Starving Cat Chronicles, Pt. 1

For a couple years, our cat Pavlov has been mysteriously losing weight. At the same time, his appetite has become voracious. He'd eat six times a day if he could. He never paid that much attention to our food when he was younger, but now where we're making dinner, we have to prevent him from jumping on the counter. As for what became of his formerly impeccable litter box habits, the less said the better.

The vet we were taking him to a year ago (at a specialized cat clinic, no less) didn't think there was anything to worry about. Of course, he wasn't begging her for food constantly. And she didn't have to clean his litter box and the surrounding area twice daily. We took him back to the vet we used when we first came to Ann Arbor (who we left for a ridiculuous, petty reason), who prescribed a special diet and antibiotics. This seemed to bring him around. He was satisfied with two meals a day, he went back to his normal weight (11 lbs.) and seemed in a better mood generally. There were a couple of relapses which we brought under control with another course of antibiotics.

Sometime over this last winter, Pavlov took another turn for the worse. He now weighs less than he ever has before (7 1/2 lbs.), and his appetite is relentless. Took him back to the vet yesterday, where he was given a battery of tests. We should know the results today. The likely possibilities, according to the Dr.: thyroid problems, kidney problems, diabetes, or intestinal inflammation. I'm rooting for #4, as it's the most treatable. But even if it's that, I suspect it won't be a fix it and forget it situation. Whatever it is, we'll likely have to deal with as long as we have him.

I wonder how much longer that will be. He's 15 now, and sometimes when you watch him napping, you think, that is one old boy. At other times, he still acts like the overgrown kitten he's always been. He's still fairly active, despite his problems. Always ready to play tug of war with a string or to catch a catnip buzz. Still runs to greet us at the door when we come home. And he's still a ruthless mouser.

Kristine and I got him the fall after we were married, and its hard to imagine our household without him. But it's getting harder to brush off the idea.