Clarice & Mami Cat
Member Since 2026
Previous post
Hi everyone, bom dia,
I've been around a little less lately. I'm the kind of person who feels that the more we dwell on what's going wrong, the more our thoughts stay focused on it, and somehow everything seems even heavier. So I prefer to bring good news when I can. Still, I wanted to share what's been happening this past week.
Mami Cat came into my life in the Middle East, where I adopted her. Conditions there were very tough. There were so many unmet needs, too many cats, uncontrolled breeding, lots of worms and fleas and no care. Before the adoption, she contracted two different species of Mycoplasma. There is a third species that is even more severe, and thankfully she never had that one. Because of the immune-mediated anemia crisis caused by the Mycoplasmas, along with other complications, she had to receive steroids in January 2026. That treatment eventually led to steroid-induced diabetes at the end of February 2026, which honestly scared me quite a bit.
The antibiotic she received back then resolved her clinical symptoms super well, but she has remained a carrier ever since.
Now, at the beginning of August, she suddenly became nauseous. She was barely eating, standing in front of her water bowl without drinking, shaking her head, and was clearly in pain. At first I thought it might be something in her mouth. It turns out the Mycoplasma appears to have flared up again. She now has significant anemia, is very weak, and was in pain.
Since Tuesday, she has been admitted at the veterinary clinic I trust. They have run several tests to confirm whether this is indeed a relapse, as well as kidney tests, which seemed very important at this point. Elevated urea can cause nausea. She is receiving IV fluids. (Here in Brazil, it isn't common to administer fluids at home; they are usually given at the clinic under close monitoring.)
According to one of the scientific papers I've read and studied, there is a newer antibiotic that, at least in theory, may completely eradicate Mycoplasma. Unfortunately, it is no longer available in Brazil (???), even though it is still routinely used in both the U.S. and Europe. So, for now, we're repeating the same antibiotic she received before. I really wanted to try the newer, more promising one, even though I was warned that if resistance were ever to develop, I might lose one of the few remaining treatment options. Still, I believe there are good reasons to consider it, especially now that this is Mami Cat's second relapse.
Because of the stress of being kept in the clinic, her BG has climbed back into the 180–200 mg/dL range. After almost a month without insulin (following the whole ear poke situation) I shared with you), I restarted a single drop of Lantus yesterday night. Her glucose hasn't come down very much yet. It isn't climbing any higher, but it isn't coming down much either, which I suspect is largely due to stress. Obviously, she no longer has a Lantus depot built up. I haven't increased the dose. For now, I'm leaving it as it is.
I also tried logging into my Libre sensor app on another phone so the clinic staff could scan her sensor. Unfortunately, that didn't work, and I ended up losing all of her stored data - every graph and every glucose curve. The Brazilian version of the Libre app doesn't have a log-out option (!). The only way to sign out was to clear the app's data, which erased everything. That's one of the reasons I haven't been able to update her spreadsheet.
At the clinic, during the more critical times, they are checking her BG with the handheld meter, and I go there at least twice a day to scan her Libre sensor myself. So I don't have frequent, exact BG readings - mostly just the overall shape of her curve.
With everything that has happened, I haven't practiced or attempted ear pokes on my own again. Seeing her so weak, eating so little, and with that distant look in her eyes made me hesitant to try again. Her BG was good, though, until she went to the clinic. I spent a couple of days trying to help her at home until it became clear that this was something more serious.
I'm thinking about asking one of the vets at the clinic to teach me ear pokes there instead. Now that she's receiving pain medication, she's much more comfortable, so it would probably be an easier time for me to practice when the time is right. I'll give it another try. The clinic treats only cats, and the team has been supportive.
The antibiotic has been started. The insulin has been restarted. The Libre scans remain my responsibility, while the clinic is using a handheld meter. Now we're waiting for the kidney results, her complete blood work, and another PCR test and blood tests to check for Mycoplasmas again.
I believe Mami Cat will be discharged within the next few days.
This season will pass, and she is covered in prayer. I trust that God will make a way. I really love her; what matters most to me is for her to have a good quality of life.
I think of all of you and I pray for your kitties as well. Many of their names have become familiar to me, and I often think about them.
And yes... I still hope that one day I'll be able to tell you, "I finally learned how to do ear pokes."
I hope you're all navigating your Lantus dose journey this week with strength, a light heart, and good results.
Hi everyone, bom dia,
I've been around a little less lately. I'm the kind of person who feels that the more we dwell on what's going wrong, the more our thoughts stay focused on it, and somehow everything seems even heavier. So I prefer to bring good news when I can. Still, I wanted to share what's been happening this past week.
Mami Cat came into my life in the Middle East, where I adopted her. Conditions there were very tough. There were so many unmet needs, too many cats, uncontrolled breeding, lots of worms and fleas and no care. Before the adoption, she contracted two different species of Mycoplasma. There is a third species that is even more severe, and thankfully she never had that one. Because of the immune-mediated anemia crisis caused by the Mycoplasmas, along with other complications, she had to receive steroids in January 2026. That treatment eventually led to steroid-induced diabetes at the end of February 2026, which honestly scared me quite a bit.
The antibiotic she received back then resolved her clinical symptoms super well, but she has remained a carrier ever since.
Now, at the beginning of August, she suddenly became nauseous. She was barely eating, standing in front of her water bowl without drinking, shaking her head, and was clearly in pain. At first I thought it might be something in her mouth. It turns out the Mycoplasma appears to have flared up again. She now has significant anemia, is very weak, and was in pain.
Since Tuesday, she has been admitted at the veterinary clinic I trust. They have run several tests to confirm whether this is indeed a relapse, as well as kidney tests, which seemed very important at this point. Elevated urea can cause nausea. She is receiving IV fluids. (Here in Brazil, it isn't common to administer fluids at home; they are usually given at the clinic under close monitoring.)
According to one of the scientific papers I've read and studied, there is a newer antibiotic that, at least in theory, may completely eradicate Mycoplasma. Unfortunately, it is no longer available in Brazil (???), even though it is still routinely used in both the U.S. and Europe. So, for now, we're repeating the same antibiotic she received before. I really wanted to try the newer, more promising one, even though I was warned that if resistance were ever to develop, I might lose one of the few remaining treatment options. Still, I believe there are good reasons to consider it, especially now that this is Mami Cat's second relapse.
Because of the stress of being kept in the clinic, her BG has climbed back into the 180–200 mg/dL range. After almost a month without insulin (following the whole ear poke situation) I shared with you), I restarted a single drop of Lantus yesterday night. Her glucose hasn't come down very much yet. It isn't climbing any higher, but it isn't coming down much either, which I suspect is largely due to stress. Obviously, she no longer has a Lantus depot built up. I haven't increased the dose. For now, I'm leaving it as it is.
I also tried logging into my Libre sensor app on another phone so the clinic staff could scan her sensor. Unfortunately, that didn't work, and I ended up losing all of her stored data - every graph and every glucose curve. The Brazilian version of the Libre app doesn't have a log-out option (!). The only way to sign out was to clear the app's data, which erased everything. That's one of the reasons I haven't been able to update her spreadsheet.
At the clinic, during the more critical times, they are checking her BG with the handheld meter, and I go there at least twice a day to scan her Libre sensor myself. So I don't have frequent, exact BG readings - mostly just the overall shape of her curve.
With everything that has happened, I haven't practiced or attempted ear pokes on my own again. Seeing her so weak, eating so little, and with that distant look in her eyes made me hesitant to try again. Her BG was good, though, until she went to the clinic. I spent a couple of days trying to help her at home until it became clear that this was something more serious.
I'm thinking about asking one of the vets at the clinic to teach me ear pokes there instead. Now that she's receiving pain medication, she's much more comfortable, so it would probably be an easier time for me to practice when the time is right. I'll give it another try. The clinic treats only cats, and the team has been supportive.
The antibiotic has been started. The insulin has been restarted. The Libre scans remain my responsibility, while the clinic is using a handheld meter. Now we're waiting for the kidney results, her complete blood work, and another PCR test and blood tests to check for Mycoplasmas again.
I believe Mami Cat will be discharged within the next few days.
This season will pass, and she is covered in prayer. I trust that God will make a way. I really love her; what matters most to me is for her to have a good quality of life.
I think of all of you and I pray for your kitties as well. Many of their names have become familiar to me, and I often think about them.
And yes... I still hope that one day I'll be able to tell you, "I finally learned how to do ear pokes."
I hope you're all navigating your Lantus dose journey this week with strength, a light heart, and good results.
