Indoor/Outdoor cats anyone?

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Chris & Queenie

Chris & Queenie

Member Since 2015
I have just started down this sugar path with my mom's cat Queenie, who has been an outdoor cat her whole life. Luckily mom felt sorry enough for her this winter that she allowed her onto the sunporch and then in early March figured out she wasn't well. Who knows how long she's been sick, mom says she lost weight really suddenly.....

Long story short ~ the time may come when she either goes back to mom's (trying to avoid that), or I keep her here with my tribe of 16, most of whom are indoor outdoor kitties (with many rules applied - Like "you must show up for meals, no free feeding, you must come in at night, I must trust you, no you can not go out when it's going to storm, or when you're not feeling well, or when I will be heading out soon")....

I have to believe that this indoor outdoor style makes it much harder in general to regulate a diabetic, even if we get to a point of OTJ. True? Anyone have luck with indoor outdoor lifestyles?

Also want to ask about using Agave Nectar for Hypo episodes. Just curious about it really. I know that even sugar in water will work in a pinch. The Agave is a natural low Glycemic sweetener. 1 tsp = 16 g carb and 60 calories.
 
Hi Christine,

Bertie is an indoor/outdoor cat. He's been on insulin for 8 years now. (He never was a candidate for remission, so his being indoor/outdoor didn't have any bearing on that.)

Initially I was very nervous about letting him go out, mainly because I was worried about how I'd be able to test his blood glucose. But thankfully, he's never been much of one for wandering off, and can usually be found dozing somewhere. So I found that (if he didn't want to come inside) I could test his blood glucose wherever he was out in the garden.
If I see that his blood glucose is dropping fast or low then I either keep him indoors (or bring him indoors) until I'm happy that things are OK.

Another major concern for indoor/outdoor kitties is that they may get access to inappropriate foods, especially if they get the opportunity to sneak into other kitties' houses... But again, luckily, none of my near neighbours have cats; and the nearest neighbours that do have cats also have large dogs (which Bertie is none too keen on....) So, that hasn't been a problem either. The only issue I've had is that, in the winter, I need to be careful with the food that I put out for the birds (Bert has been known to steal any grated cheese he can find...)

There is no problem if cats hunt and eat their prey; that's all nicely low carb!

(Sorry, can't help with the Agave Nectar, but am interested in the replies you get.)

Eliz
 
I think the main thing is being able to test. I have seen a couple of others have cats disappear when they got
extremely low and hide. ( and where an indoor cat went and hid under the bed)

I think those who have outdoor cats already accept the risks that something "could" happen.
( people in my town seem to accept that they are feeding the coyotes, foxes, owls )

and there have been examples of neighbors leaving out dry and your cat getting it.



are you bending that rule for Queenie?
more frequent small meals are needed for diabetics , it's better for their pancreas.
 
If you are dealing with low numbers, you want a HIGH glycemic sugar syrup because you want the sugar in the blood stream asap.
Pick up some Karo syrup to have on hand.
 
Phobos is indoor/outdoor. I was worried at first, and still we don't let him out right before I'll be testing him or dosing him, but he's doing pretty well. I feed my cats four times/day and they're pretty insistent that I don't forget. Phobos doesn't wander much these days, but he will hide out sometimes. I've started training him to come in - I call and if that fails, I'll tap my ring against the mason jar I keep his treats in. That will usually get him to come quick. Maybe start some association like that for Queenie, so she'll be more likely to come when needed.
 
Note: this turned out to be quite a long post. Skip to the last paragraph for my opinion on diabetic cats going outside.

Edwin has been an indoors only and an indoor/outdoor cat depending on where I was living at the time. For the first several years of his life he was allowed out on a screened in porch (busy street and other cats out in the neighborhood). When I moved, I no longer had a screened in porch so he was indoor all the time except for the occasional times I would put a leash and harness on him and allow him outdoors under supervision (other cats and skunks in the neighborhood - I tell you what, you make friends with one skunk and they blab it all over town. Have you ever tripped over a skunk walking home? I have. The skunk saw me and was like "oh, it's just her" and went back to munching on flowers. Thank god I saw him at the last second and was able to hop over him. All the skunks in that town seemed to have some sort of affinity for me.)

The first time I allowed Edwin out to roam free was at about 10 years old and we were up at our family cottage on a lake. I had planned to keep him on a harness and leash on the porch or staked out in the yard. However, the boards on the porch were such that he would go two feet and the leash would catch on a board. Right after you freed the leash it would happen again. So I figured screw it. You're 10 years old, you have all your teeth, all your claws, all your shots, and a collar with my phone number on it. Roam free.

In addition, there were no busy road or other cats around. There was sometimes a dog next door, but he was very nice and well behaved. The first time he saw the cat in the yard he started barking like "there's cat in your yard, there's a cat in your yard! Do you know there's a cat in the yard?" After assuring him that I knew about the cat and it was my cat the dog was totally fine.

I did require Edwin to come in at dark (there are things that come out then that like to eat kitties) and for occasional checks throughout the day to make sure he was staying close. That's when I started the evening canned food. That was gaurenteed to get him in every time.

When I moved to where I am now we have a deck that I put a gate on so he could go out onto the deck, but not out in the yard. We have a fair amount of land and no local cats, but there is a somewhat busy highway at the bottom of the hill. He was 100% reliable with the gate for two years, until I put him on Adequan for his arthritis. Within a week someone was obviously feeling better and was jumping the gate every chance he got. After trying a variety of things to keep him from the gate, I finally gave up and just let him out in the yard.

The same rules as at the cottage still applied. In by dark and check in throughout the day. No going out when I'm not home or about to leave. I also put a RF locator on his collar for the very few times he's decided to rebel and not come in when called. I actually ended up using the locator in the house more than outside as Edwin is a champion hider. He's been very reliable outside and spends most of the day within 20 feet of the house.

As for letting a diabetic cat outside, I was lucky that Edwin was diagnosed and started on insulin when it was bitterly cold outside. He had no desire to go out. I would keep any newly diagnosed cat, who is just starting on insulin, inside until she stabilizes and you know how she reacts to insulin. After that, if she is good about coming in when called and sticks close to home, I wouldn't see any issue with letting the cat out while someone is home. That said, a RF locator like this one is very helpful in finding your cat, inside or outside, in case they have a bad reaction and hide.
 
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