New Home for Diabetic Cat?

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone out there may be able to help out. My family has fallen on difficult financial times and we simply can no longer afford the collective costs of our diabetic cat, Tornado. (vet bills, various pet supplies, insulin, needles, etc.) He was recently diagnosed and we had hoped for a while we could find a way to afford caring for him, but we haven't been able to work it out.

What I'm asking is whether there is anyone out there who knows of any options Tornado might have for re-homing [I’m located in Northern California]; either someone who may be interested in adopting him, or perhaps a foster home or no-kill animal shelter, at the very least, that can accept a cat with diabetes? These unfortunately would be our only options other than putting him down, which we obviously do NOT want to do.

Tornado is about 12 years old, a Maine Coon mixie we took in as a stray kitten. He is an extremely mellow, calm cat who loves sitting on laps and is very people-friendly. He’s lived in a multi-cat household his entire life and gets along well with other cats. He is up-to-date on all his shots, is neutered and has lived as an indoor/outdoor cat.

If you might be interested in adoption, please PM me and I can give you more information.

Thank you very much for any help. Tornado is very dear to us so this has been quite difficult on the family.

-Heather

I am sorry your family has been put in this situation. I myself am not far from the same. I no longer have a diabetic kitty as he passed some 3 1/2 years ago. There are cost cutting ways to help with kitties expenses. One of the biggest costs is the Vet bills from having the Vet do curves and blood glucose testing. I wonder if your family is aware that they themselves can do their own BG testing and curves. Pracrtically eliminating the Vet bills.
Do you know if they hometest? If they dont they certainly CAN learn. Please send them to this site and ask for help there are MANY people willing to help them get started.

Just some info I thought you'd like to share with them . Read through our F&Q's for more info.

Keeping you and Tornado in my prayers,
jeanne

Hi Heather,

You haven't received many answers because we just don't have very many for you. I searched your earlier posts and it looks like you had ProZinc when you started in July and were hometesting. You are already doing the money saving measures if you test at home and don't use the vet except for advice and emergencies. And of course, the food can be the less expensive brands like Friskies as long as it is lo carb. Has Tornado responded at all to the insulin and lo carb food? Your best bet is to try to get him into remission so he is no longer expensive to have around.

Unfortunately, most people who post here already have at least one diabetic cat and won't be interested in adopting another. And lots of shelters won't take them because they require extra care and are not as adoptable as a healthy cat. You might contact Venita to see if she has any ideas for you - her name is next to the DCIN at the top of the page. She runs a group called Diabetic Cats in Need. Not that she can necessarily take on your Tornado, but she might have some resources.

I PMd Heather this morning to have a chat so that we can see what DCIN might be able to do to help the situation. I am waiting for her reply.

Hi Sue and Jeanne,

Thanks for the cost-cutting suggestions; unfortunately we've cut the costs for Tornado as much as we can already and it is not enough. However I've made contact with Venita so hopefully we might be able to work something out.