food, anything better than nothing?

[Noah & me (GA)]

There's a thread in Community & Off Topic / "What do you think of this? (FD related)" where I posted a question related to the above, "food, anything better than nothing?". I don't want to double-post but maybe someone could have a look and give me their opinion. It is NOT 911

 

[BJM]

First, the cat must eat.
Second, the diabetes has to be controlled, or what the cat eats can't be used, regardless of what it is. It is more difficult to control with high carb food.
Third, food changes seem to work best if done gradually, 20-25% different food each day for many can work. Slower may be needed for very picky cats, or those with a trigger happy GI tract.

Hope this helps.

 

[Jill & Alex (GA)]

There's a thread in Community & Off Topic / "What do you think of this? (FD related)" where I posted a question related to the above, "food, anything better than nothing?". I don't want to double-post but maybe someone could have a look and give me their opinion. It is NOT 911

I agree a cat has to eat. There have been times when I've been dealing with a sick cat and believe you me, if serving a plate full of pasta to a diabetic cat was all I could get them to eat... that's exactly what I'd give them.

I think there's a huge difference between giving a transition from dry to wet foods a chance to work and grabbing a bag of kibble because it's easier. I don't see the latter happening here any too often. I think most try to feed a species appropriate diet rather than kibble, but sometimes it comes down to doing what you gotta do!

Edited to add: Feeding your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

if serving a plate full of pasta to a diabetic cat was all I could get them to eat... that's exactly what I'd give them.

Edited to add: Feeding your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition

Thank you Jill & Alex. Noah has so many other health issues but especially dental pain muddles everything. He's on BUPE for that and Caninsulin. Metric to US is X18 yes?
Saturday AM 306 / 3.0 units
Saturday PM 387 4.5 units
Sunday AM 490 / 2.0 units > That's low because all he ate was 20 Whiska's Temptation treats hand fed. I didn't want his BG going up but I was so freaked about nothing in his tummy.
Sunday PM 261 / Has not eaten all day, started the day at 2.0 units and his BG goes down? So no Insulin now BUT I will come down during the night and meter him several times.
It's too long of a story relaying his issues. He'll be steady for a week and then does the roller coaster. Transporting him anywhere is a nightmare, wrapped in towels and piddle-pads. Sometimes I think he'll have a cardiac event in the car, it really is that bad. I've been doing this for 3 years with 2 cats so I am aware. Very nerve wracking.

 

[Jill & Alex (GA)]

I've been doing this for 3 years with 2 cats so I am aware. Very nerve wracking.

I'm so sorry. Many of us are very familiar with the stress and strain, both physical and emotional, of nursing sick pets. It's hard and yet we'll do it all over again in a heartbeat.

Thinking of Noah and dental pain... have you tried blending his food (without adding water) into a creamy, almost whip cream like consistency? A consistency that he could easily lick (without having to chew) off the back of your hand or on a saucer held up to his face? My Alex had oral cancer. Blending her food like this made eating so much easier for her.

Maybe it would help with Noah?

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

Sorry, it's now 245AM and he's ate wet as soon as I put it down, maybe 2 oz. Directly after he was 30.0 / 540. Normally I would give him 6.0 units but I cut t hat in half, 3.0. Don't know what's up dental wise because sometimes I've seen him wander across the kitchen and eat kibble. That can't be just the BUPE. Thanks for all. There's also a bully cat in the house, more like Bluto / Animal House and as soon as he comes in the room he just barges into the food.

 

[JanetNJ]

Maybe to get him interested in eating something else, grind up just 3 or for temptations and put it on low carb food or chicken or tuna. I agree eating is most important when sick over what they are eating.

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

Thanks, this started as such a simple question, "Is anything better than nothing", a question I already knew the answer to but somehow I needed validation. This ran on 2 threads in 2 forums (I'm a bandwidth hog) and I made it clear it's not 911. Everyone sympathized with me but there's always the one condescending response "This is a cat...". Thankfully Noah loves his Tempations but everything else in this house defies the laws of nature. Tuna, chicken, salmon, "No thanks, how about a doughnut?" Noah's curves don't curve, they run off the edge of the page. The things we do for our cats. Aliens must wonder who's in charge down there.