Widget - my disappearing male HULK kitty

A picture of Widget (aka Widgy, Widgers, Lad) in his favorite place in my sewing room!  This picture was taken last January when he HAD gained weight (he has now lost 4 pounds - which is like losing a fifth or even a  quarter of a human person's weight - which is an enormous amount!)

I've known Widgy hasn't been feeling well for a while - and had seemed to lose weight.  I also knew he really HATED the dry cat food I had gotten (used to be a favorite - BEFORE the company changed the formula!).  He had been drinking water like it was going out of style! (uh oh - BAD sign!) and the kitty litter box would resemble that which someone had taken a bottle of water and just poured the water into it - to let it set up like concrete! (not to mention the frequent costs of more litter!)  He had also been pulling out tufts of hair (complete with hair follicle attached).

So I had been feeding him open choice dry cat food (a different brand - one he DOES like) as well as trying to entice him to eat with wet cat food.  But he still appeared to be losing weight - except after he had been drinking water - at which point I swear he sloshed as he walked!  And I was still finding little tufts of hair (not the regular shed stuff - this was pulled out!) in various places.

Because sometimes kitties will drink water if hungry and they can't STAND the cat food at first I hadn't been alarmed. However pulling hair like that is usually the sign a kitty is hurting somewhere or that there is something seriously deficient in their diet.

So I took him to the vet (has to be a woman - he totally freaks with a man!)  They drew blood and sent it off to the lab for testing.  3 possibilities - two of which I had also thought of (along with other possibilites!)

1. that he was in acute kidney failure - and was HURTING - in which case there was really only one kind thing to do because other alternatives were NOT as helpful - somewhat - but not really and not long term.  This both my dd and I had envisioned as a possibility.  And it upset my dd since she had a beloved family member in kitty form who had died from kidney failure created by that cat food sabotage done a few years ago.  This would mean choices I really didn't want to make but which were to keep Widgers from hurting more than he was already.  I'm not into selfishness!
2. that he had thyroid problems - which NO ONE in the family or friends had thought of - but which I have treated a puppy with a few years ago.  VERY treatable.  And I've treated before - although with a beagle dog!
3. that he had Diabetes - which a friend and I had also thought of - and which is treatable - although the cost initially is NOT cheap- but is very maintainable once the level of dosage has been determined. And determining the dosage level is what makes the initial costs so nasty!  Expensive at first - but do-able - mostly.

I talked to Nathan about this - and he was VERY much for Widget being treated no matter what - despite his having seen Widget maybe 4 times since I've had him (Widget "vanishes" when ANY male figure comes in the door - funny thing is when Widget brushes up against Nathan thinking he's me - since we sound very similar - and then realizes that we aren't!)

I called back this AM.

He has diabetes.  Different diet, insulin dependent (I give him insulin twice a day - approx. 8 hours apart) and he gets tested again in a week to see how he is doing.

Diabetes is a nasty thing - it can affect just about every organ of the body - and felines are no exception.  Widget has lost a LOT of his vision.  Hopefully some will return as time goes on - but I'm not holding my breath!  His heart murmur is still at about the same point as it was before - for which I'm thankful!

Other than that and lots of TLC - and the fact that he acts like I do when morning arrives and I have to stand up - meaning that his bones, just like mine, creak and complain!  I do love that kitty - and hope this helps!