My cats personality is totally different now :(

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AshleyC

Member Since 2022
My cat was diagnosed with diabetes last year. And she is a totally different cat now. She jumps up on counters and opens up the pantry to eat people food. I upped the amount of food I give her, she gets fed three times a day, but it never seems to be enough. She is also being destructive and aggressive towards the other animals. We used to sleep together all the time and now she rarely gets into bed to snuggle with me. It’s really sad, I have been with her for 14 years and I feel like she is a totally different cat. Has anyone else experienced this?
Her and I have also experienced a lot of change since 2020, but things have settled down the last couple months. I wonder if I’m ever going to get my old Sally back, or if this is just who she is now.
 
Hi Ashley - so sorry to hear your troubles with Sally. It's very clear how much you love her.

What insulin is she on and when did you start it? are you home testing her BG? IMHO, the searching for food could be a sign of uncontrolled diabetes - kitties aren't able to process the food nutrients like they should when the glucose is high so they require more food to get the nutrients that they need.

There is a lot of support here too - I'll tag a couple of people to say hello too and who can help you and Sally - @Bron and Sheba (GA) and @tiffmaxee and @Sienne and Gabby (GA)
 
[edited after I did more research]

I bet @JaxBenji is on the right track here with the unregulated diabetes

for example, if a cat's blood sugar goes even moderately low that can cause exactly the behavior you describe, to a T, including the aggressiveness.

See: https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/how-to-treat-hypos-they-can-kill-print-this-out.15887/

MODERATE HYPOGLYCEMIA
Disorientation
Trouble with vision... bumps into furniture
Poor coordination, such as staggering, walking in circles or acting drunk
Changes in head or neck movements
Restlessness
Urgent meowing
Behavioral changes, such as aggressiveness
 
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Welcome! Susanne has asked some important questions. We can help once we get more information. How’s her weight? If she’s lost a lot and underweight it’s very likely uncontrolled diabetes. If not you might be falling into low bg and cats get very hungry when that happens. Then their bg goes very high. What are you feeding her? Any other health issues?
 
If you're kitty is always hungry, it's likely that her diabetes is not yet under control. Is there any way you can start home testing so you know what her blood glucose numbers are looking like? If diabetes isn't yet controlled, your cat will be hungry all the time.
 
My Bella went through a phase like that, she was jumping on counters and stealing food, but now that her BG is starting to get lower, she’s back to normal. I hope your kitty will too, eventually. She must be hungry. Are you testing her when she acts this way, to try to understand what is going on?
 
I’m new to this for only a few weeks, so I don’t have any good or useful advice. But I can tell you I relate. I’m crying daily because I miss my old Gizmo. I’ve had her since she was bottle fed, and I miss the snuggling and cuddling and sleeping together. Now she just looks at me like her food source.

I miss my old kitty, too. Message me if you ever need someone to talk to - I know I sure do sometimes.
 
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