Effects of holiday stressors on newly dx'd cat?

[Randa & Mookie]

Hi, FDMB friends,

Good news to share: Mookie is playing again -- with us, with his brother Henry, and by himself with his nip mouse! His numbers may not reflect much, but he's definitely feeling better. Thank you all for your support and wisdom during this difficult time.

My question today is about stress. I'd like your opinions of how environmental stress can impact feline diabetes in the early, unregulated stage of the illness. More specifically, Mookie is very shy and it takes a little while before he'll introduce himself to strangers, if at all. Because I want to minimize stress for him until his diabetes is under control/regulated, and because having people over to the house is stressful for him, should we avoid entertaining during the holidays? Or am I overreacting? :shock:

 

[MommaOfMuse]

I don't know how or if it would effct his diabetes as both of my diabetics are the meet and greet type, but I do have one little non-diabetic that was a former abuse case and was semi-feral when she came to live with us. Strangers stress her out to the point that she will cower under the bed and not come out to eat or use the litter box.

What I do for her is we are going to be entertaining is I put her either in the bedroom upstairs (if we will be using the familyroom in the basement) or in the basement in a large dog kennel with her favorite things that way she is out of sight and sound of the strangers and she can remain calm and relaxed. Then when everyone goes home we go get Sophia love her up and give her a little extra one on one time so she knows she hasn't been in any trouble. So far this has worked well for us, but then again she isn't a diabetic either, just a really high strung cat.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang

 

[Randa & Mookie]

Yes, feeling safe in a familiar place (home) is probably the key. I guess I answered my own question -- why introduce any more stress into his life right now, knowing that strangers in the house are stressful for him? And why stress myself out more than I already am by having people over and then worrying about his reaction? We'll have a quiet holiday. Thanks, MOM.