Kitty has diabetes

[PinkBike]

My baby, Morris, is a "raging diabetic," we just found out. She was soooooo fat then we limited her to dry food and she went from 15 pounds to 9. We thought that was a good thing but her coat started to get ratty-looking and she started spraying. We started feeding her canned food again but her behaviour didn't change. She was so pitiful, she just seemed to be starving all the time and we were feeding her like crazy. So a trip to the vet. She said 6 pounds weight loss is extreme, they normally get 1 - 2 pounds when they put a cat on a diet.

So yesterday we started insulin shots twice a day along with prescription diet. Hopefully we'll see a change within two weeks.

I feel guilty about what she went thru, like did i cause this or did i wait too long? I knew you guys would understand. Guys at work have a very different view about how to remedy her condition.

[mimitabby]

I don't know if this is going to help you or not, but this is a topic near and dear to my heart. "Good" cat food is not what cats should be eating. Cats are carnivores and if what you are feeding her is a mix of rice, corn, wheat and meat by products she's getting too many carbs. cats can do well on very high protein diets (like 100%)
Over the years I have lost more than 1 cat due to problems that i believe are caused by the commercial cat food diet. I even switched to the expensive brands and they still gained too much weight!

So when I got yet another "Chowhound" easy keeper cat; she was overweight before she was a year old. Rather than watch her turn into a ball of blubber and then watch her die young from a food related disease, I started feeding my cats 50% raw meat. My oldest cat just won't make the switch, but Enza, my chubby cat and Aggie happily scarf down ground chicken (whole chicken, including bones and hearts and livers) every day. I also feed them dry cat food because they're used to it. I'm hoping that for my cats, at least this will be an answer.

The science diet (or whatever it is) is probably a lot better for your cat than what you were feeding her, and I hear cats do very well on insulin.
Good luck.

[Blueberry]

My aunt has a kitty who has been on insulin shots for YEARS. He jumps up and waits for his shot. Doesn't seem to bother him a bit. He's happy and (otherwise) healthy.

CA

[SouthernBelle]

Cats are much easier to give shots to than people! My late, great Tuff Kitty was diabetic. If I was late with her shot, she would come and get me. If I was on time, she would run. I think she thought she was funny.

But shot time turned into our cuddle time together.

[jobob]

My dear long-departed Bozo Kitty was diabetic. It was no problem at all with the insulin shots. He liked getting them because he knew he'd be fed soon after.

[bikerchick68]

Pink... I understand your feelings of guilt... but remember that animals hide illness VERY well until they're very, very sick. In nature if they show any sign of illness they become prey... so it's not that you waited too long... my cat Gabi had cancer and seemed fine one day and then a week later she was skinny. The vet said she'd probably had cancer a long time but there is no way we could have known.

Hope the meds and diet help...

[PinkBike]

wow, you guys are great, thanks so much for the responses!
here's the little brat helping (?) me with an embroidery project.