1/7 - Gen, AMPS >400, +1 >400, +4 321, +5 252

Allie & Gen

Allie & Gen

Member Since 2025
Yesterday

Patience pants time. I'm pretty sure this is the wrong dose, but I'll give it a few more days per protocol (and general vet advice) before I increase back to 1.25u. I'm working on reducing Gen's kibble intake a little at a time, in the meantime, and I'm probably going to start giving him a little freeze-dried rabbit with his breakfast to help with that/console him, once it arrives in the mail.

I've realized that I'm currently feeding Gen more than what seem to be the standard guidelines for caloric intake (<300/day; two cans of Fancy Feast plus a scoop of high-protein dry food), but ... he's also still underweight (though he is slowly gaining), so I think that's all right for now, and I will be trying to replace at least part of the caloric value of the dry food as I remove it. We'll see how things go in the future. Input would not go amiss, if anyone has some.

Also, today is my work from home day, and later on we're going to meet with the catsitter I'm (almost certainly) hiring to take care of him for a few days when I go away on a little getaway with friends January 16-18. It's hard to think of leaving Gen, but I need a break, and this guy has a substantial catsitting history, a ton of good reviews, and experience with diabetic cats and insulin administration (there were several reviews on his page that specifically address this, in very positive terms). Plus he lives very nearby and can head over if Gen starts showing hypo numbers. I'm nervous, but I think he's a good choice.

Later this month, I am hoping to switch to TR. Although, I need to discuss with my vet if it's wise to wait until after dental surgery (currently scheduled for February 2nd) for any reason - another area where I would welcome the board's input! (All areas, really, but this in particular I guess.)

Phew. So. Patience pants, but also generally feeling cautiously optimistic. I'm very grateful for the support and input I received from various quarters over the last few days (and beyond). ❤️

Wishing you all a pleasant and peaceful Wednesday, with safe surfs for the kitties!
 
Oh, perhaps worth noting: Gen's ideal weight, or at least his consistent weight for much of his life, is about 15lbs. (He is a tall boy, though generally lanky.) He dropped to around 10 at the time of rediagnosis, and is now back up to 11.5 as of yesterday (I've decided to start weighing him daily as a generally useful addition to our routine). His butt is too bony when I scritch it, but I've been able to notice a slight improvement, even before I confirmed with the scale, so yay for that.
 
Thats so great you found a cat sitter you can trust to care for Gen. I know i struggle with trusting anyone even after 2 years. I havent been away or even out at night for all that time. One day...maybe. If you are going to increase, it might be a good idea to do it now so you have time to see what the effects will be before you leave. Just a thought, not dosing advice. :bighug:
 
JoM said:
Thats so great you found a cat sitter you can trust to care for Gen. I know i struggle with trusting anyone even after 2 years. I havent been away or even out at night for all that time. One day...maybe. If you are going to increase, it might be a good idea to do it now so you have time to see what the effects will be before you leave. Just a thought, not dosing advice. :bighug:
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The increase will be almost a full week before my brief absence, so I think it's okay to keep the schedule as is. Thank you though! ❤️ As for trust, it's provisional, but I'm willing to give it a try since the duration is so brief. The January weekend getaway is a 9-year tradition for me and a highlight of what's always a somewhat difficult season (this year much more than usual), so I'm significantly motivated to try and make it work. I hope it goes okay. 🤞 I'll have Monday off to spend with Gen when I get back, which helps.
 
Why does this ridiculous creature insist on washing himself while sitting on me? 😂

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What a handsome, Gen! That sounds like a much needed break that I hope you enjoy! That is amazing that you have found a sitter with all of that diabetic knowledge that is nearby.
 
Gen is so handsome! 🥰 That’s great that you found a sitter with knowledge of feline diabetes.

Butch is 16.5 lbs and he eats a FF lc 1 1/4 can each cycle. FF lc is about 90 calories per can.

I hope Gen comes down soon and surfs blue.
Wishing you a relaxing evening and safe surf, Gen! 💕😻🏄‍♂️
 
squeem3 said:
Check the pet store in your neighborhood. I know they carry freeze dried raw food.
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I just got some in the mail from Chewy!

Madeline528 said:
Butch is 16.5 lbs and he eats a FF lc 1 1/4 can each cycle. FF lc is about 90 calories per can.
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It depends a bit on the flavor, but that's correct! But Gen gets that scoop of dry right now, which is about 130 calories. I'm not sure exactly what we'll end up with yet, but it's probably going to be more like 1.5 cans in the morning and at night. At least until he's back up to 15lbs! His butt needs some padding. 😉
 
Allie & Gen said:
I just got some in the mail from Chewy!


It depends a bit on the flavor, but that's correct! But Gen gets that scoop of dry right now, which is about 130 calories. I'm not sure exactly what we'll end up with yet, but it's probably going to be more like 1.5 cans in the morning and at night. At least until he's back up to 15lbs! His butt needs some padding. 😉
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Sorry, I meant Butch eats 1 1/4 can in the morning and at night.
 
Lots of good updates today!!

I can say that Binx is about 12 pounds, used to be 16 and dropped down to 10 pounds at his worst too. He gets 3 cans of FF and it’s been good for maintaining weight, he hasn’t gained much more but 12 seems to be the right size according to the vet.

Safe surfing 🤗
 
I think its really interesting how much every cat's calorie needs vary. Xander averages about 220g a day and has steadily increased from his low at diagnosis of 10.8 pounds to his current ideal weight of 12.2 pounds
 
It's new for me to be counting Gen's calories so carefully! When I first adopted him, our vet at the time gave me some advice about how much to feed him and it seemed to work well, so for a long time I barely messed with it. And even later, I tended to kind of estimate based on cans/scoops, not calories. He's maintained his weight pretty effortlessly for most of his life, except for around his two FD diagnoses. Now that I'm paying attention ... I'm not exactly sure what he needs, but I was surprised when I sat down and did some calculations based on his current diet and compared it to some of Dr. Pierson's resources. (I was going over her tips for transitioning to dry food, and at on page 5 she says "The caloric needs of an average cat can range between 150 - 250 calories/day depending on their lean body weight and activity level.")

Today he clocked in at 11.1lbs, which is odd because he's been eating quite well, but my weighing method is a little imprecise (I weigh myself, then pick him up and step on the scale, and calculate the difference).

It'll be interesting to see how things progress as I monitor all the variables more closely than I ever have before. I do love collecting and comparing data (apart from when the data is all upsetting high BG numbers that I'm struggling to affect). 🤓
 
Allie & Gen said:
It's new for me to be counting Gen's calories so carefully! When I first adopted him, our vet at the time gave me some advice about how much to feed him and it seemed to work well, so for a long time I barely messed with it. And even later, I tended to kind of estimate based on cans/scoops, not calories. He's maintained his weight pretty effortlessly for most of his life, except for around his two FD diagnoses. Now that I'm paying attention ... I'm not exactly sure what he needs, but I was surprised when I sat down and did some calculations based on his current diet and compared it to some of Dr. Pierson's resources. (I was going over her tips for transitioning to dry food, and at on page 5 she says "The caloric needs of an average cat can range between 150 - 250 calories/day depending on their lean body weight and activity level.")

Today he clocked in at 11.1lbs, which is odd because he's been eating quite well, but my weighing method is a little imprecise (I weigh myself, then pick him up and step on the scale, and calculate the difference).

It'll be interesting to see how things progress as I monitor all the variables more closely than I ever have before. I do love collecting and comparing data (apart from when the data is all upsetting high BG numbers that I'm struggling to affect). 🤓
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Same here! I used to free feed him kibble and he would just eat how much he feels he needs. But when my fiance and Flare moved in with us, we had to change as Flare is a food demon. I think his current 220 calories is a good spot, as he's been staying pretty stable and not increasing much more. I think trial and error using Gen's weight changes as a guide will be the best method.

We bought a baby scale and use that to weigh them. It's similar to the scale at the vet and weighs down to the ounce. And we can just plop them down on it lol.
 
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