Luther the Orange Cat Rescued by Winslow Animal Hospital Veterinary Technician
Luther is a sweet, lovable cat. Though easily intimidated, he is also affectionate and patient. He loves to sit on Dad’s lap! The family dog knocked a screen out of the window back in June. Curious Luther saw an opportunity to explore the world, and he took it! He had not been home since. When his family saw that Luther was missing, they remembered that he had been microchipped. That very day they made sure their information was all up to date with the registry in case anyone found him.
Microchip scanners are used to get the unique ID number from the microchip in order to get in touch with the family.
A few weeks ago, some of the Winslow Animal Hospital employees began seeing an orange cat close to our property. He was always skittish when approached. Though we figured he might just be a neighbor’s cat, some of the Winslow Animal Hospital employees left food out for him just in case. Last night, Christie, Certified Veterinary Technician, was able to catch Luther and bring him inside. It’s possible he was more willing to go inside with the cooler temperatures we have been having.
We scanned Luther’s microchip and found that his family was nearby. Luther had been an indoor cat, so he was not used to being outside. It seems he never was able to find his way home on his own. We were able to call his family, and Dad came to get him right away!
Family Reunion!
Health Concerns
It’s important for any cat to see a veterinarian once a year or more. Cats go through changes more quickly than people do. One of our doctors provided a physical exam for Luther, making sure that his heart and lungs sound healthy and that everything felt good.
Dr. Coudrai, Luther, and Christie, CVT.
For dogs and cats that have been missing a while, we worry about what kind of things they might eat when they are hungry. Luther threw up some grass and dirt, which is to be expected. We instructed Dad to keep an eye on him just in case he did swallow something more dangerous out there that was not found in our physical examination.
Luther also had fleas and ticks on him, which should not be a surprise to any pet owners in the area. It’s important to use flea and tick preventatives on dogs and cats every month. Since Luther was missing for four months, his preventative wore off, so we had to pull ticks off of him. We also need to keep an eye out for intestinal parasites. These tiny parasites live inside the bodies of hosts, stealing nutrients and laying eggs that can be found in the stool.
Luther lost a lot of weight over his few months of wandering. His Dad described him as having a big belly before. Now, Luther is pretty slender. He will probably begin to gain weight back in no time. The challenge is that he will be hungry and want to eat a lot more than his body is ready for. With small amounts of food at a time, Luther will be better able to manage his food needs and gradually get back to a healthy weight.
