New and Terrified

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Jocelyn31

Member Since 2012
So here is my story and Baileys... so far.

I found a stray cat outside, we had been feeding him for months and it is unbearably hot outside so I finally took him in last Wednesday night and made him a vet appointment, at the vet he went insane. He had matts all over him and we needed to test for FIV so they put him under and tested him and removed the matts. They found out he did not have FIV (yay) they also found a tattoo. They tried to contact the owner but to no avail. They also called the humane society and we filed a lost report.

The owners then came forward and said they wanted their cat back (this concerns me, I understand they can lose weight when they have diabetes but to allow your diabetic, declawed neutered cat covered in matts to wonder the street concerns me greatly) anyhoo we dropped it off at the humane society and filled in paperwork saying if this person did not come pick up the cat they couldn’t euthanize as we would take it home. When the owner called back and the humane society started asking questions (about neglect and the owner said the cat was skinny but because it had diabetes and they had already been giving it insulin ( I can’t see how if it’s always on the streets), when the humane society said they would have to take it to the vet they said euthanatize (which I can understand I guess) then when the humane society said someone else would take it to the vet they still said euthanize.

The humane society told me this and I began to freak out (understandably so I would think) they said they would call me back. They checked with the person who runs the humane society and they agreed I could take the cat. Great. I call the vet to make an appointment; the vet says we cannot transfer ownership without consent of the owner or some sort of proof.

If that vet won’t see the cat then so be it I will take it to another vet. So far Bailey has cost just under 200 dollars for this cat I was not planning on keeping, and now we know thats only going up. And now that he has diabetes I know we won’t be able to rehome. I am scared of giving him needles and I am scared of how much this is going to cost me. I just received a raise at work too funny how things work out. We have cats and a dog already they have all met him outside (my cats are strictly indoor cats but they sneak out then I have to chase them) and no issues thus far fingers crossed it stays that way.

We just bought a house and I can’t help but think of how much Bailey will enjoy being well taken care of and relaxing in front of the fireplace. Well wishes are much needed!
 
Welcome to FDMB - you've come to the right place to learn how to take care of Bailey's diabetes.

we recommend:
1. low carb canned food like Fancy Feast Classic (no grains, no gravy). Read www.catinfo.org about Feline Nutrition, and check Janet & Binky's Food Charts for canned foods with less that 10% carbohydrates.
2. learn how to test your kitty's blood sugar at home - this will cost less than testing at the vet's office, and give you better info whether or not it is safe to inject insulin
3. start insulin at a low dose every 12 hours. Lantus and Levemir are the best human insulins for cats. There are more documented studies for Lantus, but Levemir is nearly the same, and is more stable / less expensive in the long run because Lantus breaks down sooner (loses effectiveness).

Use U100 syringes with tiny 30ga or 31ga needles - that cat hardly feels it - especially if you give the injection while they are eating. The shots are "sub-cutaneous" - meaning that you lift up some loose skin and stick the needle under the skin but not into muscle or anything hard ("intramuscular"). Cats usually only complain about vaccinations which are intramuscular and much more painful.
 
Welcome to the feline diabetes board! And thank you, for taking in this kitty and getting him into a furever home! I know you are scared and worried about where this will go, but hang in there .. you'll learn lots and lots of info off this board from lots of people, who love kitties and want nothing but the best for them! Ask questions, read the "stickies" create a profile, etc. ... make yourself at home!
 
Okay sounds good so I will go out tonight and pick up the fancy feast original (any flavor I assume?) and his vet appointment is on Wednesday morning. And I guess we will go from there. I already feel better finding you guys. He was scheduled to be euthanized tonight, but as long as the most serious issue he has is the diabetes we can move forward with this I think.
 
Here's a link to the diabetic-safe flavors of Fancy Feast: http://www.felinediabetes.com/glutenfree.htm.

Diabetes is very treatable and not super expensive to treat. Your biggest costs are going to be insulin (do get Lantus or Levemir even though they are more expensive than some of the others--it will pay off big time in the long run because of their very high remission rates), and test strips for your home glucose meter. Walmart's Relion Confirm or Micro are two good meters with less expensive strips. Do not pay for curves at the vet; these are inaccurate and a waste of money.

The large majority of newly diagnosed diabetic cats go into remission with the combination of Lantus or Levemir, regulation via home testing, and a low carb, canned diet. So the odds are heavily in favor that you won't even have to give insulin permanently; just for a short time while his pancreas heals. Diabetes is scary at first but it gets soooo much easier as you learn!
 
I know each cat is different, but I also have to tell you my story so far - this is such a wonderful community, you'll get so much help here!
Our 4 year old was diagnosed as diabetic on July 3rd. With the help of this group we switched immediately to Fancy Feast, "start low and go slow" with the insulin, and started some home BG monitoring. In just a couple of weeks Puma was looking better and acting better. There's no guarantee, but just the switch to a healthy low carbohydrate diet and some help from insulin seems to have kicked Puma's pancreas back into action. There are some cats who go into remission, unlike humans.

And I'm telling you this because we couldn't have done it without the help and advice and support of this community...
Jane
and Puma
and our other 3 cats and our rescued greyhound
 
This is SO SO SO great to see. You have no idea how happy this makes me. Too many people just give up on cats, which I clearly cannot understand. THANK YOU for saving her. We had a stray show up on our doorstep a few winters ago, and it was terribly cold out. He was so friendly and I just starting feeding him because he was literally skin and bones. Thankfully my dad gave in when he held him. He's such a happy and cuddly boy now. Bailey is just so lucky to have found you!

This will get easier. I know you will hear that a lot on here, but it is so true. I honestly didnt believe anyone on here when they said that because I was so overwhelmed at first, but it gets to be a normal routine. Try not stress too much about the little things, and even though you have a lot to learn, we're all here for you! :D
 
Thanks for all the well wishes! How much should I feed to start (we don't see the vet till Wednesday morning and the cat is skinny)
 
Thank you again for saving the kitty baby!! I to recently saved a stray that someone just abandoned and was so thin he would have died in a couple of weeks. I can tell you what others have said about feeding (or at least what I do). I do feed FF classics and I feed Doogle when we shot (AM/PM) and I fee small meals through out the day (couple of tablespoons every couple of hours). Try and not to feed at least 2 hours before shot time because it can influence BG tests. With other kitties in the house I also feed them all can food (Friskies Pates) so in case Doogle wants some of it (during main eating times). No dry food and no dry treats (like temptations). There are treats out there that are LC like freeze dried (which Doogle HATES) and a few others. I just cook up some chicken and give that to him as a treat. Your new kitty is going to be so much better off with someone like you that cares enough about him to take care of him. Funny how the strays love you back so much because you saved them. Good Luck and keep us all posted! :smile: :smile: :smile:
 
Unregulated diabetic cats tend to be hungrier than other cats, because without enough insulin they cannot absorb the nutrients they need (so they eat more to try to compensate). At least that is my understanding. Many people here leave wet food out throughout the day so the cat can eat what they want; some divide it in to 4 meals a day and feed on a schedule. So, within reason, I would say if he is hungry let him eat.

Also, very important, make sure your cat has a filled water bowl at all times. Diabetic cats drink a lot and also urinate a lot -- until you can get them regulated on the insulin.
 
The humane society was closed so we have to pick him up tomorrow morning I am in Canada so there was no ff original so o bought the pate is that okay?
 
MelanieP and Ninja said:
I think the FF says "classic" on the label and I believe it is a pate.
Click to expand...
In canada I cant find original so I just bought the Pate. We picked up Bailey from the humane society where he has been terrorizing the staff lol. They got him in the kennel and as soon as he got in he just sat down quietly and did some meowing. I had to go straight to work but my mom dropped him off in my room with a fancy feast and a huge bowl of water (and his litter box fingers crossed he uses it).
The humane society could not believe someone was taking home someone elses 11 year old diabetic cat.
I cant really believe it either confused_cat
 
Jocelyn - I just want to commend you for taking in a stray and caring for him. You have a good heart. Some folks see a stray and turn the other cheek. You are doing a great thing. :-D
 
Wow this cat saga gets more disturbing as time goes on. So we went to the humane society to pick up this cat today that all went well they were nice, agreed to call the vet ect. Then mom gets home lets the cat out with its food ect cat is happy, vet appointment tomorrow all good. Then mom goes for a shower and starts hearing banging at her door, she ignores it. When she goes to leave she finds 2 children at the door asking if they can have their cat back, she explains she doesn’t have it. They say they think she does and its gray and fluffy (ie it is the cat) mom says sorry we don’t have it, children leave. This is wrong on so many levels first of all I assume as far as the parents know their cat was euthanized yesterday. Secondly I have no idea how they know we have the cat and third, if they think we do have it was spineless sleaze bags send in their children to do their dirty work. I feel so bad for the poor kids. But Bailey is not going anywhere.

All this and we have not even figured out the cats actual health yet...
 
That is weird.....how did they find out? The Humane society shouldn't tell the people anything since they told them to euthanize the kitty. Its also wrong on so many levels to send children to do something like that. There is a special place in hell for those kind of people. Stick to your guns and make that poor baby feel better. He deserves a wonderful, loving and caring home like every person and animal does. You are a saint!!!! :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D
 
Wow! This story and the great lengths you are going to in order for this kitty to live out the rest of his life being well loved and taken care of has brought tears to my eyes. Thank you! :YMHUG:

I hope the vet appt goes well.
 
Hello and Welcome,
It's so great that you are saving him.

I caught in the first post you said you were scared of needles. Me too.
I have so many surgeries as a child , and was so traumatized by all the medical that I never thought I could do it.

But when you know you are doing the right thing and you are saving someone special, It comes. You will be able to do it.
And then it's not so hard.


And as for the people finding your home, beware, I'd be afraid that they would try to come steal him back. They might wait many
months.
I hope he will be an indoor cat only for his sake.
The humane society shouldn't have told them anything about you. But they could have hung out long enough to see your name on a paper
or they followed you.
That's pretty creepy.
I will be following your story.
I just love it when animals get saved. ! :RAHCAT
 
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