Sweet, affectionate, big-boned, diabetic cat needs a home-DC

[jwcorsica]

I'm looking for an exceptional cat lover to adopt my cat, Meghan. We live in Washington DC. She's honestly the sweetest cat ever and it breaks my heart to put out this email. Meghan was diagnosed with diabetes about 6 months ago. My professional work schedule is not conducive to Meghan's
needs. I have had the great fortune of finding an amazing vet tech to take care of Meghan when I'm traveling (which is 3 weeks out of every month). I just don't have the means/or time that Meghan deserves. She is very affectionate . I've called over 20 local rescues and no one is willing to take her. I'm getting desperate and the only place I have to take her is the Humane Society. I'm hoping that maybe you or someone you know already has a diabetic cat and would be willing to take in another one.

Thanks for passing this along,
Jessica (jwcorsica @gmail.com) (remove space)

About Meghan: She's a very sweet cat. Loves to be rubbed and loves to play (as long as the playing doesn't require a lot of movement). She
sleeps A LOT. She's afraid of small children. She's a lap cat and enjoys watching TV. Even though Meghan is not declawed, she never
scratches humans. Meghan is trained to use her scratch pad. Sometimes she eats plants. Meghan is spayed and is up to date on all of her
shots. I'm not sure how Meghan would be with other cats.

Background: Meghan was adopted in Albany, NY in 2002. She had just given birth to a litter of cats. I adopted her because they told me
that she was the most maternal cat they had ever seen. Plus, I thought it was cool that she had a "human" name. I estimated that she was about 1-2 years old at the time of adoption which makes her about 10 years-old.

Diabetes: Meghan requires 4 units of insulin 2 times a day about every 12 hours. She eats special diabetic wet and dry food. We have
a routine and she's very good about taking her shots. On the other hand, I might be the worst shot giver ever. I hate needles.

 

[Venita]

Hi Jessica,

I run a project and blog called Diabetic Cats in Need (DCIN). I will cross post your request to rehome Meghan there and on the associated Yahoo Group.

It's interesting to note, though, that about 80% of the diabetic cats that have been rehomed through DCIN have become diet-controlled diabetics and not required the continued use of insulin. For that reason, I encourage you to change some things about your treatment of Meghan's diabetes while you are looking for a new home for her. She would really do alot better if she could continue to stay in the home she knows and loves. And I can tell you that the chance of survival for a diabetic cat sent to a shelter in the DC area is very slim. And it can sometimes take along time for a cat to adjust to a new home, especially if she isn't accustomed to other cats. (Many of us here have multiple pets.)

You say Meghan eats diabetic wet and dry food. A feline diabetic is best fed a low carbohydrate wet food. You should consider ditching the dry and moving her wet to a commercial food like Fancy Feast, Friskies, Wellness, Iams. That will be less expensive than the special diet, and likely have better ingredients for her. There is Janet and Binky's food charts, accessible through this link, from which you can choose wet foods with less than 10% of calories from carbohydrates. Personally, I use the Fancy Feast non-fish, gluten free pate flavors.

Second, have you had her vetted for a dental infection? Many cats run a higher blood glucose level when they have physical stress from an infection. Is she showing any signs of an upper respiratory or urinary tract infection? If so, consider having her treated.

Third, she may be getting too much insulin. Many of the cats adopted through DCIN come to their new homes having chronically received more insulin than they needed. Thus, the cats are in a state of chronic rebound. The first, best tool you can have to treat Meghan's diabetes is a human glucometer and associated glucose test strips. On the FDMB, we recommend testing a diabetic cat before each shot and mid-cycle when possible. That way you can determine the pattern of her "curve" and see whether her insulin needs are properly being met. I have worked with a couple cat owners who have come to me wanting to rehome their cats, and once they got a glucometer in their hands, they have found that the cat was not insulin dependent. You can pickup a Reli-on glucometer and 50 test strips at a Walmart for about $29. Here is our page of hometesting tips and links. We get a very small drop of blood for the test by pricking the cat's ear or padpad. We can help you (and your petsitter) learn to test and to interpret the results of those tests.

You can see additional information in this Pets with Diabetes wikia article about obstacles to regulation.

Best of luck to you and to Meghan.

PS--a picture always helps to "sell" a cat looking for a new home.