Are vacations even an option?

Hi there! I was just wondering if any of you had recommendations on ways to find pet sitters for my fur babies now that my Kitty has been diagnosed with diabetes. We are still fairly new to the condition and treatment so she is no where near regulated yet. We also have two small dogs and three "barn cats" outside. We were planning an out of state vacation for later on in the year but now I feel like any time being away is out of the question for the foreseeable future. She does not travel well (at least to the vet, we have never attempted anything more because she gets so upset), and does not like strangers very much. For the most part, she hides whenever we have had someone watch her before and I don't see how they would be able to do the tests and injections. Has anyone else had a similar experience? Were you able to find someone willing to watch all your animals AND deal with the diabetes? Did you have to get your cat used to them first?

Thanks in advance!

 

Can you add more info to your signature about Kitty whatever you haven't added yet

• Add info we need to help you:
  • Caregiver & kitty's name
  • DX: Date
  • Name of Insulin (do not include dose or frequency)
  • Name of your meter
  • Diet: "LC wet" or "dry food" or "combo"
  • Dosing: TR or SLGS or Custom (if applicable)
  • DKA or other recent health issue (if applicable)
  • Bexacat or Senvelgo (if applicable) and dates
  • Acro, IAA, or Cushings (if applicable)
  • Spreadsheet link. Please put the signature link on the bottom line of your signature information, on its own, so it is easy to find.
  • Please do not put any information about your location in the signature for security reasons. If you wish to add your country location, please add it to your profile.

Be sure to click the 'Save Changes' button at the bottom. If you need help urgently it is important we know these things at a glance. We don’t want to waste valuable time finding out information.

 

I would add a question mark first in your title
Can you set up our spreadsheet
https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-create-a-spreadsheet.241706/
It will also explain how to use it, it's very easy
We are very numbers driven. The spreadsheet is a record of your cat's progress. By linking it in your signature, we can follow along and provide feedback should you need the help

 

Yes.. but I also have the benefit of a 20-something daughter who has broke 20-something friends who want to make a few bucks pet sitting. My best advice is to train your cat to come to their testing area with treats they only get in their testing area. Spot thinks freeze dried minnows are the bees knees, but he only gets them in his testing spot. I also had my daughter’s friend do a couple of training weekends (where we were close enough to come home if needed) before our big vacation and typed up very detailed instructions. If you’re in the US, you could probably find someone on Rover but definitely vet them well. Could also mention which part of the country you’re in, and maybe there’s someone on here close by who could help.

 

I'd check with your vet's office. There may be a vet tech who does pet sitting. You can also ask here. We've had members who would trade pet sitting for each other or a member may know of someone in your area who pet sits. The vet's office may board animals or there may be a commercial place but personally, I would not trust a commercial boarding facility to manage a diabetic.

You could also talk to your vet about a mild sedative for your cat if you wanted to bring her along.

 

I haven’t even been able to leave the house really except for work because of needing to give injections at 7am and 7pm. I have missed weddings, graduations, and other events. It’s very limiting but my baby is 14 now and she needs me.

 

Another option is to see if you have friends or family willing to learn how to test and give insulin. That is what I do. If that is an option, make sure your cat feels comfortable around that person doing that before leaving.