His wound looks calm
Mochi seems to be recovering well. He didn't overly lick his wound and where it looked a bit red (logically) the first day, the redness has vanished today. He has a very good appetite which makes me wonder if this is because of the surgery. I have to check if this is also a thing with male cats or not because where he had already a great appetite, he now has an even bigger one.
Playtime activated
We noticed an increase in playfulness yesterday but this morning it was full-on murder mode! My daughter gave him back his mouse and the way he was hunting it even seemed scary to me looking at it haha. I decided it was time to have some playtime together after seeing this because he seems to be doing great and I'm not worried about his wound anymore. I played fetch with him and his favorite toy: the tennis ball(s). He seemed to be much more active today and was racing through the room like a madman chasing a bad guy. It's fun though because he's so extremely happy while playing. He's in his element when doing so and it's a fun show to watch.
Happy tail wagging
The story of the happy tail continues! Since he is back I managed to pet him while chilling in his bed or on the chair several times with him enjoying it and then his tail started to wag. This was a while ago since this happened and is the best example of his subconscious knowing he can trust us and enjoy it when we pet him, while his consciousness is not on the same level and literally gets a heart attack once he wakes up from his zen state and sees or realizes this is a hand doing him that pleasure. I can't even explain how weird that is to see him enjoy, even moving his head towards the sides for more petting on one side and then the other, while just minutes later he gives me (and himself) a heart attack by jumping up scared as can be.
It's sad but I will stay persistent and keep doing it because I believe his subconscious will win, his tail says it all, haha. I can't wait to experience if I'm right about him being more of a happy cat when a (or some) kittens arrive to foster because I'm sure it will help him gain confidence.
We see a change in behavior
Although we aren't sure if it lasts, we notice that he's calmer overall and probably happy to be back home after that night at the vet. His fear of being in the carrier and what happened vanished quicker than expected and he seems more curious and less scared to come closer to us.
If you check the first picture, this was taken with me on the next seat on the couch. I even managed to get him rolling on his back and stretching while me being this close to him. He's definitely more comfortable and relaxed so it seems. We have good hopes that he will eventually accept that he's stuck with us and that it's best to enjoy it. :)