Vacation issue

R

Rascalsmom3

Member Since 2019
I hope it’s ok to ask. We were planning on bringing our 16yo make diabetic cat with us on our family road trip. The drive is approx 16-18hrs. Our mid stop cabin has fallen through last minute so it would be straight through. Unfortunately we can’t cancel the trip as it’s related to a possible move. He’s very temperamental (stresses very easily) and my husband would prefer to have a house sitter just check in on him. My issue is that no one else can get a BG reading on him or give insulin, as he tends to go into a feral like mode. I don’t feel comfortable with him not having lantus insulin for the 6 days we’d be gone. His numbers have been very sporadic to me as well but I’m still learning. He is like my child and I worry so much about him. I would appreciate any advice. So far most don’t understand how far I’m willing to go for my fur baby.

I do have his readings in my signature I hope.
 
Do you have a vet clinic that does boarding or lodging? Or can you ask them for some recommendations of really experienced folks who can help? Sometimes vet clinic staff will help out for cash on the side. It never hurts to ask before making him take such a long ride that would stress him and you out. I would also hate the thought of not getting him insulin for 6 days.
 
I took Neko on the road a couple times, including one road trip of 9 ish hours each day for 3 days, there and back. There are quite a few motels out there that allow pets. My girl hated trips too. But once she figured out it wasn't a trip to the vet, she did settle down some. After the six days of driving, she was fine with trips after that! I sprayed her carrier with Feliway and gave her some Rescue Remedy for Pets. One of our members wrote a document on travelling with pets. Lots of good tips in there. Lisa had to commute each week to a different town for work, and her Leo went with her. He hated trips even more!

For dosing, I think you really need to start getting some mid cycle tests, to see how low the dose is taking him. I might reduce his dose to 0.25 units now with that 80 today.
 
Thank you everyone! We bought the rescue remedy. The feliaway and the calming collar. We have called the vet to see what our options are but our vet takes a long time to respond. I’ll keep looking for other options. I just worry that the stress will do more harm. I’m a worry wart by nature but this really has me worried. I tried mid-day BG readings but he got so agitated that he started to bite me at each reading so I backed off. I really do appreciate all the help here and I’ll look into everything.
 
A Thundershirt or close fitting harness like the Kitty Holster also has a calming effect. It worked really well when I took Neko on a car, plane, train, car trip, and returning back US Thanksgiving.
 
It’s a great idea that you guys are bringing your pet along. Most people are too ignorant to even think about the fact that their pets would feel lonely when staying at home for weeks! Anyways, the fact that your cat has diabetes is not something worth worrying about. You just have make sure to feed him on time and maybe pay more attention to him while on the trip. Last year when I was on a trip to Germany called die Deutsche Bahn , there were this couple who brought along a dog that had cancer too. And everything was great.
 
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Rascalsmom3 said:
I hope it’s ok to ask. We were planning on bringing our 16yo make diabetic cat with us on our family road trip. The drive is approx 16-18hrs. Our mid stop cabin has fallen through last minute so it would be straight through. Unfortunately we can’t cancel the trip as it’s related to a possible move. He’s very temperamental (stresses very easily) and my husband would prefer to have a house sitter just check in on him. My issue is that no one else can get a BG reading on him or give insulin, as he tends to go into a feral like mode. I don’t feel comfortable with him not having lantus insulin for the 6 days we’d be gone. His numbers have been very sporadic to me as well but I’m still learning. He is like my child and I worry so much about him. I would appreciate any advice. So far most don’t understand how far I’m willing to go for my fur baby.

I do have his readings in my signature I hope.
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I would take him with you. If he misses an insulin injection along the way, just consider it like a fur shot. I am sure both you and your cat would be much happier together. You could enjoy your vacation without having to worry how Rascal is doing. My cat travels with me. He let's me know how he feels about it at first but then he settles down and sleeps most of the trip.
 
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