11-4 Nico 524 AMPS, 516 +3, 544 +6, PMPS 545

[Tyleete]

Yeah, so apparently we suck at this. Picture of my 2 sickos.

 

[Maddie & Kai]

Don't worry, we all sucked at this in the beginning just try and hang in there, you've got this

 

[Tyleete]

Don't worry, we all sucked at this in the beginning just try and hang in there, you've got this

Thanks, but it sure doesn't feel like it. Just got his PMPS @545. He hasn't been out of 500's all day.

 

[Mary & Jude]

Please don't think that. You do not suck at this. It just takes a minute. You're going to start increasing his dose soon, and things will change. You're doing the very best to care for your little buddy right now. It just takes patience when starting out. Take a look at others' spreadsheets, and you'll see that we all were in the ether when we first started.

 

[Maddie & Kai]

I agree with Mary. Don’t lose heart. It’s going to take some time and A LOT of patience, trust me I know

Take a look at my boy Kai’s 2024 spreadsheet, then compare it to where we are now. Some people get lucky and their cats take to insulin therapy like fish to water. Then there are the rest of us... the ones with the quirky cats who like to bounce all over the place and scare the life out of us. Take a guess which one Kai is

We have improved since 2024 - we aren't perfect - and we are still improving each day - but I have noticed Kai feels better and has more energy than he did before.

You are doing a great job so far! Keep it up! You got this and you aren't alone

 

[Tyleete]

I agree with Mary. Don’t lose heart. It’s going to take some time and A LOT of patience, trust me I know

Take a look at my boy Kai’s 2024 spreadsheet, then compare it to where we are now. Some people get lucky and their cats take to insulin therapy like fish to water. Then there are the rest of us... the ones with the quirky cats who like to bounce all over the place and scare the life out of us. Take a guess which one Kai is

We have improved since 2024 - we aren't perfect - and we are still improving each day - but I have noticed Kai feels better and has more energy than he did before.

You are doing a great job so far! Keep it up! You got this and you aren't alone

Few questions for the year 2024.
*On, you say you did a urine test and it indicated 'Leukocytes', I have no idea what that are, but am curious about the urine test you did at home? I currently only have the Ketostix for my little guy.
*2025, in the previous year the doses were all over the place, but it seems to have settled on 2u in 2025. What made the difference? Mine's on 2.5u and his numbers are all still so bad. And your baby is eating more often now?
I noticed for the most part, you don't test as often as some others I've seen. This is something that has had me thinking I couldn't do the TR method. I've seen several Thai seem to yeah 12-14x a day and I don't have it in me to stab my little man that many times a day, every day. But you seem to have it going on pretty well. It's ok to not test crazy-like? I get when their numbers hit real low, you have to watch and check up over them carefully. But I'd heard not to test under 200? That's wrong I guess?
I truly enjoyed looking yours over. And read all the comments. 2025 was nearly as good as reading the book I had set out for tonight.
It's also nice to set in not the only one dealing with frustration in all of this.
So do you feel it went much better once you changed to the TR way? What the actual difference between what you were doing and how it's working now?
Sorry for all the questions. I just want my baby back to playing silly and being healthy again. I know he may never go into remission; but I want his numbers out of the red & black for his health. Thank you.

 

[Maddie & Kai]

Few questions for the year 2024.
*On, you say you did a urine test and it indicated 'Leukocytes', I have no idea what that are, but am curious about the urine test you did at home? I currently only have the Ketostix for my little guy.
*2025, in the previous year the doses were all over the place, but it seems to have settled on 2u in 2025. What made the difference? Mine's on 2.5u and his numbers are all still so bad. And your baby is eating more often now?
I noticed for the most part, you don't test as often as some others I've seen. This is something that has had me thinking I couldn't do the TR method. I've seen several Thai seem to yeah 12-14x a day and I don't have it in me to stab my little man that many times a day, every day. But you seem to have it going on pretty well. It's ok to not test crazy-like? I get when their numbers hit real low, you have to watch and check up over them carefully. But I'd heard not to test under 200? That's wrong I guess?
I truly enjoyed looking yours over. And read all the comments. 2025 was nearly as good as reading the book I had set out for tonight.
It's also nice to set in not the only one dealing with frustration in all of this.
So do you feel it went much better once you changed to the TR way? What the actual difference between what you were doing and how it's working now?
Sorry for all the questions. I just want my baby back to playing silly and being healthy again. I know he may never go into remission; but I want his numbers out of the red & black for his health. Thank you.

Q: Few questions for the year 2024. On, you say you did a urine test and it indicated 'Leukocytes', I have no idea what that are, but am curious about the urine test you did at home? I currently only have the Ketostix for my little guy.
A: Gosh, that was so long ago—you really did read through his sheet! Leukocytes are white blood cells. Their presence in the urine typically indicates underlying inflammation or an infection in the urinary tract. UTIs (Urinary Tract Infections) can be quite common in diabetic cats because the high glucose in their urine creates an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. The urine test strips I used at that time were a 10-in-1 test strip I purchased off Amazon; I think the brand was called CheckUp. I would use those, and if anything seemed off, I would follow up immediately with a vet appointment to confirm. I don't use them anymore, though. Not since Kai was diagnosed with CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease), as they started giving false positives and became unreliable. I'm not sure if that was due to the CKD or if they were just not a great product.

Q: 2025, in the previous year the doses were all over the place, but it seems to have settled on 2u in 2025. What made the difference? Mine's on 2.5u and his numbers are all still so bad. And your baby is eating more often now?
A: The biggest difference for us was switching to the Tight Regulation (TR) method and becoming a little more agressive about finding the right dosage. I was very timid about his insulin in 2024 because he had already experienced two hypoglycemic episodes while on Prozinc—in fact, we started 2024 with a hypo episode. We then switched to Lantus. Even though everyone assured me Lantus was a much gentler insulin and hypos were rare, I was still overly cautious, which slowed our progress significantly. The second major difference was when we began to adjust his snack schedule in 2025. This has helped the most with some of his bouncing. He still bounces occasionally; I’ve accepted he will always be a "rainbow kitty" who can spike from a great number to a high one without much warning. We just roll with the punches now, as long as he's feeling good and comes back down. It took me a long time to fully grasp that the low green numbers are not the enemy (they are good, healing numbers) and were not causing the high bounce. Instead, it was the speed at which he reached those low numbers. Simply put, the harder he falls, the bigger he bounces. The best way to combat that is with timely snacks to help him fall more slowly. Please remember, though, E.C.I.D. - Every Cat Is Different. This is just what has worked for Kai, and we are still adjusting things. The person who knows your cat best will always be you.

Q: I noticed for the most part, you don't test as often as some others I've seen. This is something that has had me thinking I couldn't do the TR method. I've seen several Thai seem to yeah 12-14x a day and I don't have it in me to stab my little man that many times a day, every day. But you seem to have it going on pretty well. It's ok to not test crazy-like? I get when their numbers hit real low, you have to watch and check up over them carefully. But I'd heard not to test under 200? That's wrong I guess?
A: These are all very common and completely normal concerns—some of which I had when I first started testing in 2024. You can absolutely do the TR method as long as you are able to get at least one mid-cycle test during each cycle and can monitor low numbers closely when they appear. I work a full-time corporate job and have been able to manage just fine.

A: I also initially hated poking Kai's little ears, but I had to remind myself that I was acting in his best interest. Plus, he was a really good sport, especially since he always got a Freeze-Dried treat afterward! Some people find the TR method much easier by using Libre sensors. If you are curious about what its like using those @Staci & Ivy are the first people that come to mind and would probably be willing to answer questions about the sensors.

A: As for not testing under 200, I think you might be referring to the guidance that says, "If your cat is new to numbers under 200, it is recommended to hold the dose for at least 8-10 cycles before increasing." This comes from the TR Dosing Method guidelines on when to adjust your cat's insulin dose. I strongly urge you to read these guidelines if you haven't already. Even if you have, it never hurts to reread them. It took me several readings before I fully understood the dosing concepts, and I still have to refer back to them now and then. Dosing Methods: Start Low, Go Slow (SLGS) & Tight Regulation (TR)

Q: I truly enjoyed looking yours over. And read all the comments. 2025 was nearly as good as reading the book I had set out for tonight.
It's also nice to set in not the only one dealing with frustration in all of this.
A: Kai has frustrated me to tears many times, but I would not trade him for the world. You are definitely not alone!

Q: So do you feel it went much better once you changed to the TR way? What the actual difference between what you were doing and how it's working now?
A: I honestly don't really know how to fully explain it in words... but overall, yes. I do feel like switching to the TR method was more beneficial for us than the SLGS (Start Low, Go Slow) method. I guess with SLGS, it felt like we were moving in slow motion and watching opportunities pass us by. It was like we would move one step forward and then take three steps back, especially because of Kai's tendency to bounce dramatically.

Q: Sorry for all the questions. I just want my baby back to playing silly and being healthy again. I know he may never go into remission; but I want his numbers out of the red & black for his health. Thank you.
A: Questions are how we all learn! Please do not apologize for asking them; that is exactly what this message board is for. Since you are just starting out, I wouldn't write off remission yet. I think the window to achieve remission is typically around six months after starting insulin therapy. At this point I think there is still a very good chance you can achieve it. But as you said, even if it doesn't happen, that's okay. We can still get him regulated and feeling like his old, playful self again. Kai is a long-term diabetic of five years, so remission is impossible for us at this point, but that's not stopping him from living his best life right now. I made a lot of mistakes when Kai was first diagnosed, and the biggest one was not doing more research and finding this forum sooner. You are already being proactive by being here, so keep up the great work!