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My cat came back after 4 days, lethargic, not eating. What's wrong?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 15 years and 2 months old | 9 lbs

My cat disappeared and came back, he was gone for 4 days. When we found him on our porch he was covered in lint so our best guess is he was stuck in a basement but we don't know for sure, he was also covered in feces, we assume his own. we also assume he hasn't eaten in those 4 days either. He is very lethargic and won't leave the upstairs bedroom or eat or drink anything we bring him. Could you give us an idea of what is wrong?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Susan England-Foster

Veterinarian

Published on August 7th, 2017

I am sorry This happened to kasey. I would recommend taking him to a veterinarian immediately. I am not sure what caused this but now kasey needs immediate care. Kasey is most likely dehydrated and if he is not eating he could get fatty liver disease which is very difficult to treat. The feces could be soft/ diarrhea secondary to stress , toxins or something he got into when he was lost. I hope kasey feels better soon

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1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Other Answers

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    Answered By Lauren Kennedy, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Kasey may be very dehydrated if he had no access to food or water for 4 days. Based on what you are describing, and the fact that Kasey is an older cat, I would recommend taking him in to the vet as soon as possible to be checked out. Your vet will likely want to run some blood work to fully assess Kasey. I'm glad he made it home. Hopefully he can make a full recovery.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    I'm sorry Kasey disappeared but it's great that he came back home! He could have been injured on his travels, he could have gotten into a fight with another animal, or he could have gotten into something toxic. He could also be suffering from a fatty liver from not eating for days, as cats are prone to developing them after not eating for 48-72 hours. A fatty liver is fatal without treatment, and it's quite serious that he is very lethargic, and isn't eating or drinking. I would consider this a medical emergency, and he needs veterinary care now. Please take him into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website.

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