Family Stands Up for Bullied “Fat” Cat – She’s Beautiful No Matter What People Say

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One cold winter day, a woman got a call from a friend about a kitten found in her backyard whimpering and crying in the snow. 

The woman rushed to her friends house to assess the situation.

Little did she know, this cat would change her life forever.

Keep reading to discover how this tiny, cold kitten made a shocking transformation that left everyone puzzled…

Cold and Afraid

Tiffany Homan, a professional pet sitter from Fort Worth, Texas, had been looking for a kitten to join her family along with her other two cats.

On a cold December day, she got a call from a friend about a kitten that was found in the snow in another friend’s backyard.

“She called me and I said ‘you don’t have to say anything else. I’m on my way,’” Tiffany remarked. 

“So, I got my  husband in the car and he thought we were going to look at the cat,” said Tiffany. “No, we were taking the cat! He just didn’t know yet.”

When Tiffany and her husband arrived at the scene, they were shocked by what they saw…

Home for the Holidays

They arrived and witnessed a teeny tiny 5 week old kitten shivering in a box outside in the snow.

The original family that discovered her almost didn’t see her.

The kitten’s pure white coat blended in with the snow perfectly. 

They had placed her in a box to wait and see if the mom would show up. 

After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, Tiffany realized it was no longer worth waiting for the kitten’s mom. 

The kitten was freezing. It was too dangerous to wait. 

“The mom didn’t come back, so we took her home,” Tiffany said. “I bottle fed her and kept her warm.”

The kitten, later named Isabella Marie (Bella for short), was so happy to be out of the cold and into a warm, loving home!

She buried herself in her rescuer’s arms knowing she was finally safe with her new mom.

A Shocking Transformation

After her initial rescue, Bella’s life was smooth sailing.

She had everything she could have asked for and more.

However, things took a sharp turn when she got spayed.

“She was full grown and weighed right at 10 pounds when I took her to be spayed,” Tiffany shared.

After her surgery, she slowly but steadily began to gain weight.

Tiffany started to grow concerned.

“She put on a good 5 pounds within 8 months of being spayed,” Tiffany said. “Then it progressively got worse.”

Tiffany tried everything to control Bella’s weight, but nothing seemed to work. 

Bella was put on a strict diet with high quality, veterinarian recommended food.

On top of playing with her cat siblings, she exercised with Tiffany for several hours a day. 

“I already had 2 very active cats, so it wasn’t like Bella was sedentary. I spent hours each day using toys to get her to jump and run around the house.”

Despite Tiffany’s tireless efforts, Bella continued to grow plumper and plumper. 

It even got to a point where guests, family members, and even her own veterinarian started to question Tiffany’s responsibility as a cat owner. 

“Bella and I were getting bullied over her weight! No one believed me when I told them how much she exercised and how strict her diet was.”

Tiffany started to suspect there was another reason behind Bella’s mysterious weight gain… 

Seeking Help

Years later, Tiffany began to see even more worrisome signs from her beloved cat.

“I noticed she was drinking tons of water and thought, because of her weight, she might have diabetes,” Tiffany said.

Tiffany took Bella to the vet for testing. 

When Bella’s results came in, both Tiffany and the vet were shocked…

It wasn’t at all what they were expecting.

The Moment of Truth

“They called me laughing and said ‘she’s perfectly healthy and has the blood work of a young, healthy cat. She’s just fat!’ Now I can tell people to stop body shaming her,” Tiffany shared. 

Bella’s weight was not a problem, nor was it a symptom of normal diabetes.

More was going on below the surface.

However, the vet was able to determine why Bella had started drinking so much water.

“Bella has diabetes insipidus (DI), which is not an insulin dependent form of diabetes,” Tiffany shared. “There’s no medication or treatment. The symptoms are literally just drinking a lot of water.”

Finally, Bella had an official diagnoses that would cause her no harm. Tiffany was relieved.

So long as Bella had access to plenty of water, her DI diagnosis was nothing to worry about!

Tiffany’s vet concluded that Bella’s weight gain began as a reaction from her spay surgery. 

It was an unusual reaction, but some cats simply gained more weight after being spayed.

Because the weight gain was so gradual, it was difficult to notice until she had already become obese.

Pleasantly Plump

Bella now weighs a whopping 19.98 pounds.

While she’s much heavier than other cats, she still enjoys a very active lifestyle.

“When people see her pictures, they assume she’s long, but she’s actually short and petite!” Tiffany exclaimed. “That 20 pounds of pudge is on a short, stumpy body.”

While Bella is remarkably healthy, Tiffany makes sure to responsibly monitor Bella’s weight and health just in case. 

“She runs around the house and travels all day,” Tiffany said. “Despite contrary belief, she’s not a lazy cat.”

Bella can run, pounce, and play just like any other cat.

There’s just a lot of jiggle when she waddles down the stairs!

Queen Bella 

Now at 11 years old, Bella is the queen of the house!

She is not humble in the slightest.

“She definitely picks favorites. Even though I do everything for her, she prefers the company of my oldest son,” Tiffany shared.

“He thinks she’s his cat, but in reality, he’s her loyal servant,” said Tiffany.

Bella is also very protective of her family/servants – or at least she tries to be. 

When someone rings the doorbell, she growls courageously before waddling away at full speed to the nearest hiding spot. 

“I can’t help but laugh when I see her walking,” said Tiffany. “For such a big girl, she has very tiny legs. She often rolls over to give us a better view.”

Tiffany and her family adore Bella.

This tiny kitten found shivering in the snow transformed into a plus sized queen!

No teasing or sly jokes about her weight can make a dent in Bella’s confidence.

Thanks to her kind, loving family, Bella is fawned over and appreciated like the royalty she claims to be.

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