What am I supposed to do? (Cat)

[StarFish Prime]

About two-three months ago, somebody at my dad's work was giving away their car. My family has wanted a cat for some time, so we decided to take her off their hands.

Then about three-four days ago, the cat started acting strange. It stopped eating, it's been drinking a lot more water, and it just lies around the house all day. Before, the cat would take a defensive stance when we got near it, now it barely acknowledges us when we come near. Also, now she looks as if she is troubles with some things, as the way she stands looks very odd.

Theres another problem though, My dad doesn't believe she is sick. He claims it is "just the heat", and "she feels like she is in a prison". He outright refuses to take her to the vetrenarians, when I know something is definitely wrong with her. I'm tempted to just put my cat in her cage and carry her a few kilometers to the vet's myself.

Is there indeed something wrong with my cat? and how should I convince my dad that there IS something wrong with her?

[Kayla200]

id take her to the vet i mean Im no vet but I believe that you should at least rule things out just in case there is something medically wrong and even if theres not at least you are a good animal owner lol

[ALLorNOTHINGforCHRIST]

Is she overweight, if so the drinking more water and being tired all the time sounds like she MAY have diabetes. As for your dad, though if he is the one paying for the bill it is hard to say if there is anything you CAN do. You may could if you can walk to the vet, take her and if she does have something tell him that you found out. Also, I am not sure about Canada, but here in the states if an animal is clearly ill and you refuse to seek treatment it is considered animal abuse/ neglect and if the animal police find out he can be charged a ,fine arrested, have a criminal and depending on how serious the area takes the crime even serve some jail time.

[TheBabyEater]

My dog became diabetic when she was a puppy, and half my dad's side of the family is diabetic, so no doubt when I hear the words "drinking a lot of water, not eating, and laying around" I think of diabetes. Of course, diabetes isn't the only explanation for it, it could literally just be the heat or depression from missing her family, but still. I'd try to convince your dad to take the cat to the vet if I were you, because any sudden change in behavior or habits is a cause for concern.

Originally Posted by I love dogs

Is she overweight, if so the drinking more water and being tired all the time sounds like she MAY have diabetes. As for your dad, though if he is the one paying for the bill it is hard to say if there is anything you CAN do. You may could if you can walk to the vet, take her and if she does have something tell him that you found out. Also, I am not sure about Canada, but here in the states if an animal is clearly ill and you refuse to seek treatment it is considered animal abuse/ neglect and if the animal police find out he can be charged a ,fine arrested, have a criminal and depending on how serious the area takes the crime even serve some jail time.

Also, being overweight isn't a sign of diabetes. In fact, it's the complete opposite. If you don't treat your diabetes, you LOSE weight, not gain it. It's the hardship of insulin and proper nutrition that makes it so hard to control weight in humans when you're diabetic. My dog was horribly skinny when she was diagnosed, but she is perfectly healthy now that we've kept her at a good insulin level for 5 years.



Either way, a few other things could be as simple as being depressed and lonely to having a cold or other illness. It's hard to say really, but good luck. Just tell your dad that if he really cared for the cat he'd take him to the vet. I know it sucks to pay the bills, but the sooner you go the less expensive it would be if there is a serious problem to detect it early. Hell, if you want, offer to pay the bill yourself, or pay half of it.