Hefner - PMBG 79!

Status
Not open for further replies.

Karrie and Maverick

Member Since 2010
My post on Lantus Land on facebook: I may be going against all my logical judgment and mental/physical wellness and try and foster Hefner to get him into remission. He's depressed in a cage since February and not eating well. http://www.lanarkanimals.ca/ca​ts1.asp?page=2 DCIN has linked to him, but not enough info to set him up a blog. I have a spare room. My only fear is I get attached to him. DH has said absolutely not to a permanent diabetic kitty and I understand.

Edit: He just assumed I'd adopt him after fostering. He never said absolutely not to a diabetic foster right?

And an update on Victoria and a question. I just love watching Victoria sleep. She just looks extra adorable for some reason. DH caught this pic of her yesterday. Maverick was always my office assistant (pic below). Victoria has taken to my office chair and guess wants to be my new assistant. Henry has taken to sleeping in the cat bed under the desk. That will only last a day or two though.

OfficeAssistant-1-1.jpg


Victoriaonchair1.jpg
 
Re: Condo rental... Hefner. (And also Victoria/Maverick pic

Hi Karrie, wow, what a great thing you are doing! I don't think I could ever foster a cat and not fall in love enough with him/her to keep forever, but I think what you are doing is wonderful and I wish you the best in getting hefner OTJ!
 
Re: Condo rental... Hefner. (And also Victoria/Maverick pic

Oh bless you, Karrie, for fostering Hefner. What a miracle and angel you are for Heffner. I wouldn't be surprised if DH warms up and gets attached. Can't wait to hear his progress. You really made my day!

Victoria is so beautiful! I love how comfy she is in the office! You can tell she really feels loved. Hugs.
 
Re: Condo rental... Hefner. (And also Victoria/Maverick pic

Oh...luv the pics of Maverick and Victoria. Maverick's facial expression is so similar to Curry's....Wow.

How wonderful for Hefner that you and DH are willing and able to provide him w/the necessary care and love to help him. You are an angel Karrie.
 
Re: Condo rental... Hefner. (And also Victoria/Maverick pic

You are a saint. I would never be able to give one back up after fostering. Love the pictures of Victoria and Maverick. Hope you have a wonderful day!!
 
Re: Condo rental... Hefner. (And also Victoria/Maverick pic

Karrie, I'm really thrilled that you are going to foster Hefner cause I was worried about him since you said he had been at the shelter since Feb. I bet you can get him feeling so much better and maybe even OTJ. Then I'm sure someone would want to have him as their forever kitty. Of course, he might steal your heart (and hopefully DH's too!). I used to have 4 cats and there really isn't much of a difference between 2 and 4 in my opinion.

Loved the pictures of your sweet Maverick and Victoria. Victoria looks hilarious in the chair!
 
Re: Condo rental... Hefner. (And also Victoria/Maverick pic

All I can say is... God bless you for doing this for little Hefner. In your care, I know he'll do much better. I can only hope that he'll steal both your and your DH's hearts. :) (I'm sure that he'll steal yours from the moment you lay your eyes on him).

FWIW, I have 9 cats in total... 2 were adopted from across the street; one of them was adopted 2 years ago this summer. So, 4 cats isn't going to be much more than 2. Besides, once everything and everyone settles down nicely, hopefully they'll start playing together. Cats are social creatures by nature anyway. :) I look forward to updates on Hefner, and I wish him to make a full and speedy recovery.
 
Re: Condo rental... Hefner. (And also Victoria/Maverick pic

Aww how cool Karrie! I dont know if I could foster a kitty either.

btw, is Hefner a Playboy? :lol: :lol: :lol: careful with Victoria! :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Re: Condo rental... Hefner. (And also Victoria/Maverick pic

Bravo! I know Hefner will do so much better w/ you. Paws crossed for fast remission. :YMHUG:
 
Re: Condo rental... Hefner. (And also Victoria/Maverick pic

know Maverick will be with you.... guiding you with Hefner's diabetes....

what do you mean you have an extra room? will he be isolated from the rest of your crew? just wondering as you want him to be sociable and not isolated.....just wondering on that one.....
 
Re: Condo rental... Hefner. (And also Victoria/Maverick pic

Karrie: you are an amazing, compassionate soul. Bless you for giving Hefner a chance to become OTJ and find his forever home. ...if it's not with you. :-D :-D It's impossible for people like you and DH to not fall in love with a kitty once it is living in your home. Please let us know when you are getting him!!

I LOVE the pics of Maverick (he was so incredibly handsome) and Victoria....she has PURRSONALITY screaming out at you!!

Hugs to you Karrie. Thank you for saving this little soul.
 
Re: Condo rental... Hefner. (And also Victoria/Maverick pic

i clicked send too quick and then realized i had not mentioned i totally love the pictures....so here i go....

I LOVE LOVE LOVE THE PICTURES!!!! YOU HAVE GOOD MEMORIES OF MAVERICK AND NOW YOU ARE CREATING NEW ONES WITH HENRY AND VICTORIA AND SOON WITH HEFNER....and as ALWAYS...i keep NIKE in my thoughts and prayers!!!!!
 
Re: Condo rental... Hefner. (And also Victoria/Maverick pic

Wait... I thought maybe you were on vacation in a condo at the Playboy mansion. :shock:

Whew, glad to find out that Hefner is a kitty cat! :lol:
What an adorable photo of Victoria in your chair. Now if you can teach her to do all your office work, you'd really be set!
I love the picture of Maverick. Such a handsome guy... wonderful memories for you and I'm glad you share them with us.

Best of luck with Hefner (that still sounds funny) and you are AWESOME for rescuing him. (((((Karrie)))))
 
Re: Hefner - Novolin Ge NPH Insulin help

We are home. They are shooting blind 2 units of novolin ge nph. He was on dry kibble but wasn't eating well so it was hit and miss for shots. I did feed him when I got home - some low carb turkey and giblets. I haven't tested him yet. All my supplies I donated for him in April were untouched. I don't know what his BG is.

I have lantus here. Anyone know both of these insulins? Would you be up to calling me for a crash course on what to do? I have unlimited north america call plan. Thank you.

His shot time is normally 4pm. Its 6:07 already.
 
Tested him 20 minutes after feeding him an ounce of low carb. The meter I had was dead so I replaced the battery. He tested at a 79. Someone on health just replied that two units was a lot and they were shooting completely blind. I have no idea if my meter is accurate. I'm going to see if I can test Henry or myself. I've had a ton of sugar today - so who knows what I would test at.

A 79! I don't know where the control solution is but I'll try and find it.
 
Congratulations on your new furbaby friend, Karrie cat_pet_icon
How very exciting & wonderful of you.. & a 79? :RAHCAT Hefner!
 
Wow. Hefner doesn't need any insulin tonight it seems. And your reading was after he ate some food.
It sure will be interesting to see what his numbers are later on and tomorrow. You may have already fixed him. That would be cool! :lol:

Just for the record, I wouldn't use the NPH insulin. If Hefner ends up actually needing insulin later on, go with the Lantus. The food switch will make a huge difference for him and he may not need much of a dose.
 
did the shelter say anything about insisting on keeping him on the N? if not, i'd just switch over to the lantus if you have it, if he actually needs insulin. great BG for being in a strange place that's for sure!

as far as N goes, I only used it for about a month before switching insulins and vets. back in the day though we used to see alot of people started on it and while i don't know as much as people like Kimmee for instance, I can tell you my personal opinion of it after reading and learning and helping people with it as much as i could over the years. ;-) I think it's got to be the worst insulin to work with because it often puts the cats on wild roller coaster rides in terms of BG levels. it's a fast acting insulin. not as fast as R though of course. in other words, you shoot it, it kicks in quickly, drops them quick and peters out just as quick so it's not uncommon for a cat on N to have high amps' and pmps' and low nadirs. picture 200-50-200. or worse. they can start at 200, be at 50 in 4 hours or so and back to 200 in a couple more so they don't get good coverage thru the day

yes, there have been some kitties that have done ok on it. i'll give it that but not enough to justify a cat being prescribed it if you ask me. yes, i know, i have strong feelings about it. LOL!! especially when there's other choices that are much easier on the cat

also, something to keep in mind with N, food plays a more important role. it is the insulin that you want to have food on board before you shoot it.

but, i know also that shelters sometimes have the decision making power when it comes to all that sooooo, if you have to stick with it i'm thinking of names like Kimmee, Larry, and Sheila that have quite a bit of experience with it. I'm trying to think of who else were the N guru's back in the day.....

did someone give you the link to the N primer yet? it's kinda like the lantus info/stickies here as far as covering N
 
You are such an incredible, big hearted bean for becoming a foster mom!

When Gabby was first diagnosed, the ICU vet had her on N. After a month, her fructosamine wasn't very good and my regular vet and I had a discussion about Lantus. My vet's response to N was that it's a great insulin for dogs. For cats, not so much.

N/NPH is a short to intermediate acting insulin depending on where you read. It's peak is in roughly 3 - 6 hours in cats. You will never get the kind of duration you get with Lantus. It's prone to very steep curves and bounces.
 
Hi Karrie - just a pop in to day what a wonderful person you are - good luck with Hefner!! I can't help at all with the N - no knowledge whatsoever... If he needs anything, go with the lantus.

and the pics are wonderful!
 
Hi Karrie, I'm just getting caught up here and saw your post. How wonderful that you and Patrick are going to foster this kitty, who needs so much to be loved and to feel that he is worthy. I hope that all will work out perfectly and that Hefner will get along well with Henry and Victoria (and Nike, of course) when you introduce them. Kudos to you for having the compassion and the skill to care for another FD kitty.

I don't know anything about that other insulin, but does the shelter really require you to use it rather than Lantus? I hope they will let you use your knowledge of Lantus to Hefner's advantage. If they haven't used any of the supplies you donated, maybe they will return them to you to use for Hefner. In any event, I hope you get your meter working to your satisfaction.

We are wishing you a really good evening with your new charge, and hope that it will be a pleasant experience for all of you.

Maverick is smiling and I know that he will help you out.

Hugs,
Ella & Rusty

p.s. love the pics!
 
If they haven't even been giving him his insulin regularly, then perhaps they won't care what insulin you give him...esp if it helps him get OTJ and he has a better chance of being adopted.

picture 200-50-200
rut ro....that's not normal for a kitty on lantus? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Someone forgot to tell Gracie....
 
Bless your heart for fostering Hefner! He's in great hands under your care.

And I love love LOVE the pictures of Maverick and Victoria! They're very handy with the office equipment!
 
Wow its been an eventful day. I'm tired - 3 hours of driving to the shelter and back.

Here is what someone in the health forum replied with:
I think the dry food is probably the only thing that is stopping this poor cat from hypo'ing. Two units is rather a lot to shoot blind on any insulin, but this insulin particularly. No wonder he is depressed, probably feels bad.

I can imagine how he would have felt if he is in remission and they were shooting 2 units blind. Not sure what the next few days of testing will bring. Since there is no shed on Humalin, if he needs insulin you guys know it will be Lantus. I have to cartridges in the fridge.

Devon - I hear you. That was my biggest fear. Not the insulin, but becoming attached.

Ann - Patrick has mellowed some. Was even in the spare room petting him. Big relief. Victoria doesn't like that there is a new kitty here. She's growling at his door. They can see each other. I'll get a video later.

Tena its them big eyes. Makes my heart sad and happy when I see kitties with eyes like Maverick. I miss them. How is Tena doing? I was thinking about you yesterday.

Thanks Melissa. I've only fostered wild animals before. I go from being their mom raising them to letting them go in the wild back yard. No idea what the future holds.

Georgia thank you for your support. I was torn badly, believe me. Completely divided along emotional and logical lines. Good to know about 2 vs 4. I hear multi cat households can bring challenges once you get above 2. I'll have to get advice on this. Victoria does look hilarious. It took a lot for Patrick and I to giggle quietly while he was taking the picture. She sleeps in the neatest positions.

Angela - thank you for sharing that you have nine. I feel less overwhelmed now :lol: I appreciate you stopping by and sharing. You are an angel on earth to all nine of them. They are very lucky.

Natalia - I asked about his name today and they said it was after that Hefner. I think its a joke with them, I guess they had a naming theme but couldn't figure out how Hefner fit in with the theme ohmygod_smile I was scared to ask. Victoria doesn't like him at all. She's in front of the door growling when she goes by.

Thanks Ann :)

Claudia, thank you for saying Maverick is guiding us in this journey. *heart tug*. He's in the spare bedroom so I know he's eating and pooping and peeing. Probably for the week. I have to get an introduction plan together. Thank you for keeping Nike in your prayers. She needs them. Her heart inside is bad but she doesn't show it. This week she is starting to show it - panting when she walks. My heart is sad like yours but loving her every day.

Marjorie, thank you also. "PURRSONALITY" - that she has. You made me laugh. She is a diva.

CD you crack me up. Our condo could be named the playboy mansion.

Thanks Nicole :)

Hi Cindy - I told the receptionist that I would be switching him. They wanted to give him the old insulin tonight. Thank God we left early. I was supposed to wait until after he had his shot. He won't get any more of this. Thank you very much for sharing the information.

Sienne - so glad you made the switch to Lantus. I am so glad Maverick was only on Lantus.

Thanks Michelle :)

Too dark for a video now. I'll wait until tomorrow morning in natural light. Fingers crossed for a normal bg reading tomorrow also.

Question though - do I risk the diarrhea that comes with an immediate switch to wet food? I'd hate to feed him the diabetic kibble now. What would you guys do?
 
Karrie, I'm just now getting a chance to check out condos tonight and wanted an update on Hefner. You are my absolute role model -- the most kind and caring bean a kitty could ever want. Hefner might be OTJ before you even start with the Lantus! What a great PMBG. It just warms my heart to hear how well he is doing. Give it a few days with Victoria. It took about a week before Simon and Cleo started even being in the same room with each other. And they were kittens at the time! Now they are best friends. Hugs!
 
We are wishing you a really good evening with your new charge, and hope that it will be a pleasant experience for all of you. Maverick is smiling and I know that he will help you out.
Thank you Ella. I am wishing he'll get along well with everyone. He wants company thats for sure. I got all the supplies back that I donated. They didn't use any of them anyhoo.

Thanks MauiGuppy :)

Chatty Kathy is visiting him tonight :) He's meowing away. I can hear him from my bedroom.

Claudia I promise to post pics in the morning after a couple cups of coffee first though :lol: The spare room doesn't have a light. Just a night light. I have to set one up for him.

Hefner might be OTJ before you even start with the Lantus!
Georgia I was thinking the same thing :lol: :lol: :lol: How old were Cleo and Simon when you got them? Do you have kitten pics? I can't remember. Victoria was in the same cat run as Henry and they can lie near each other. She's very territorial though. If he scratches on the post or lies in one of her spots she'll box him or chase him away. Of course he runs away and hides in the bathroom.
 
Do you even know if Hefner will eat canned food? I would add FortiFlora or some other product that would help if you anticipate a poo problem (e.g., pumpkin, yogurt).

Gizmo joined the family when Gabby was 10. They've acclimated. I'd make sure to start introducing smells. Rubbing Henry and Victoria with a towel or sock and then rubbing Hefner with that article and vice versa. You might also want to get some Feliway and see if that will be a calming influence.
 
This is such a beautiful story! People think I'm crazy, but I now believe that the next cat that comes into my home will be diabetic.

I fostered once, about 6 or so years ago. Her name is Trixie.... :-D .

I can't wait to see pics of Hefner!! I hope you guys are having a great first night. What a lucky kitty!!

Amy
 
Go, Heff! This is so sweet of you to take him in, I hope the others adjust to him quickly. After all, it was just a short time ago they were newcomers, too.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top