URGENT: Re-Home needed for newly diagnosed Sugarcat

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sugarjack

sugarjack

Member Since 2013
Help!

My 7-year-old cat was recently diagnosed with diabetes. Unfortunately, I have also been recently diagnosed with an anxiety-depression disorder, and have been struggling to provide the care my cat needs...however, I now need to take care of myself. My worry and concern for his well-being as well as my own is crashing my system and my blood pressure is running at dangerously high levels.

I have the word put out through local channels (Los Angeles county) but as expected, it is very difficult to find a home (temporary or permanent) for a diabetic cat. I was hoping to find someone in the Los Angeles County area, particularly the San Gabriel Valley, who is experienced with managing diabetic cats and would be willing to take him on.

For my part, I am totally willing to contribute financially to his well-being. Yes, diabetes is expensive, but I was willing to take that on. I love my cat dearly and it tears me up that my dibilatating illness is keeping me from giving him the best care and attention he needs. Is there any fellow diabetic cat owner in the area who would be able to take him on, or know someone who would? The thought of taking him to a shelter is absolutely unbearable.

Please, any help would be so appreciated!!!
 
You should contact DCIN (Diabetic Cats in Need) about getting this cross posted on their Facebook page. Sort of like a courtesy post to get more eyes on this re-homing situation.
 
I'm so sorry you have to go through this! :cry: I'm in Orange County. I won't be able to take him in (my place doesn't allow pets, so I'm already in trouble with the two I've got), but I can ask around and see. How soon does this need to happen?

Can you please give a little more information about your cat and how you were caring for his diabetes previously (i.e. what food and insulin are you using, how long ago was he diagnosed, do you know his breed, etc....).
 
Thank you, Deb! I will definitely look into that!

KPassa, I will work on getting more information up here, including some pictures. A quick kitty bio: his name is Captain Jack, and he was born in April 2006, though we don't know the exact date we usually 'celebrate' it on April Fool's. He just turned 7, and got his official diabetes diagnosis May 9th, less than two weeks ago, so we're still working on regulating him. He has always been a water lover, but he was drinking more than usual and making a lot more urine balls in the litter, so that's when I knew something was off. His initial labs showed a 405 bg, and a subsequent fasting test showed 431. :evil:

The vet put him on 1 unit of ProZinc twice a day, and over the course of the week, I shifted his eating habits from mostly dry plus a little bit of wet, to mostly wet (6-7 oz. Wellness Sliced Chicken Entree) plus a little bit dry (1/3 cup - max - of an even mix of Royal Canin Indoor Light, his old food, and the Wellness Healthy Weight.) Right now he still needs that extra crunch to coax him into eating that much wet food, and the plan was to remove the dry food entirely once his system stabilized. After a few days of this treatment plus the new food plan, his blood sugar tested at 202. Much better. The vet advised me to keep doing what I was doing, and we'd retest in a few weeks.

He responded well to the shots the first week, but started having some hissy fits the second week. Sometimes he flinches in anticipation before I've even touched him with the needle. I've read about the process for home glucose testing, but he is a strong, independent tough-guy cat who doesn't like having his business messed with, so the idea of home testing is too much for me right now. He is slightly weaker than he used to be; he was a big, muscular 16 pounder, and had lost almost 3 pounds over the course of 8 months, all in the rear. I think there is more muscle there now with the new diet, but I haven't weighed him recently.

He really is a lovely, funny cat. Too smart for his own good, he is hard to get going with toys because he knows it's not real prey. He is pretty independent, but in recent years has become a nice lap cat, though it has to be his choice to jump up. He's stubborn, hard to pill, and won't hesitate to let you know how he feels about stuff, but he's also cuddly when you least expect it, and does lots of random silly things to make you smile. He doesn't like being cradled, but loooooves being picked up and slung over your shoulder -- he purrs and drools like a baby, he's so happy.

I love this cat and it is killing me that I might have to permanently re-home him. I would love to find some organization that could foster him for a while, supported with my resources, and for him to come back to me once I've gone through my own treatments. I have never given up a pet over illness, and I really don't want this to happen, but it seems that it is for both our benefit right now. So, any kindly rescues or fellow sugarcat guardians who know the drill...*sigh* It's sad. :sad:

Thank you all for your help!!! I've spent a lot of time here the past few weeks, learning all I can about his condition. I really appreciate your taking the time to consider all this.
 
Hi,

I can't offer any practical help (I'm in the UK!) but am really, really hoping you can find someone to foster the little guy...

Those blood glucose numbers really aren't too bad now that some of the dry food has been removed.
Am I right in thinking that he is still getting some dry for the 'crunch' factor? If so, then removing that may mean his blood glucose comes down even more... Who knows, he may even go into remission; quite a few cats do. (That would mean he could be a diet-controlled diabetic).

However, if you're not hometesting (testing blood glucose at home) it might be dangerous to remove any more of the dry food. That's because his blood glucose could drop lower and his need for insulin could decrease.

My cat is a big tough independent guy, and I thought he'd be impossible to test at home. He doesn't like to be held at all. But I crumble a few low carb treats and test him while he's munching on those. I can even test him when he's dozing in his basket. It doesn't hurt him at all...

Is there anyone here on FDMB who lives near you, I wonder...? I'm just wondering if there is someone who could show you what hometesting looks like. Please understand I'm not trying to put you under any pressure here; just exploring options...

Also, if your cat is flinching when you're trying to give the insulin shots it may just be that you're not pulling up the skin far enough. Don't be afraid to yank the loose skin waaaaay up and then give the shot into that 'tent'. In the early days I 'spiked' my cat a few times and he started getting nervous when I came to give him the next shot. And I lost confidence with giving shots for a short while. But we both soon got the hang of things. And I'm sure you would too.

Keeping fingers and paws crossed here that you find a solution that works for you both.

Big hug to you from the UK.

Eliz
 
A tool (not a cure) to help you with your problems are various relaxation and meditation methods. A good book which explains what your body does under stress, plus provides a simple tactic, is "The Relaxation Response", 2nd ed by Herbert Benson, MD. wehn I get into the office, I'll find the short explanation I wrote up and post it.

While working on a crisis hotline, I was able to use a relaxation breathing technique with a caller having a panic attack and successfully calm her down to the point we could communicate on 2 separate occasions.

As far as food and budget go, Friskies pates and Fancy Feast classic pates are in the low carb list and some of the least expensive. Cat Info states you may replace about 1/6 of the canned food with plain meat.
 
On the flinching with the shots, I have known some cats to have a problem with the syringes with the long (1/2 inch) needles. The short needles overcame that problem.

Also, your cat may be flinching at his skin being pulled for tenting. My cat's skin was so tight around his neck I couldn't tent there. Instead, my vet showed me how to shoot into the SubQ layer on his side or belly with the short needles. Straight in, 90 degrees, no tenting or skin pulling. He didn't mind the shots administered that way, and some caregivers say that side/belly shots of insulin absorb better and thus are more effective.
 
I've posted this on my fb and g+ accounts to see if there's anyone close by that is interested in taking him in for you.

In the meantime, I live close enough that I wouldn't mind at all driving up to help you out for a couple of hours with shooting techniques and other diabetes-related stuff to see if that helps make a difference for you. (I work during the week, so it'd have to be the weekend.)
 
Hi Elizabeth! Thanks so much for the tip about the 'tent'; we will try it. And you're exactly right, the only reason I haven't completely removed the dry food yet is that we haven't started bg home testing and I read it could be dangerous to take away all the carbs blindly. Soon, soon! Thanks again, and say hi to the UK for me! (Love it there!)

Hi Venita! I'll ask my vet about the shorter needles. Anything to reduce his stress *and* mine. My blood pressure is hovering at hospitalization levels. Are you associated with DCIN?

BJM, I've just started meds and therapy for this situational condition. Stress relief techniques are a part of it, but the therapist deemed me such an extreme case that she basically ordered me to find someone else to care for Jack, that I was so stressed that the techniques wouldn't be of much use in this state. It sucks that she's right about that. :(

KPassa, that is so sweet! We'll see if he's still with me, and go from there. I so appreciate the offer, and hope to find more diabetic cat guardians in the area - it would be great to have a local support group!

Thank you to all who are putting the word out regarding my situation. This is a great group!
 
Hi, all - just stopping by with updates on Captain Jack and our situation.

People are still looking for me, but we haven't been able to find anybody who could take him for a while. Came close with someone in my own town who has tended to a diabetic cat in the past, but she is unable to take him at this time. I have an offer from a dear friend to take him, but this friend has never dealt with a diabetic cat before, and I have a feeling things could go very wrong. :(

As for Jack, he seems to be doing okay for now. One problem is that he's not adjusting well to the concept of three meals a day: 2 meals + insulin shots, one meal to get enough calories into him. He does like his new wet food, but he just won't eat enough of it. 6-7 ounces is about all he'll eat, and I know that's not enough calories for him. Grrrr. When he gets hungry, he gets very cranky and tends to attack my other cat, who does *not* have diabetes. (I'm trying to switch her onto wet food as well, but she's even more difficult than he is.) Right now, I am feeding them Wellness Sliced Chicken Entree, which I know is higher in carbs than the pate, but neither one of them will eat the pate style food yet. I figure that the first priority is just to get them off the dry stuff.

I feel bad for my other cat. She's getting caught in the crossfire a lot. And my own health isn't great, with all the stress. I wish there were a way out of this.

Apparently this is part update, part venting. Sorry!! :(
 
sugarjack said:
I have an offer from a dear friend to take him, but this friend has never dealt with a diabetic cat before, and I have a feeling things could go very wrong. :(
Click to expand...
Most of us here had never dealt with a diabetic cat before our cats were diagnosed. It is a learning process for anyone who has never dealt with a diabetic cat. I was a basket case and with the help of this FDMB and all the members I am in control...! Your dear friend may be a good fit and wow! you have a very, very good friend there; anyone who offers to take in and take on a diabetic cat is a hero in my book :-D
 
sugarjack said:
As for Jack, he seems to be doing okay for now. One problem is that he's not adjusting well to the concept of three meals a day: 2 meals + insulin shots, one meal to get enough calories into him. He does like his new wet food, but he just won't eat enough of it. 6-7 ounces is about all he'll eat, and I know that's not enough calories for him. Grrrr. When he gets hungry, he gets very cranky and tends to attack my other cat, who does *not* have diabetes. (I'm trying to switch her onto wet food as well, but she's even more difficult than he is.) Right now, I am feeding them Wellness Sliced Chicken Entree, which I know is higher in carbs than the pate, but neither one of them will eat the pate style food yet. I figure that the first priority is just to get them off the dry stuff.

I feel bad for my other cat. She's getting caught in the crossfire a lot. And my own health isn't great, with all the stress. I wish there were a way out of this.

Apparently this is part update, part venting. Sorry!! :(
Click to expand...

Feel free to vent as much as you need to. Lending our ear is another thing we're good for. ;-)

As BJM said, if they were once grazers, you can still let them be grazers with wet food. Some tips are to add extra water to it so it doesn't dry out (plus it might help disguise the pate-style food for them better), use timed compartments, and to make "meatcicles" and freeze portions.

And my offer still stands. I have no problem driving out to help you get set up and try to reduce some of that stress for you, at least in the meantime until we can find a home for Jack.

Hang in there! :YMHUG:
 
Hi Wendy! Did you mean this site's Facebook page? I think you're right about adding the location - that would probably help. Thank you! *g*

TheBowHuntress - My dear friend is indeed a god amongst men!! He's come to my rescue more than once, so maybe I can prevail upon him one more time.

BJM & KPassa - I will keep those tips in mind! I definitely need to figure out more tricks to get him to eat *enough* food, because even when I leave the wet out for him all day/night, he just doesn't want to eat it all. Then he wakes up hungry and starts attacking my other cat...yikes. Things have been tense around here. Has anyone ever tried Feliway? Maybe that will calm him down. He usually goes into a attack-mode while I'm prepping their next meal.

KPassa, thank you so much for you offer! I work on the weekends and I'm trying to finish up a school semester, so it may not work out to meet up for a while, but I really, really appreciate your offer. It is so sweet!
 
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