We are very experienced in looking after diabetic cats at Catseye Cattery. We owned a cat ourselves who was diabetic and on daily insulin injections so we know all about the care and attention required and also understand the anxieties that can exist when handing over the care of your cat to someone else!
Even a normally very stable diabetic cat may become quickly unstable as a result of stress. We make every effort to help your cat settle in as quickly as possible into the cattery, but we will have to pay extra care and attention to ensure that he/ she is eating well and is happy.
Most diabetic cats that stay with us are happy, comfortable and have no problems at all while they are with us. We have put together a few hints and tips for your information before you bring your cat to stay with us.
- Even if your cat has very stable diabetes at home we recommend that you visit the vet to have a check-up within a few days of boarding for reassurance that everything is well.
- Make sure that you bring sufficient supplies of syringes and insulin with you. We will need enough syringes for the number of days boarding. Check the expiry date and the opening date of your insulin. It is a good idea to write the opening date on the box as it should ideally not be kept open for longer than 4 weeks. Insulin should always be kept in the fridge. Syringes should be single use only to prevent any risk of infection. We have sharps containers so no need to bring one with you.
- Make sure that you give us clear instructions about number of units to give, frequency and time of each dose. Let us know what your cat’s normal routine is, the time that the last insulin injection was given and how much your cat has eaten that day. As it is important to give insulin at specific times we keep a special Diabetes Management Chart to ensure that all information is carefully recorded and your cat is visited and checked frequently.
- Please do let us know if there is any important medical information or past history of any other conditions. It is most helpful if we have this information so that we are well informed if any medical problem arises while you are away. Make sure we have full contact details of your vet and also be aware of their emergency out of hours cover and costs.
- Finally please make sure that we have full details of your vet surgery and contact details for you while you are away.
With all of that in place you will be able to go away, relax and enjoy your holiday. We are more than happy to keep in touch with you by telephone, e-mail or text so that you have the reassurance that all is well.