What do I need to bring kitty home?

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One of our members put this together for people in the US.
The Relion meter is specific to Walmart in the US. If you are outside the US, we can recommend a different meter. The vet may recommend a pet meter. Be forewarned: the strips are crazy expensive. A human meter will work just fine. That is what all of the vets used before a company saw a market for a pet-specific meter.
Hometesting is how you keep your cat safe.
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ReliOn Prime glucometer - $9
ReliOn Prime test strips - $18 for 100
ReliOn Lancets 26 G (or 28 if unavailable) - $1-2 for 100
ReliOn Lancing Device (optional) - $5
Travel-size Vaseline - $1
Neosporin Ointment + Pain Relief (ointment only, NOT cream) - $6
Cotton Pads (optional) - $2


Hypo Kit Supplies:

Karo Syrup - $3
Ketone Test Strips (Ketostix) - $6
A few cans of Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Marinated Morsels/Sliced in Gravy/Grilled in Gravy varieties - $0.60 each (these are your medium-carb cans)
A few cans of Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers/Medleys Tuscany/Medleys Gravy in Sauce varieties - $0.60 each (these are your high-carb cans)

Medium Carb is 11-15%
High Carb is 16%+
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Insulin – do you know which insulin the cat is using?
Syringes – some insulins require a U40 syringe and some require U100 syringes. The syringes are not interchangeable.

Food: under 10% carbs is best for a diabetic cat but do not change food until you are hometesting. Just a change to lower carb food can drop a cat's numbers significantly. Food switching should be done slowly with a diabetic cat.
A lot of people feed Fancy Feast or Friskies pates.
A food list put together by a reputable vet can be found here:
There are very few dry foods that are considered low carb. Dr. Elsey's Clean Protein is one. Young Again is another (the company will send you a sample if you ask).

Thank you for considering adopting a diabetic cat. There is a wealth of information and experience on this forum. We can help you every step of the way.
 
That's wonderful, I love hearing stories about adoption, particularly the sweet older sugar kitties :bighug:

What insulin will you be using?

I'm sure others will add to the list but here's what I have on hand:
Blood glucose meter (human one is just fine)
Test strips
Lancets
Cotton balls and/or makeup eye cleaner rounds (to hold behind the ear when you poke and then to hold on the ear)
karo (corn syrup) or honey
Range of medium and high carb wet food (medium carb is around 10-15%, high carb is over 15%) depending on how carb sensitive the cat is
Ketostix to test for ketones

I'm probably missing some things, but that's a start anyway :)

Post when you get your kitty we'd love to meet him.
 
WELCOME TO FDMB and THANK YOU for giving a diabetic kitty a chance! :bighug:
We do hope you come back so we can get to know you both. It looks like your questions have been answered. Please dont forget to come back if you need further assistance.
Theres a wealth of information here with good people to help you navigate it all.

WELCOME TO OUR FAMILY:bighug:
jeanne
 
I switched my diabetic cat from dry to wet overnight and was glad to have MIRALAX (generic is cheaper and the same) in the house. It's a good thing to have on hand just in case stools get hard or stop coming.
 
Cat Caregiver said:
I switched my diabetic cat from dry to wet overnight and was glad to have MIRALAX (generic is cheaper and the same) in the house. It's a good thing to have on hand just in case stools get hard or stop coming.
Click to expand...
Canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, also works for both constipation & diarrhea.

Also, if possible, try to change all of your cats' food over to a low carb canned food diet if any are eating dry. This will make it easier for you to make sure your new one does not sneak anyone else's food and also reduces the risk of any of the other cats developing FD.
 
I cant express enough how important the above members have mentioned. Switching over to a low carb wet (canned) food BEFORE introducing insulin can make a huge difference to a diabetic kitty. BUT if hes already been on insulin, this switch MUST be done SLOWLY. The removal of dry food all at once, can drop a diabetic cat into dangerously low numbers. The fact that you intend to home test his blood glucose will be important to this switch. We will help you every inch of the way to achieve the best possible outcome for your new charge!

AND THANK YOU AGAIN for giving this extra sweet kitty a fighting chance! :bighug:
j
 
Yes. Very important to go slow when switching foods. I switched Oliver all at once only because his BG was so awfully high and he wouldn't eat the old stuff. I should have said that in my post. I don't want to lead anyone astray. Sorry.
 
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