister had started weeing blood in the few places that hadn't been puked on.

Vet was surprised to see a completely different cat at the appointment.

Yes the whole experience was so stressful for the cat not having surgery, she got ill. All settled down very quickly with copious application of Feliway.

Oh my goodness! Bloody hell! I’ve had cats all my life and never knew this was a thing! Your poor cat sisters!

Weirdly though, your post has helped me, like pp, so thank you

Hope yours are OK soon.

Am currently dealing with a disruption in the cat universe where my resident neurotic bully has decided she's actually very frightened and so too scared to eat.

Boy cat who never cares one way or the other is fine with this as it's extra dinner - usually she eats his too.

We are reduced to sitting next to her and giving cuddles while she eats.

Cats are right little monsters aren't they? They do like to keep their staff on their toes.

Oh @AnnaMagnani I feel your pain. Why are they so weird, the weirder they get, the more we pander to them. I’m attaching cat tax of our tiny runt who has had surgery.
He’s on DS16 gaming chair

That is a very fetching suit he is modelling.

He is very cute.
hope his bro settles soon
interesting how a pp mentioned their child smelling different after preschool. I’d totally forgotten that - had it with both my dc.
So how much more intense must it be for cats when one has been totally immersed in the smell of the vets.

Aww his little suit!
We have had the exact same problem when our boy cat had to go to the vet, for days his sister would growl and hiss and refuse to eat in the same room. They’re fine now! Just give it a few days, suddenly they will act like nothing happened 😂

Cats have a much better sense of smell compared to humans, and they rely on that so much in their daily lives - notice how they scent mark everywhere with head rubbing.

So what may seem a faint whiff to us would be overpowering to cats, and they can still smell things which for us have faded long before.

The Feliway you have coming today will help, as that works on pheromones and scent.

My dh smelt horrible after he'd had a fairly long operation under general anaesthetic, really chemically. Took a few days to pass. So pps explanations make perfect sense to me!

Hello, thank you everyone for your lovely advice - have an update.

So things are so much better today. Minimal low level growling from Biggie Smalls (big brother “healthy” cat, I’ve name changed him). He’s just basically stalking little Cow Cat and watching him, sniffing him cautiously and loafing close by.

Onwards and upwards

Thinking about it, not only does Moo (new name) smell like Evil Place, to a fellow cat - an animal who actually has pretty crap eyesight, as it's detecting movement and vision in darkness combined with their agility and squiminess that make them brilliant predators - he looks like an entirely different animal, one that is white and black.

He's thinking you've brought in a replacement.

@NeverDropYourMooncup yeah you are probably right, Biggie Smalls is wondering why his tiny brother is now a cow (Moo). Or replaced by a small cow instead. Cat head fuck!