? Did your cat ever get used to taking shots? If so, how long did it take?

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Erasmus42

Member Since 2020
We're new diabetic cat owners. We've been doing the shots now for over a month. We have the 31g needles, we've started a routine with him, we've gotten a high value treat that he loves, we pet the area to stimulate the skin first, we speak soothingly to him and have calm voices and body language, and we sit with him.

The problem is, he's a really smart cat and knows what is happening. When we place the high value treat down, he's wary, but eventually moves in to eat it. As soon as we touch him, he immediately tries to get away.

We tried to switch up the routine and give him the injection while he eats his meals, but he reacts just as quickly and runs away.

We've been giving him these shots twice daily now for over a month, but he's just getting more and more adverse to the treatment. We've seen videos of cats that don't even react at all... How long does it take for a cat to acclimate to getting these treatments?

We know we're hitting the right spot (not too high, not too low) and we change the location slightly each time, so we're at a bit of a loss as to how to make the experience better for our cat.
 
Many of us give insulin while our cats were eating. I knew mine would clean their bowls so usually when they were half way finished, I would give them their shot. They never even noticed.
 
Lantis, 1.5 units, and the glucose curve is good.

We've tried during eating but he reacts as soon as we grab his scruff or pull anywhere else on his back or neck to inject him.
 
I read the recommended post and tried the roll method again. He still tried to bolt, but was significantly happier afterwards than previously, so I will try using that method again tomorrow. Thank you for your help.
 
The reason I asked type of insulin and dose, is that Lantus has an acid base. Some cats, but typically at higher doses, find the Lantus stings. Making sure you are using a fresh syringe and getting the beveled edge up can also help. I hope the roll method helps.
 
Simba was very concered about his health from the start so never any problems with either testing or the insulin shots. I've been lucky to have such sweet any easy guys as Simba and Gustav, so their vet even complimented them for being so easy and nice to handle.
 
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I'm sure you know this already, but I thought it, so I'm going to say it. Make sure you're holding the syringe very flat when you inject. You tent the skin up, and the needle should only pierce the skin. If it's at too much of an angle and it hits the muscle, it's much more painful.
 
Thanks everyone. Roll technique plus bevel up plus more petting led to a better experience yesterday. He's still very wary and has to be firmly held down, but he's been much more playful immediately afterwards than before, so perhaps my technique has improved enough that he'll get used to it.
 
My old and wise senior girl has always been a suspicious, hissy sort, afraid of anything that required her to be still, like having her hair mats shaved or nails trimmed. So I was convinced I'd never be able to give her insulin or take her BG. I would watch the videos of others giving shots or doing BG testing while their cats stayed perfectly compliant, and I'd yell at the screen, "WE DON'T ALL HAVE CATS WHO ARE PERFECTLY BEHAVED!"

I started with help from a family member, and within 3 days, I was flying solo. I close the bedroom doors while she's eating so she cant run and hide under the beds. There's really nowhere else in the house for her to hide, so once I took that away from her, she understood resistance was futile. I have only ever given the injections in the skin around the shoulders - just below the scruff, since she has a good layer of fat in this area. She barely seems to notice the needle going in. We're going on 5 weeks now and she actually sits and purrs. Maybe it helps that I give her shots immediately after she has her meal, and she is so food obsessed, she accepts it as something she has to put up with if she wants to eat. She's not quite so amenable about her ears being pricked for BG testing, but that's more to do with the loud beep of the meter going off in her ear than anything else.

Indeed, she seems to love all the extra attention that goes along with managing her condition, so for her its a net-neutral experience.
 
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