Belle my beast

My wife and I have had Belle, our tabby, for about 6 years. She was a rescue, and we know nothing of her previous home(s). She has always had an issue with stress, and GI upset. She has been on a special diet since we adopted her. Belle is spoiled, as all cats are, but she has been the biggest snuggle bug and a great companion. Until the last year that is. As a spoiled kitty, she ate when she wanted (free fed) and pottied in the litter box when she needed. Her only issue until last year was that she vomited occasionally if she got into something (usually human food that upset her stomach). 

In the past year, she has had a drastic temperament change. It started as getting really needy, and then progressed to the degree where she would snuggle up in bed, and not eat or drink. We tried taking her to the vet, but aside from mild dehydration at the time of the visit, she was given a clean bill of health. Despite being "healthy" she dropped literally half her weight (from 14 to 7 lbs). My wife and I worked tirelessly to get her weight up, but she is still skin and bones. She was fed more calorie rich foods, but only ate a scant amount. 

Then we moved. She poops and pees everywhere. She still lazes about, hanging out in her "tree", she's still a snuggle bug. We are working on the potty thing, but it's been 2 months since we moved, and I still find poop and pee spots all over the house. And now, she is interested in human food so much that she wails every meal that we eat. It's incessant. We never feed her human food, because she always vomits afterward. But she cries and cries literally every time I walk into the kitchen. She licks dishes before I can clean them. She knocks plates, cups, and knives onto the floor. We have resorted to locking her away when we eat. She doesn't like that, and starts crying again.

But she never used to cry. Up to a year ago, she was the quietest cat I have ever met. We had to put a bell on her collar to know where she was (the irony was not lost on us, either). Now she whines all the time, constantly trying to get attention and\or food. When she is quiet, sitting on her perch, she is the old Belle. But then she turns into a whiny little punk, begging for food that she can't have.

My wife and I are at our whit's end. We don't know how to care for her anymore. We don't want to surrender her, or put her down, but we know that she will not thrive in a kennel. If she won't eat when she has a house and a bowl full of food, then she definitely won't in a cage.  

Any suggestions are welcomed. 

What tests did the vet run? Thyroid, liver, kidneys, etc.? That's an incredible amount of weight for a cat to lose, and it sounds far more like a physical problem than a behavioral one. Belle really needs a thorough check-up. If your vet didn't find anything, it's high time for a second opinion.

The vet ran the full gamut of test: urine, feces, blood tests for liver, kidneys, thyroid. She found nothing.

The vet did prescribe anti-anxiety medication for her, but getting her to take them was painful for both parties. She seems to be doing okay without them.


Since writing this post, we have tried keeping her contained to the basement. She has a good view of the yard, and the chipmunks that inhabit the tree next to the house. She seems to have chilled a little, and is eating a bit more of her own food, the random potty events seem to be slowing down as well.

Since the move, we are much further away from the vet, and will be finding a new one. Hopefully this one will have something new to say.

Writing this out more for my sake than anything else.

My wife took Belle to a different vet today, for a second opinion. This vet was much more hands-on, and informative than our previous vet, and will likely be getting more of our business.

He informed us that Belle is likely acting out because of whatever is causing her weight loss. He weighed her in the office, and she is down even more: 5.6 lbs.

He gave her a fluid bolus and took another sample of blood. He also gave us some ideas on how to bump up her weight while we wait for the results.

All in all, things are not going well for our little girl. We will try to keep her comfortable and love her, but things are looking grim.

Poor cat! Not knowing is just the worst too... The weight loss is alarming. My brother's cat was hyperthyroid, but it was obvious in her bloodwork and behavior. She would gobble her food and ask for more, she would lick the plates and relentlessly beg for food, and she would howl pretty much all night long for us to feed her. It's baffling to me that Belle isn't interested in her own food, yet is obviously desperate for food... Have you tried another kind of food? Or is she stuck with the special one she's had so far?

Whatever is going on with your Belle, I certainly hope the new vet can figure it out and give you all some answers. <3

Belle is sitting at my feet as I write this. We heard back from the vet the other day. We are still waiting on some of the lab work to come back, but it all has been inconclusive so far. The only two that are still pending are both for terminal illnesses. 

Belle has been eating her supplemental food well, but has developed increasing lethargy. She doesn't startle anymore (I have a cold, and sneezing used to send her scurrying out of the room), or come to be stroked. She sits in her perch, then eats, perch for a bit more, void, repeat. She snuggles up with my wife, or me on occasion. My wife had a good snuggle session with her tonight, but my wife cried herself to sleep, knowing that she doesn't have much time. I won't deny that I cried a bit, too. She has been a great companion. 

I work night shift, so my wife is sleeping now. I am sitting with Belle, looking through some old photos. She used to be so chunky! I have put a few down below for those who want to see our snuggle bug. We will be calling the vet in the morning to see if the tests are in, and make our final decisions from there. If you will excuse me, I need to pamper my princess for a while.

M misterbelle

The name Belle ... Struck me. I'm sorry it's so hard for you 3... Sounds like you have filled Belle's life with love & fun.

My furry friend Bell is ill ... Our stories sound similar. She's 13years old & recently has lost significant weight secondary to disinterest in eating from being so lethargic. After 4 days in an advanced critical care hospital blood transfusions, tests etc... I took her home not knowing the actual diagnosis that we may never know...

I wanted to spend time with her at the end. Not prolong her suffering but love her & be with her. It's been difficult not knowing what I need to do .... How much time do I let pass to see if medications are working ? Is this all too much? Should I let go?

In the meanwhile loving on our babies is important & not letting them suffer . I read an article that said it's better a week early than a minute too late. [emoji]128148[/emoji][emoji]128542[/emoji].. May you all be strong & I'll keep you in my thoughts.

Oh man, I was hoping you would get some answers...

My brother's cat got super skinny when her thyroidism was out of control. She came to us at around 15lbs, which was way heavy for her, and near the end she was about 5.5lbs. It can be hard to watch a pet transform from happy and healthy to lethargic and weak. All I can say is that you pamper that princess and give her lots of your love, because life is short and she will feel the love that you give her no matter if the end is near, or if you figure it out and she lives for many more years!

Keep up updated when you can!