Hi and welcome to FDMB. Many of our members use the ReliOn Prime from Walmart because it's relatively inexpensive and the availability of strips. When you are first testing, and sometimes if you are getting low BG numbers, you use more strips. You always want to have a good supply on hand. Lancets: when starting out, use the bigger size (smaller gauge, 26 or 28) lancets. As the ears grow more capillaries, you can switch to the thinner (30+) gauge.
Testing isn't only for doing curves. If you are injecting insulin you need to
always test beforehand, to be sure the blood sugar level is high enough to do so. Shooting blind can be very dangerous. We also recommend getting in at least one test during the 12 hour cycles between shots, to see how the insulin is affecting the kitty. Many members don't do many curves, as it can be difficult to actually get a test done every 2 hours for 8 to 12 hours. If you do the pre-shot tests, then each day get a test or two in at different times of the day, plus at least a before bed test, that information is going to provide the same picture over time that a curve will.
Please create a signature so that we can see kitty's information when you post. That way we know what diagnosis date, what insulin at what dose, what food etc.
Setting up your signature (light grey text under a post). Here's how:
click on your name in the upper right corner of this page
click on "signature" in the menu that drops down
type the following in the box that opens: kitty's name/age/date of diabetes diagnosis/insulin you're using and dosage amount /glucose meter you're using/what (s)he eats/any other meds or health issues (s)he has. You can add your name, and a geographic location (sometimes the country/time zone matters) Be sure to SAVE when you are finished.
Another thing that will help us help you when you get started BG testing at home is to set up a spreadsheet like the one we use here. You will see how the trends and patterns emerge, and members can review his/her progress before offering suggestions or advice:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/fdmb-spreadsheet-instructions.130337/
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/understanding-the-spreadsheet-grid.156606/
You are already on your way to providing good diabetic treatment for your cat by looking into home testing. We can provide more information about the process and offer suggestions of what worked for us, with our individual kitties.
We can also offer information about a good diet for a sugar cat to provide proper nutrition, while avoiding carbohydrates in food that kitty simply does not need and drives up the blood sugar.
Back to testing: here is an excerpt from a response by member Chris & China about getting a kitty used to testing:
"It can be really helpful to establish a routine with testing. Pick one spot that you want your "testing spot" to be (I like the kitchen counter because it's got good light and it's at a good height....it also already blocked 2 escape routes due to the wall and the backsplash) It can be anywhere though...a rug on the floor, a table, a particular spot on the couch...wherever is good for you.
Take him there as many times a day as you can and just give his ears a quick rub and then he gets a yummy (low carb) treat. Most cats aren't objecting so much with the poking..it's the fooling with their ears they don't like, but once they're desensitized to it and learn to associate a certain place with the treats, they usually start to come when they're called! Or even when they hear us opening the test kit!
You also have to remember...you're not poking him to hurt him...you're testing him to keep him safe and understand what's going on inside his body. There's just nothing better than truly understanding what's going on inside your kitty's body and with this disease, the more knowledge you have, the more power you have against it. The edges of the ears have very few pain receptors, so it really doesn't hurt them. Also, if you're nervous and tense, it's going to make your kitty nervous and tense too. As silly as it might seem, try singing! It forces you to use a different part of your brain!
It's also important to make sure his ear is warm. A small sock filled with a little rice and microwaved or a small pill bottle filled with warm water (check temp against your wrist like you would a baby bottle) works well
For new kitties, using a heavier gauge lancet is also really helpful. A 25-28 gauge lancet pokes a bigger "hole" than a 31-33 gauge lancet does, so look for "Alternate Site testing" lancets that are usually a lower number
Finding the right "treat" will be a great help too! Freeze dried chicken, bonito flakes, little pieces of baked chicken...whatever low carb treat you can find that he really enjoys will help him to associate the testing with the treat! China's Achilles heel was baked chicken, so I'd bake a piece, chop it into bite sized pieces, put some in the refrigerator and freeze the rest to use as needed. It didn't take long for her to come any time I picked up the meter!"
We will help in every way we can as you learn the sugar dance.
), but it shouldn’t hurt him
I found that the gentle compression of the poke site after I got the blood sample really cut down on bruising. 
If your cat likes the DM and is doing well on it, it’s probably just fine considering it’s low enough carb, it’s just really pricey and not really as great as vets push it to be. Just know you have more options than the DM!
I know you said your kitty likes pates, Weruva has some new pate flavors that are good for diabetics and they also conveniently have all the nutrition info on their website