Sick kitty

Remember this guy?  Well this guy, Gus, has been sick the past few days and it's breaking my heart.  So I want to know if any of you know a thing or two about sick cats and have any advice for me.  

We took him with us to Louisville for Christmas and he spent 6 days exploring new territory.  In that time, he had brief interactions with an over-excited pug, an adorable French Bulldog puppy and a dapper dachshund who was getting over a cough (his interaction with him was very brief).  

We gave him a sedative for the car ride home and at first just thought he was having more trouble shaking off the drugs than we thought.  But we got back on Wednesday evening and he didn't show signs of sickness until Thursday night.  His nose is dry, his fur is matted and he is weak.  We've been forcing him to drink milk water, have been giving him tuna since he won't eat his dry food and all the TLC a cat could dream of.  

I know you'll probably say, take him to the vet at once!  But he was just at the vet, he hates the vet, I hate the vet and it's freaking cold outside.  He really does look better today which is a good sign.  I just wonder, can cats get the flu?  He doesn't show signs of an infection of any sorts.  He's just...off.  

I just want to see him like this again ::

***Update, Gus is in the kitty hospital.  He was mean to me, the vet and the vet's assistant.  So they had to keep him again.  They don't know what's wrong with him - the vet didn't give me any answers.  But I do know that I have never heard a cat make the kinds of noises that he made while the vet attempted to take his temperature (although in his defense, it must really suck to have something cold and metal coming at your butthole with rapid speed).  Over the next few days, he'll have x-rays and urine samples and catheters to deal with and I'll admit, I cried when I came home.  But seeing him step up onto a box today instead of jumping was the straw that broke the camels back.  Send healthy vibes his way, won't you?