What to do with feisty cat?

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Berta and Louise

Berta and Louise

Member Since 2016
Louise is sweet, but feisty. I have not yet been able to do the glucose test - I came close today - but I really needed to pay more attention to the advice here, and massage and heat up the ears. Hopefully - tomorrow!

She is fighting this every step of the way, although we are remaining pretty calm, overall. We are a little upset when it doesn't go right, but she is eating great, trying a spoonful of wet food, and the lower carb food - so for 4 days, it isn't too bad.

My questions are - has anyone found a way to calm your cat, pre-glucose and shots? I can remember using a clothes pin on one of my cats on the scruff of the neck when we had to give fluids - it seemed to make him really sit. He was also a sweet but feisty cat. Supposedly, the clothespin on the neck scruff mimics the mother picking them up as a kitten.

Are there any medications, natural remedies, or anything else that you have tried? We are willing to try anything that will not harm her. I'm always leery of medications when I don't know the side effects. Thank you! I can't tell you how much we appreciate the support we have received from this group!!
Berta and Louise
 
Here's something I wrote up for others that needed help with testing...maybe it'll help you too! (I'm sure some of this is repeated information but it's easier to copy/paste than to re-write the whole thing)

It can be really helpful to establish a routine with testing. Pick one spot that you want your "testing spot" to be (I like the kitchen counter because it's got good light and it's at a good height....it also already blocked 2 escape routes due to the wall and the backsplash) It can be anywhere though...a rug on the floor, a table, a particular spot on the couch...wherever is good for you. Take him there as many times a day as you can and just give his ears a quick rub and then he gets a yummy (low carb) treat. Most cats aren't objecting so much with the poking..it's the fooling with their ears they don't like, but once they're desensitized to it and learn to associate a certain place with the treats, they usually start to come when they're called! Or even when they hear us opening the test kit!

You also have to remember...you're not poking him to hurt him...you're testing him to keep him safe and understand what's going on inside his body. There's just nothing better than truly understanding what's going on inside your kitty's body and with this disease, the more knowledge you have, the more power you have against it. The edges of the ears have very few pain receptors, so it really doesn't hurt them. Also, if you're nervous and tense, it's going to make your kitty nervous and tense too. As silly as it might seem, try singing! It forces you to use a different part of your brain!

It's also important to make sure his ear is warm. A small sock filled with a little rice and microwaved or a small pill bottle filled with warm water (check temp against your wrist like you would a baby bottle) works well.

When you're first starting, it's also important to use a lower gauge lancet, like 25-28 gauge. Most of the "lancet devices" come with 33 gauge lancets and they are just too tiny to start with. The bigger lancets (that are lower numbers) make a bigger "hole". As you poke more and more, the ears will grow new capillaries and will be easier and easier to get blood from...we call it "learning to bleed"

Finding the right "treat" will be a great help too! Freeze dried chicken, bonito flakes, little pieces of baked chicken...whatever low carb treat you can find that he really enjoys will help him to associate the testing with the treat! China's Achilles heel was baked chicken, so I'd bake a piece, chop it into bite sized pieces, put some in the refrigerator and freeze the rest to use as needed. It didn't take long for her to come any time I picked up the meter!
 
I touched Rosie's ears a lot when I wasn't testing to get her used to it, also picked up her skin without jabbing because she didn't like that either! I never thought I would be able to do either without her fighting me but I got there, just needs patience and you being calm as it sounds like you are.
Also now the days are warmer, I try to catch Rosie when she has been sitting in the sun, that way her ears are already warm! Xxx
 
Are you trying to restrain the cat for testing? They hate that and will always fight. I set up all of the supplies, as well as her feeding. She now associates feeding time with testing time. I just set her on the counter, apply some warm heat to the ear, prick and test. She purrs the hole time. She is petted, kissed and praised for her cooperation. It seems to work in my household. Good luck from Jane and Stewey
 
Yes, we do restrain her, because she never sits still for very long. She is a jumpy girl, and has been that way since we knew her as a kitten in the shelter. But I did manage to get the testing yesterday - YAY! Her blood glucose was 248 - much better than the 401 at the vet's last Friday. And she is eating, and letting us give her shots.
I wish we could do it without restraining her....
 
Someone mentioned a box and blankets or towels. She may sit in a box for you? Have you tried getting everything ready then just putting her on your lap petting her until she relaxes and then doing her ear, giving a treat?
 
While you work on the home testing, you may find the Secondary Monitoring Tools in my signature link helpful.
 
Part of our "testing difficulties" in the early days was that Radar had never really had to be restrained for any reason up to that point in his life. He really strongly objected to our restraints. We took the very patient one step at a time approach and always gave yummy treats (low carb of course) after restraining. Outside of the very necessary restraints at testing time - We started desensitizing him with a brief milimoment and then lengthened the time to a moment and then two and then three, etc until he felt more comfortable. It took months but now there is no restraint required. He just sits patiently and waits until we are done with our strange human work.
 
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