Adopting a diabetic kitty (NEW)

Status
Not open for further replies.
Clarissa & Leo

Clarissa & Leo

Member Since 2020
Hello all,
My boyfriend and I are considering adopting a 5yo kitty (Leo) who has diabetes. This sweet baby and his brother (Aragon) have been in a shelter for over 6 months and, although they are being cared for extremely well, are in need of a loving and stable home.
Leo’s diabetes was diagnosed a few months back and, as far as we are told, his blood sugar has been all over the place since the diagnosis, likely due to stress (his injections vary between 1 and 2 doses). We do not know too much about his past: Leo and Aragon belonged to someone who had a total of 20 cats. When the previous owner unfortunately got dementia, all cats were sent to a shelter. Leo is a Norwegian forest cat, but he is quite small (about 5 kg), which might mean something about his upbringing. According to the shelter, he has no other health problems besides the diabetes and seems to be used to the insulin injections.
My main question is: we loved Leo and Aragon, but can we handle the diabetes? Are we the best fit for them? Out main goal is that they are happy and healthy. We are complete cat lovers. We both work full-time, but not outrageously long hours, and are in late-twenties to mid-thirties. We have family close (~1h away) who have cats too and can help us. We do like to travel so the cats would have to be in a pet hotel or at parents house from time to time. We realize this is a serious responsibility and feel ready for it, although we are getting some pushback from friends and some family members.
As experienced care-takers for diabetic cats, should we take them? Are we good enough to face the challenge? Should we ask the shelter any more questions?
Many thanks for any input you might have!
Clarissa and (maybe) Leo
 
CCF said:
Out main goal is that they are happy and healthy. We are complete cat lovers.
Click to expand...

You are ABSOLUTELY ready ….that's all you need!

A diabetic cat can live a long and healthy life....some will even go into remission and never need insulin again. The important things are feeding a low carb canned or raw food that's less than 10% carbs, giving the right amount of a good insulin (like Lantus, Basaglar, Levemir or ProZinc) and home testing.

Once you get your routine down, it literally isn't any more trouble than brushing your teeth. I could Test, Feed and Shoot China in about 5-10 minutes.

I won't lie...there will be lots to learn at first, but there's lots of people here to help you until you feel confident enough to go it alone (although you'd never truly be alone either!)

China went on vacation with me, stayed in pet-friendly hotels when my mom had heart surgery, and we've had several members who took their cats with them to go camping as well as visits to parents, grandparents, etc.

You can DO THIS! We will help!!!
 
Yes yes yes!!!

Taking care of a cat with feline diabetes it's not very difficult once you find the routine that works best for you and your cat.

The best way to care for a diabetic cat is to 1) feed a low carb canned or raw food diet, 2) give a good long-acting insulin the cats respond well to, and 3) testing the cat's glucose levels before every shot.

For a low carb canned food diet you want to feed pate flavors and avoid anything with lots of gravy in it. Many people here feed their cats Friskies or Fancy Feast can foods and there are also lots of other brands that are very good.

The best insulin choices are Lantus, Levemir, ProZinc and BCP PZI. The first two are human insulins but you can get at any pharmacy, however if you are in the US, we recommend ordering them from Canada since it is cheaper. The last two a pet insulins and can be ordered either through your vet or they can give you a prescription for it so it can be ordered online.

Testing at home means testing a small drop of blood from your cat's ear, using either a human or pet glucose meter. Most everyone here still uses a human meter. The test strips for them are much cheaper then the ones for the pet meter. Both work pretty much the same way. You want to test before every shot to make sure it is safe to give the insulin.

Don't worry we can help you learn all of this. Ask any questions you may have. Several of us have had several diabetic cats that we adopted. Two of my diabetic cats I originally agreed to foster however ended up keeping them. And eventually I will probably adopt another one. :cat:
 
Fostered a diabetic cat from my local shelter back in January 2013. Became a foster fail.

Wink is why I'm still here, helping other members in this group, even though he has crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
You can read his profile in my signature.
It's very tough for diabetic cats to be fostered or adopted.
Special needs cats need good homes too.

You may have a tough learning curve at first. We are here to help and assist in any way we can.

I say, GO FOR IT!!! You are going to adopt both Leo and his bro Aragon aren't you? Go ahead, adopt both of them.

Get the medical records from the shelter. Ask the staff about the cats personalities. Do you have any other cats or pets in your home? Slow integration if so.
 
Hi everyone,
I can’t thank you all enough for all the feedback and assurance this is a wonderful community!!

Is it hard to learn how to give an injection? I saw that the needle is quite small, but I’ve never had to give one..

Again, we are so thankful for your input!
 
Deb & Wink said:
Fostered a diabetic cat from my local shelter back in January 2013. Became a foster fail.

Wink is why I'm still here, helping other members in this group, even though he has crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
You can read his profile in my signature.
It's very tough for diabetic cats to be fostered or adopted.
Special needs cats need good homes too.

You may have a tough learning curve at first. We are here to help and assist in any way we can.

I say, GO FOR IT!!! You are going to adopt both Leo and his bro Aragon aren't you? Go ahead, adopt both of them.

Get the medical records from the shelter. Ask the staff about the cats personalities. Do you have any other cats or pets in your home? Slow integration if so.
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for your message! I just read Wink’s story and it is really inspiring. How likely is it for remission to occur? Even if it does, do you still monitor glucose daily?

Yes! Leo and Aragon are a package deal, and they are really dependent on each other. We don’t have any other pets so hopefully they can get used to the apartment quickly
 
CCF said:
Is it hard to learn how to give an injection? I saw that the needle is quite small, but I’ve never had to give one..
Click to expand...
No, not hard at all.
We have videos in case you are interested?

Also, depending on the shelter, the staff and medical people there can probably show you how.

Some pet shelters are really good with taking in and caring for diabetic cats. HART of Maine, MaxFund, Chesapeake Cats and Dogs, Hilton Head Animal Shelter, PACC, Austin Pets Alive and many many others that work very hard to find homes for diabetic cats.

Remission is one goal, but the most important goal in my opinion is to get the cat into a loving home. Where they can be loved and cared for the rest of their life. The bonds we develop with our diabetic cats grow incredibly strong as we care for them.
 
CCF said:
How likely is it for remission to occur? Even if it does, do you still monitor glucose daily?
Click to expand...
Remission is most likely in the first 6 months after diagnosis.
Cats can and do go into remission later and can fall out of remission also.
Some insulins achieve a better remission rate in cats than others.
The L's (lantus and levimir) as well as Prozinc insulin.
Not as many cats achieve remission with Vetsulin (Caninsulin -developed for and works better for dogs) or with the NPH insulins.

After diet controlled status, remission, or going OTJ (off-the-juice, insulin being the juice) caregivers taper down the daily glucose testing. I went from daily to weekly to less often. But whenever Wink seemed "off" in some way, I'd grab a BG test. That alerted me to possible UTI or something else that might be going on and deserve a vet visit.

I still tested for the 4.5 years he was still with me. Simply stopped recording the BG's on the SS the year he got really sick.
 
I adopted my diabetic kitty to stop her getting euthanised. It’s not as expensive as it’s made out to be once you read up on here. No need to buy the prescription food, buy insulin online and home test which saves money on vet fees
 
So hope you do and of course photos here are required.

My first kitty was my parents I took in. Sad story but I learned so much here. I worked at the time and hubby traveled for work and was only home 2 days a week. My current kitty, I adopted knowing she was diabetic. She visits my dad in the assisted living facility, When husband had heart surgery I took her to motel with me for a week. She comes to work with me sometimes. She has been to few appointments I had scheduled and couldn't leave her at the time. I've taken her to stores. She has a pet stroller so it's not so bad for short excursions. I have a pet playpen for longer trips.

When you hear the good news. Besides getting all the toys, beds and fun stuff here are somethings to consider:

Bowls should not be plastic (cats can get chin acne),
Shopping trip to Wal-Mart, insulin syringes with 1/2 unit marks. Human glucose meter is just fine, extra test strips (look for affordable ones, they are what you use the most of). Lancets.
Automatic timed feeder, can be very helpful if both are working.

Maybe start calling vets in your area and see who is knowledgeable in feline diabetes and book 1st checkup.

Try to get script for insulin from rescue. We know best places to obtain it. Heck some one here will know best affordable places for just about anything you might need.

Also from this sites main menu there is a Supply Closet, here members sell or give things not needed anymore.

This is exciting. Hope to see your announcement very soon.
 
Last edited:
Best insulins for diabetic cats are Prozinc, Lantus, Levimir.
We suggest low carb canned food, <= 10%.
Home testing is important. Human meters are affordable and it's the test strip cost that will be the bigger expense than the meter.
 
25A79509-22C3-473D-93CC-18C045A33270.jpeg
Hi all,
I just wanted to update you and tell you we got Aragon and Leo, and this is their first night at our home ❤️
C6DF118F-32FC-45A4-AE28-28E7D25E772B.jpeg
 

Attachments

  • C6DF118F-32FC-45A4-AE28-28E7D25E772B.jpeg
    C6DF118F-32FC-45A4-AE28-28E7D25E772B.jpeg
    48.6 KB · Views: 165
  • 25A79509-22C3-473D-93CC-18C045A33270.jpeg
    25A79509-22C3-473D-93CC-18C045A33270.jpeg
    47 KB · Views: 166
Whoa!! Look at that!
Which one is laying stretched out on the floor, making themselves right at home?
Who is the "explorer", wandering around?
 
Sweet -:) Tell Leo if he is a Norwegian Forest Cat that I am a Swedish Cat Person, so we are neighbours. :cat:
We also have Norweigan Cat Panter here with his adopted Norwegian Cat Person Mama Goeril here. Panter was semi-wild and adopted Goeril one day and moved in with them and he became diabetic so Goeril was a lucky person @Panters-mom also all of a sudden having to learn about cat diabetes. And Panter too is a lucky cat to have her. Both are lucky to have eachother.

Hi Leo and Aragon. Welcome :bighug:
 
Congratulations to the new family!! :-) To deal with diabetic cats is absolutely doable I've learned the last three months. And if you already have people close by that can help out - couldn't be better!
And the people in this forum are absolutely fantastic - great help!!
 
Congratulations on your decision to adopt a sugar cat and his buddy! You must have a very big heart to take on such a responsibility. You mentioned that you like to travel... please be aware that giving injections on a consistent schedule is important, and doses every 12 hours will unfortunately impact a traveling lifestyle. Once you have managed the learning curve and have settled into a routine, I would urge you to find a competent pet sitter, and also to train at least one other person who lives close by, how to measure doses and give injections. Having backup care givers is invaluable when you need or want to travel. Best of luck with your adorable new fur babies! You have definitely come to the right place for information on this journey! :)
 
Deb & Wink said:
Whoa!! Look at that!
Which one is laying stretched out on the floor, making themselves right at home?
Who is the "explorer", wandering around?
Click to expand...
Hi Deb! Leo is the one who is just chilling and Aragon is the current explorer :) We just had them for 3 days now but it seems like they feel right at home!
 
Thank you all for the encouragement and the sweet words!

We have had Leo and Aragon now since Thursday night. Our vet here has told us to maintain the insulin dose Leo had been having at the shelter, which is 2 units or 200 microliters of Lantus, 2x per day, 12 hours apart. On Thursday after we picked them up from the shelter we took them to the vet. At the vet his BG level was 5.4 mmol/L, and the vet performed a glucosamine test, and told us that his medium-term BG is still elevated, but she didn't tell us any numbers.

This morning (Sunday) we did the first measurement (it took 4 attempts but we finally managed!) 4 h after injection and feeding and were surprised to see a 3.2 mmol/L level. As I understand from my readings that is on the low range... We will try measuring again in the next few hours and see what the result is. The vet told us on Thursday to keep giving him insulin until Monday when we will talk to her again, but I really am not sure if I should inject him tonight if the BG is still this low. Thoughts??

Thank you all for the support! This is an amazing community and we are lucky to have you!
 
Ann & Scatcats said:
Sweet -:) Tell Leo if he is a Norwegian Forest Cat that I am a Swedish Cat Person, so we are neighbours. :cat:
We also have Norweigan Cat Panter here with his adopted Norwegian Cat Person Mama Goeril here. Panter was semi-wild and adopted Goeril one day and moved in with them and he became diabetic so Goeril was a lucky person @Panters-mom also all of a sudden having to learn about cat diabetes. And Panter too is a lucky cat to have her. Both are lucky to have eachother.

Hi Leo and Aragon. Welcome :bighug:
Click to expand...

Thank you! And great to meet you :)
 
Clarissa & Leo said:
4 h after injection and feeding and were surprised to see a 3.2 mmol/L level. As I understand from my readings that is on the low range... We will try measuring again in the next few hours and see what the result is.
Click to expand...
That 3.2 mmol/L is a bit low. Have you had a chance to get another BG (blood glucose) test?
 
Hi Clarissa,
There is no chart per se. There are dosing protocols that we use here with different insulins.

For lantus, there are 2 dosing protocols. TR (Tight Regulation) and SLGS (Start Low, Go Slow).
This is the link to that protocol document, from over in our Lantus ISG (Insulin Support Group).
Sticky Dosing Methods: Start Low, Go Slow (SLGS) & Tight Regulation (TR)

There are quite a number of informative documents at the top of the
Lantus / Basaglar (glargine) and Levemir (detemir) forum. They are prefixed with the word "Sticky" and are pinned or stuck permanently to the top of the forum.

Lantus is what is known as a "depot" type insulin. That word "depot" is used here to denote or designate the fact that lantus insulin forms a small storage area, underneath the skin. That depot is formed when some of the insulin you give forms crystals. That crystal structure is then slowly "dissolved" and released over a period of time.

The "depot" is one reason lantus is such a long duration insulin. It's why you don't want to rub the area after giving an injection, so you don't disrupt the crystals and cause them to release the insulin too early. It's why the dosing changes with Lantus are a bit slower than with the other insulins. Because it takes time for the depot to build up with increases in the dose and it takes time for the depot to drain when you decrease the dose.
 
Last edited:
A BG (blood glucose) level of 6 mmol/L (108 mg/dL) is a nice safe number for +8.

I do urge you to take a BG (blood glucose) test at pre-shot time every cycle. Both AM and PM. That pre-shot test will let you know if the BG is high enough to give insulin, or if you need to stall, give a reduced dose, or skip. Some of those options depend on your ability to monitor, and your past test data to know how your cat will do on the particular dose he is getting at this time.

Do you have some of our testing tips?
Some of my favorites are.

Marje and Gracie's Testing and Shooting Tips

and •Ear Testing Psychology•

To be found in Health Links / FAQs about Feline Diabetes
In the Sticky INDEX: Health Links/FAQs
In the Hometesting Links and Tips - includes numerous links, instructions, pictures, & videos


Here is a small sample from Marje and Gracie's Testing and Shooting Tips
Testing
We all know the basics:
  • Warm the ear with a rice sock or a warm washcloth wrapped in a plastic bag.
  • Either freehand or use a lancing device; new members usually start with a larger gauge lancet such as 28g or 29g until the ear learns to bleed; then progress to a 31g or 33g which are finer.
  • Be sure to poke in the "sweet spot" and not the major vein that runs along the length of the ear. Poking the vein will not only hurt, but will result in a lot of blood. The sweet spot is on the edge of the ear.
4395c545-36bf-4aba-bec7-4392fcdb191c-jpeg.48119

But did you also know there is a particular way for the lancet to be used? It has one side that is beveled so the sharpest part goes in first, if used correctly.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top