My cat isn’t acting right

Since Thursday evening my cat hasn’t been acting right. She started off by hiding and then not eating. When you try to pick her up she either hisses at you or she curls into herself more than usual. I’ve taken her to the vets who thought it was a blockage in her bowel and to do with her diet. They gave her some painkillers. Took her to another vet two days later who kept her in over night. She was on an IV drip and antibiotics. They thought it might be a virus. Both times when bringing her back home she was more herself but it seems after the painkillers/antibiotics wear off she goes back into hiding and won’t let you touch her or curling up when picking her up. I need some advice as to what it sounds like it is.

Hi Denna In human and animal medicine alike, there are times when they symptoms don't have a single obvious explanation and tests need to be done in order to differentiate between conditions - sometimes repeatedly.  Has a bowel blockage now been ruled out - is your cat eating, drinking, urinating and deafecating?  If not, regular check-ups and consultations with the vet will still be needed, because as well as coming to a diagnosis, your vets first concern is to keep your cat safe from further disease wherever possible (e.g. dehydration, perforated bowel, that sort of thing).  Other causes of abdominal pain include pancreatitis, tumours, blocked bladder;  otherwise there is skeletal pain, such as back pain, which can also make deafecating painful.   I wonder why you switched vets?  Do the second vets have the history from the first?  Sometimes it can take a series of tests and diagnosics to get to the bottom of a problem and things are usually ruled out in a logical manner i.e. the most likely, or the most life-threatening things, first.  Diagnostics tests such as skilled ultrasonography or radiography may be needed to get to the bottom of the problem and meanwhile your pet needs to kept as stable and comfortable as possible.  It's important to tell the vets about one another because when you change vets, if everyone is not aware of what everyone else has done, tests may be repeated or signs missed.  We would advise chosing the vets that you felt you could talk to the best, and have the full history from the other vets sent to them.  Good questions to ask would include:  what could this still be?  Which is most likely?  Which is most life threatening?  What should we do next to get to the bottom of it?   Could it be (X, Y, Z you are wondering about)? Best of luck and please do let us know how you get on.

Ps You are doing well to trust your instincts that something isn't right and to keep questioning - you know your cat the best, where as they vets know physiology and pathology.  Together, hopefully you will be able to work it out.