New Member - Libre 3 help

Allie & Gen

Allie & Gen

Member Since 2025
Hey there, folks! A friend directed me here, and I'm grateful; wish I'd had this resource back when my boy was originally diagnosed.

So my 11-year-old kitty, Eugenides (Gen for short) has just relapsed after several years in remission. My vet installed a Freestyle Libre 3 monitor yesterday. She had to squeeze us in quite late (it's a long story) and we didn't get a chance to chat about the technical details very much; I've only just realized that Gen is going to need a compatible device that is physically close by to maintain monitoring. I unfortunately do not currently have anything I can use except my actual phone, which goes everywhere with me. (How I wish they were compatible with iPads!)

I have the list of compatible devices, but my initial searches suggest that there may be other phones which will work ... and plenty which will not. I'm pretty broke, so I need to find something cheap. I'm asking around to see if family and friends happen to have anything, of course, but I'm trying to explore my widest options, especially since due to a complex set of issues (starting with my cat's complete intolerance of home BG testing and ending with the fact that he had a hypoglycemic crisis that landed him in the ER this week after a few days of a VERY low dose of insulin per instructions, and neither of the vets who've worked with him during and after that are sure why) ... I need to gather the best and most complete data I can this weekend to help with treatment planning. Which means that I either can't leave the house, or I find something I can have shipped/picked up immediately. (Also I work on-site, so I have to leave the house Monday morning at the very latest.)

Anyway. I was hoping folks would chime in about phones that have--and have not--worked for them with the Libre 3? Thank you so much in advance.
 
Tim & Pookey said:
Check out this link, it talks about operating systems and devices for the Libre 3.

https://freestyleserver.com/Payloads/IFU/2025/q1/ART44628-004_rev-V-pub.pdf
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This is the correct place to find a compatible device.
Hopefully you can put a call out to friends and family.

I had a friend offer me an old iPhone sitting in her kitchen drawer (except she hasn’t wiped it back to factory settings, so I couldn’t use it 😭)

I bought an older phone on eBay and it works great. You don’t need a service plan, so no costs there.
Just need Bluetooth and WiFi (to send the data to your personal phone so you can see your cat’s numbers 24/7).
😻
 
Thanks very much! I do already have that list, and I've put out a call to all my people, too. That said, it's clear that the official list isn't necessarily complete (people report having other models that work, but it's hard to know unless you talk to someone who has a specific one), and I was hoping that something cheaper might be functional. I'm having no luck with eBay so far, and I don't know if friends or family will have anything.
 
I've changed the title of this thread because I'm struggling with this device in other ways as well. I think I should explain Gen's current situation in a little more detail, for context.



Gen's vet had me put him on a very low dose of insulin after we confirmed his relapse; I started it on Sunday night (11/16). On Thursday morning (11/22) in the early morning he woke me up crying loudly, and I found that he couldn't stand or walk. I rushed him to the emergency vet, where he was treated for a hypoglycemic crisis, and his responses were a little strange: they brought his BG up, but when they took him off the fructosemine, it crashed again, a good hour and a half after the insulin we used should have been completely out of his system. They got it back up and he stabilized. Other tests didn't find anything unusual. The next day, our regular vet set him up with the Libre 3.

His BG was high (350-400 range), but there were no ketones in his system, and my vet, like the ER vet, was not sure why the hypoglycemic crisis went the way it did. She asked me to monitor him over the weekend to collect a good amount of data, and not to give him insulin. We'd go over the data on Monday and come up with a treatment plan. (My vet's office is closed over the weekend.)

Well ... ever since I started with the sensor last night, it's just consistently read "HIGH (Out of Range)" and doesn't give me a number. Which means I'm not exactly capturing a lot of detailed data ... assuming it's not malfunctioning, I'm grateful that it's at least not low, as the biggest thing my vet and I were concerned about was that something weird is going on and he might go hypoglycemic again. (I've now been refreshed on immediate procedures for that, assuming it started happening while I was awake and able to act, but even so.) But I'm also not sure what to do. Could it actually be malfunctioning? Is it possible/likely that his BG could crash and I'd only know via symptoms?



An important note is that unfortunately, I can't do standard at-home BG testing with my boy. It's just a disaster. When he was originally diagnosed I did everything I could to try and make it work, but all we got was a very VERY stressed and upset kitty (obviously bad news for BG, in addition to just generally sucking) and more often then not, not enough blood to get a reading even after the ordeal. (Also I found the entire thing totally excruciating. It felt like I was trying to torture him. We'd been through a three-day hospitalization for ketoacidosis and I was at the end of coping.) He's the least food/treat-motivated cat I've ever met, he won't put up with being burritoed or restrained in any way 99% of the time, and ultimately my vet decided that blood testing at home was going to do far more harm than good, if I could even accomplish it successfully. I feel incredibly guilty and frustrated about this, but I think my vet is entirely correct.

Also potentially relevant: the insulin dose (and brand) were exactly what he was on last time, until he went into remission. And he'd never been hypoglycemic before this week, so it's not something I have practice with or especially expected, though I was familiar with the concept of course. He has been eating normally (and drinking excessively/as expected) throughout.



I wish I could talk to my vet, and I wish I'd had a chance to do some research before she gave us the device. She was fully booked when she found time to see me and most of our conversation yesterday was technically afterhours. And prior to his Thursday crisis, we were basically handling things exactly the way we did before, which was familiar and easy enough (the original plan was to give him the insulin for a week, then have a follow-up for testing and to discuss a BGM). I didn't have the mental and emotional capacity to figure out what i needed to look into before it was done.



Sorry about the wall of text. Things have been ... awfully rough. I got the news that he was relapsing during intake for an important dental surgery that has had to be postponed (this was a week ago yesterday), I'm a solo cat parent, and a lot of other current life things were overwhelming before all this.
 
eddis said:
Thanks very much! I do already have that list, and I've put out a call to all my people, too. That said, it's clear that the official list isn't necessarily complete (people report having other models that work, but it's hard to know unless you talk to someone who has a specific one), and I was hoping that something cheaper might be functional. I'm having no luck with eBay so far, and I don't know if friends or family will have anything.
Click to expand...
You can also try store that fix phones, they also have old phones from exchanges from phones they have no use for, let them know the simplicity of the use you need
 
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eddis said:
I've changed the title of this thread because I'm struggling with this device in other ways as well. I think I should explain Gen's current situation in a little more detail, for context.



Gen's vet had me put him on a very low dose of insulin after we confirmed his relapse; I started it on Sunday night (11/16). On Thursday morning (11/22) in the early morning he woke me up crying loudly, and I found that he couldn't stand or walk. I rushed him to the emergency vet, where he was treated for a hypoglycemic crisis, and his responses were a little strange: they brought his BG up, but when they took him off the fructosemine, it crashed again, a good hour and a half after the insulin we used should have been completely out of his system. They got it back up and he stabilized. Other tests didn't find anything unusual. The next day, our regular vet set him up with the Libre 3.

His BG was high (350-400 range), but there were no ketones in his system, and my vet, like the ER vet, was not sure why the hypoglycemic crisis went the way it did. She asked me to monitor him over the weekend to collect a good amount of data, and not to give him insulin. We'd go over the data on Monday and come up with a treatment plan. (My vet's office is closed over the weekend.)

Well ... ever since I started with the sensor last night, it's just consistently read "HIGH (Out of Range)" and doesn't give me a number. Which means I'm not exactly capturing a lot of detailed data ... assuming it's not malfunctioning, I'm grateful that it's at least not low, as the biggest thing my vet and I were concerned about was that something weird is going on and he might go hypoglycemic again. (I've now been refreshed on immediate procedures for that, assuming it started happening while I was awake and able to act, but even so.) But I'm also not sure what to do. Could it actually be malfunctioning? Is it possible/likely that his BG could crash and I'd only know via symptoms?



An important note is that unfortunately, I can't do standard at-home BG testing with my boy. It's just a disaster. When he was originally diagnosed I did everything I could to try and make it work, but all we got was a very VERY stressed and upset kitty (obviously bad news for BG, in addition to just generally sucking) and more often then not, not enough blood to get a reading even after the ordeal. (Also I found the entire thing totally excruciating. It felt like I was trying to torture him. We'd been through a three-day hospitalization for ketoacidosis and I was at the end of coping.) He's the least food/treat-motivated cat I've ever met, he won't put up with being burritoed or restrained in any way 99% of the time, and ultimately my vet decided that blood testing at home was going to do far more harm than good, if I could even accomplish it successfully. I feel incredibly guilty and frustrated about this, but I think my vet is entirely correct.

Also potentially relevant: the insulin dose (and brand) were exactly what he was on last time, until he went into remission. And he'd never been hypoglycemic before this week, so it's not something I have practice with or especially expected, though I was familiar with the concept of course. He has been eating normally (and drinking excessively/as expected) throughout.



I wish I could talk to my vet, and I wish I'd had a chance to do some research before she gave us the device. She was fully booked when she found time to see me and most of our conversation yesterday was technically afterhours. And prior to his Thursday crisis, we were basically handling things exactly the way we did before, which was familiar and easy enough (the original plan was to give him the insulin for a week, then have a follow-up for testing and to discuss a BGM). I didn't have the mental and emotional capacity to figure out what i needed to look into before it was done.



Sorry about the wall of text. Things have been ... awfully rough. I got the news that he was relapsing during intake for an important dental surgery that has had to be postponed (this was a week ago yesterday), I'm a solo cat parent, and a lot of other current life things were overwhelming before all this.
Click to expand...
Not to worry, post your fingers to the nail we love all the data😉
 
You have experience, so I’m sure you have a hypo kit handy right? That would be some medium carbs and some high carbs, honey or Karo syrup to immediately kick up the BG, the Libre has its faults. When it reaches 350 or higher it will only say HIGH, and the low numbers always about 15-20 points lower than reality, I had the monitor low BG alarm on 90 and in the middle of the night it would go off showing 40-50 BG not until I started with the ReliOn Premier human monitor I found out about the flaw, the sensors also tend to stop working before the 14th day so do not throw away the box ABBOTT will replace it as long as you do not tell them is for your cat, they will need all the numbers from the box like serial number etc, so is always good to have 1-2 extra sensors handy. Especially with the hypo history.
 
I don't have a kit quite the way it's described here; I have honey and have discussed using it with my vet. (I had Karo but got rid of it a couple of years ago; I'll be getting more, as unlike the honey, it's something I don't use myself so I can have it set aside for him specifically.) I've been reading through the guidance here today, and I'll be getting some alternative food at different carb counts to keep on hand. (He's been on Hill's glucosupport, wet and dry, for most of the last four years so that's what I have already.)

I need to stick with the sensor we have now for at least this weekend, since that was what my vet prescribed, and he hasn't been messing with it so hopefully it's good for at least that long! I did hang onto the box just in case, but I have no extras because this was a trial run and my vet only provided me with the one. I might see about getting some more now. (That said, if I leave the house with my phone, monitoring will cease until I come back.)

Oh, and I've set the low BG alarm to go off at 100, but maybe I'll set it even higher. That said, he hasn't budged out of the 350+ range in the last 18 hours, at least according to the Libre.
 
LOW CARB 0-10%
MED CARB 11-15%
HIGH CARB 16-24%
here is a cat carb food calculator, and Drs Food chart, the third column has the carb content. most members here use the Fancy Feast Pates between 0-10% most feed up to 5%, you use the nutrient in the food, if you are not sure you can always go to CHEWY.COM look for the food on hand, click on the can scroll down, see ingredients right below you will have the % of nutrients, remember that the dry matter carbs is the one to look for. If you stay with the Libre you will need a prescription, make sure he gives you a PRN prescription that means you have an unlimited amount of sensors to buy with that one prescription, and you can replace it yourself at home, easy as pie, otherwise you will have to go to the vet pay for visit, sensor, replacement of sensor and heavens knows what else. I used to buy them at Walmart Pharmacy it was the cheapest, the first one cost me $89.00 then they went down to $37.00, but still expensive every 14 days though, you can find at times coupons to get the sensor for $19.99


Wet diabetic cat food UK
https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf
 
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eddis said:
I don't have a kit quite the way it's described here; I have honey and have discussed using it with my vet. (I had Karo but got rid of it a couple of years ago; I'll be getting more, as unlike the honey, it's something I don't use myself so I can have it set aside for him specifically.) I've been reading through the guidance here today, and I'll be getting some alternative food at different carb counts to keep on hand. (He's been on Hill's glucosupport, wet and dry, for most of the last four years so that's what I have already.)

I need to stick with the sensor we have now for at least this weekend, since that was what my vet prescribed, and he hasn't been messing with it so hopefully it's good for at least that long! I did hang onto the box just in case, but I have no extras because this was a trial run and my vet only provided me with the one. I might see about getting some more now. (That said, if I leave the house with my phone, monitoring will cease until I come back.)

Oh, and I've set the low BG alarm to go off at 100, but maybe I'll set it even higher. That said, he hasn't budged out of the 350+ range in the last 18 hours, at least according to the Libre.
Click to expand...
The only thing I can think of is if the vet applied the sensor with glue (as many vet offices do) it can flood the sensor and it’s then giving bad data.

We had one member here who had exactly that happen. But the sensor was trading very very low, so they stopped giving insulin and eventually took kitty to the er. The er tested kitty with an ear prick and BG was over 400.
Again, the glue was the problem.
I install the Libre myself and never ever use any type of glue. They’re adhesive on the back of the sensor and I make sure to keep it covered with a top.
You can read different options in that document we sent you about what you can cover the sensor with.

The vets office is just don’t seem to understand that the glue shuts down the sensors and it gives bad readings so don’t let them use glue is all I can tell you.
And join the Facebook group that is recommended in our document as well. There’s lots of good information about Libre’s in that group.

And I always have multiple Libre‘s on hand. I know you weren’t thinking about it from the perspective when they gave one to you yesterday so if you think you will be using one in the future and get the hang of using one, I always have at least six in the house, Because you never know when one will fail or the cat will pull one off or the store will be closed.
There’s a million reasons to have them in the house if you’re going to be using them.
It’s a learning curve like everything else 😘
 
Sigh. The sensor fell off this morning. Gen hadn't been worrying at it at any point that I'd observed previously, but who knows.

I'm not going to run out and buy another until I can talk to my vet tomorrow, though I did contact the manufacturer and request a replacement (seems unlikely to arrive for a bit, given the holiday week). I sent her the report from LibreView, which surprisingly does have a little more specificity in the numbers than just "HI (Out of Range)" (though not by much, literally it's something like 400, 400, 400, 397, 398, 400, etc). I think he'll be okay for one day (given the negative ketone blood test on Friday on the one hand, and the high numbers/behavioral observation on the other). It's been a bit frustrating but hopefully we can come up with a plan for both sensor (I have the extensive resource guide from the Libre for Pets Facebook group with lots of suggestions for keeping it on) and insulin tomorrow.

Thanks so much for everyone's help on this! ❤️
 
eddis said:
Sigh. The sensor fell off this morning. Gen hadn't been worrying at it at any point that I'd observed previously, but who knows.

I'm not going to run out and buy another until I can talk to my vet tomorrow, though I did contact the manufacturer and request a replacement (seems unlikely to arrive for a bit, given the holiday week). I sent her the report from LibreView, which surprisingly does have a little more specificity in the numbers than just "HI (Out of Range)" (though not by much, literally it's something like 400, 400, 400, 397, 398, 400, etc). I think he'll be okay for one day (given the negative ketone blood test on Friday on the one hand, and the high numbers/behavioral observation on the other). It's been a bit frustrating but hopefully we can come up with a plan for both sensor (I have the extensive resource guide from the Libre for Pets Facebook group with lots of suggestions for keeping it on) and insulin tomorrow.

Thanks so much for everyone's help on this! ❤️
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I hope you can get another one soon.
Most pharmacies will carry them.
Be sure to look at the coupon from Abbott to get them at $19.99 each (i’m not sure how long this deal will be good for).
Freestyle Libre CGM Abbott Coupon $19.99 Each!!! Please Read

You will need a prescription from your vet (have it written for around 30 sensors for an annual script, even if you don’t use it for that long).

Will he wear a little tee shirt?

Good luck! 🍀
 
It’s possible that Gen did not take it off, they also fall off by themselves, it’s important that on each sensor replacement the hair is fully shaven on the area where the sensor will be placed always having a bit shaven as well away from the sensor, if too close to the hair around the sensor it most likely fall off and , you use the same area for each replacement the sensor’s needle is a small as the tip of a pin. Let us know how it goes with your vet. Staci is a Wizard at the Libre, you even have a coupon. You’re Doing awesome, time to loose tge overwhelming feeling!😉
 
We put a new sensor on with the vet today. This time he's been very into trying to lick it, so I found a harness my friend gave me ages ago (for maybe trying leash training, which we haven't gotten around to) as a temporary protective measure. I think I'm going to need to get a shirt for sure (I'm a little regretful, because I like stroking his back, but we'll get used to it).

Anyone have shirt opinions, preferences or tips? I'm going to try to swing by PetCo tomorrow on my way home from work.
 
@Staci & Ivy uses a tube top. Not sure if she bought it or made it.

A baby t shirt works and is probably cheaper than a pet t shirt, especially if you score one at a dollar store or something on sale at WalMart, Target, etc or even a free one from someone giving away baby clothes (check FreeCycle, FB Marketplace, etc).

If you're crafty, you could make a tube top from a rectangular piece of fabric and stick Velcro on the ends. Then you could just wrap the fabric around the cat and stick it in place. No fussing with getting a shirt over the head and legs through the arm holes.
 
Learn how to place the sensor by yourself, you don’t been the vet for that you will saving a lot of stree on your cat, the instructions are like taking the wraper off a lollipo, try CHEWY.com they have half seeaters
 
CORKY said:
Learn how to place the sensor by yourself, you don’t been the vet for that you will saving a lot of stree on your cat, the instructions are like taking the wraper off a lollipo, try CHEWY.com they have half seeaters
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Thanks. I am going to learn how to do it myself but we had to go to the vet today anyway and with everything I've been dealing with recently (not just cat care, though that's been a huge piece), I appreciated the help. My cat is really not a fan of being interfered with at all so it's going to involve a decent learning curve for him and for me. Sometimes it's useful to have assistance.

Also, I don't currently own clippers (pet-safe or otherwise) and then there are the various skin barrier/cleaning supplies that seem to be recommended, and I get around by bicycle (except with the cat - that usually involves rideshares) and work full-time. Fitting in errands in addition to a vet visit is not always feasible.
 
squeem3 said:
@Staci & Ivy uses a tube top. Not sure if she bought it or made it.

A baby t shirt works and is probably cheaper than a pet t shirt, especially if you score one at a dollar store or something on sale at WalMart, Target, etc or even a free one from someone giving away baby clothes (check FreeCycle, FB Marketplace, etc).

If you're crafty, you could make a tube top from a rectangular piece of fabric and stick Velcro on the ends. Then you could just wrap the fabric around the cat and stick it in place. No fussing with getting a shirt over the head and legs through the arm holes.
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All excellent ideas. Here are some photos for ideas. You can use a wide headband, Brianna uses a wide bandage wrap for Xander
IMG_6944.jpeg
IMG_9613.jpeg
IMG_9614.jpeg
 
squeem3 said:
If you're crafty, you could make a tube top from a rectangular piece of fabric and stick Velcro on the ends. Then you could just wrap the fabric around the cat and stick it in place. No fussing with getting a shirt over the head and legs through the arm holes.
Click to expand...

I was thinking about this! The leg holes seem potentially a little challenging (though we will cope). The harness was pretty easy to get on because it wraps around and is fastened in place.

I'm a little worried about something that just goes around the chest and not the shoulders, though. Knowing my boy, he might find a way to squirm it down! So leg holes might be helpful, with or without velcro.

Poor lad was not too pleased with me for the harness!

PXL_20251124_225421113.jpg
 
eddis said:
I was thinking about this! The leg holes seem potentially a little challenging (though we will cope). The harness was pretty easy to get on because it wraps around and is fastened in place.

I'm a little worried about something that just goes around the chest and not the shoulders, though. Knowing my boy, he might find a way to squirm it down! So leg holes might be helpful, with or without velcro.

Poor lad was not too pleased with me for the harness!

View attachment 75217
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Awww. He is so handsome 💖
Ivy doesn’t love her tube top, but she’s much happier than with a tee shirt.
Many cats really don’t mind a tee shirt at all.
It’s just what we have to do. I tested my cat by leaving it uncovered a long time ago. She pulled the Libre off within five minutes.
It was a pricey lesson and one that I needed to learn. I can’t trust her to not take it off.
Since she doesn’t let me poke her all the time, This is what we have to do to keep her safe.
I miss being able to pet her entire body all the time too, so I understand what you’re saying, but it’s for her own good and her own safety and that’s the priority 😻
 
Just catching up on this thread--we use an old phone of mine (Pixel 2) that I think just happened to be on the official compatible device list.

Shirt-wise, we've tried quite a few things. Self-adhesive wrap and tube top-style coverings worked at first until he realized he could bite them and tug them up. Pet shirts are okay but I really need something I can have him "step into" since he won't let me pull it over his head. I have a few pet surgical suits that button up the back (I cut the back legs/pants part off). But what has worked the best and is most comfortable for him are "kimono-style" baby onesies. I cut the pants and sleeves off so it's covering as much of his torso as possible while leaving limbs mostly untouched. Sometimes a small safety pin to keep the neck snug enough since he doesn't have shoulders like a human baby, lol. He's a 3-6 month size in baby clothes. Not the best pic but you get the idea. I get mine on Amazon but if you have a Once Upon a Child in your town you can find a ton of options very inexpensively.
1000013669.jpg
 
Staci & Ivy said:
Awww. He is so handsome 💖
Ivy doesn’t love her tube top, but she’s much happier than with a tee shirt.
Many cats really don’t mind a tee shirt at all.
It’s just what we have to do. I tested my cat by leaving it uncovered a long time ago. She pulled the Libre off within five minutes.
It was a pricey lesson and one that I needed to learn. I can’t trust her to not take it off.
Since she doesn’t let me poke her all the time, This is what we have to do to keep her safe.
I miss being able to pet her entire body all the time too, so I understand what you’re saying, but it’s for her own good and her own safety and that’s the priority 😻
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Oh, absolutely. Eugenides and I went through hell with the poking four years ago when he went through all this the first time. He is extremely opposed and has the capacity to assert himself, especially since i don't have anyone who can help with the process. In spite of some slight stumbles, having the CGM is a huge relief to me. Maybe we can give manual testing another shot down the line, but this should help immensely while i sort out his dosage and hopefully keep me from waking up early in the morning to a full-blown hypo crisis I didn't see coming. (Really not getting over that one anytime soon, nor is my bank account.)

Thank you so much for the ideas!
 
Lauren & Esse said:
Just catching up on this thread--we use an old phone of mine (Pixel 2) that I think just happened to be on the official compatible device list.

Shirt-wise, we've tried quite a few things. Self-adhesive wrap and tube top-style coverings worked at first until he realized he could bite them and tug them up. Pet shirts are okay but I really need something I can have him "step into" since he won't let me pull it over his head. I have a few pet surgical suits that button up the back (I cut the back legs/pants part off). But what has worked the best and is most comfortable for him are "kimono-style" baby onesies. I cut the pants and sleeves off so it's covering as much of his torso as possible while leaving limbs mostly untouched. Sometimes a small safety pin to keep the neck snug enough since he doesn't have shoulders like a human baby, lol. He's a 3-6 month size in baby clothes. Not the best pic but you get the idea. I get mine on Amazon but if you have a Once Upon a Child in your town you can find a ton of options very inexpensively.
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Thank you for the the tips! I'm probably going to start with a cat shirt since I have limited time to run around to different stores tomorrow, but I like the cropped surgical suit idea. And I wonder if any of my friends with young children have old onesies they're not using anymore. (I'd never heard of Once Upon A Child, and sadly it looks like the closest one is a couple hours drive away ... and I don't drive. Ah well, plenty of other options around!)

Thankfully a friend was able to give me her recently-retired Pixel 7, so Gen and I are good on that front now!

Esse is a very good-looking cat!
 
Yeah, definitely get what's easy first and play around with it! I hope you post a pic of Gen in whatever you land on.:)
eddis said:
And I wonder if any of my friends with young children have old onesies they're not using anymore
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My best friend's baby just started wearing 3-6m size stuff and she's promised to send me a few things once he grows out of them, lol. In the scheme of things the cats can get a lot more wears out of them since they're not getting any bigger!
 
There are some adorable sweaters out there! I want to try him on something lighter first, but I have my eye on them.
 
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