Cat spent 5 days in hospital will my other cat accept him back

[Tuxedokittylove]

Our one cat spent 5 days in hospital getting treated for a gi infection, he’s coming home later today. What are the odds that my other cat will remember and accept him back? We do plan on wiping him down and rubbing him with some used blankets, clothes etc. To get him smelling more like home. Has anyone had cats separated for that long and they accepted them back instantly or did you have to slowly reintroduce all over?

 

[BellaGooch]

Hello! I might not be the best person to answer this question (so take my answer with a grain of salt lol), and I'm sure somebody with more experience will come along to answer you better, but I would say your kitties will recognize each other. Are they good friends? I think the likelihood of them reacting normally will increase by whether or not they have a strong, good bond. However, I really do think that they will be normal around each other- Although perhaps they might be a bit standoffish at first (new smells, etc).
Again, I have never had this happen, so I'm sure somebody with experience on this matter can come along and help you

 

[Tuxedokittylove]

Hello! I might not be the best person to answer this question (so take my answer with a grain of salt lol), and I'm sure somebody with more experience will come along to answer you better, but I would say your kitties will recognize each other. Are they good friends? I think the likelihood of them reacting normally will increase by whether or not they have a strong, good bond. However, I really do think that they will be normal around each other- Although perhaps they might be a bit standoffish at first (new smells, etc).
Again, I have never had this happen, so I'm sure somebody with experience on this matter can come along and help you

They are pretty good friends! They play together and nap near each other (my other cat is not a huge cuddler) so I’d like the think they have a pretty strong bond. My other cat has been showing signs of missing him and when we came back from visiting him yesterday she could smell him on us and could tell she recognized the smell. You’re positivity made me feel better that they’ll likely be fine, thank you!

 

[BellaGooch]

Aw, I'm glad! Please keep us updated on your kitty! I hope that he continues to recover, and of course feel free to ask any questions at all that you might have!

 

[Kieka]

I've had two different cats who were hospitalized and there was no issue reintegration after. One cat has had a 3 day hold and 14 day hold (after being missing for 3 days prior to hospitalization), the other cat was hospitalized for 8 days. In all three cases, the other cats accepted them back without issue on their part. One of them was still heavily medicated when he returned so he was grumpy with the others when he got home.

I have a total of three cats who get along fairly well normally to give an idea of the household. We never did anything special when someone came home from being hospitalized. I think they realize something is going on and adapt.