How to fill a Diabetic Cat

[BogusCatAndTheFuzz]

So Old Boys been diagnosed with diabetes about a month ago, and a bladder infection. Was very poorly for a few days, then spaced out on one of the meds he was on.

He's now seriously bounced back.

However he is constantly begging for food, yowling from the minute we get in the door, every time we go anywhere the kitchen (we have a open plan house so any time we move it starts.)

He was previously on dry food, and while he enjoyed it, he self regulated.

He's now on wet food and if he had his way would eat constantly.

Seriously before this if we gave them, (have Girl Cat too) roast chicken for example, he'd let her have some of his, now he's body slamming her out of the way.

He's having a full packet of wet food in the morning, a snack of cooked meat at 'lunch' time another full pack as soon as we get in from work, and then either another snack or a 2/3's small tin of tuna.
I think it was chancing his arm, but I caught him stealing leftover roast peeper last night. That made for an interesting litter tray this am. . . [yuck]

He's medium sized, he's drinking but not excessively. He's getting out and about, he's always been very social, I did wonder if maybe he'd been getting food elsewhere previously and I had a false idea of what his normal was but he's back to his wandering ways.

He did lose a bit of weight when ill, and is re-gaining but slowly.

What I'm asking is there anything else we can give him, obviously I don't want to overfed him, he's 15 so doesn't need anything else wrong.

Unfortunately our vet is on long term sickness, and I really can't get on with her replacement. She talks around every question, can't really get a straight answer from her. I asked advice the last time, and was fobbed off with, well you know him best. I get that I do but this seems excessive amount of food, and not his normal.

As I said he's 15 I want to keep him as healthy as possible, I realise with his age and this diagnosis we might only have a few more years. But I also want him to be happy.

Seriously the meowing is heartbreaking, and I'm really not a soft touch. . .

Any advice?

at 15 it might not be food hes meowing for he might have a touch of dementia and has actually forgotten he has eaten, i would also go back to the vets to see if hes on the right dosage of meds, maybe break his food down to several smaller meals a day so he dosent get over hungry and if hes grabbing the other cats food feed them in seperate rooms so both get the same amount

How are his sugars 6 hours post injection and have you had a fructosamine done recently? Always hugely suspicious in diabetic cats who are hugely hungry, but not gaining weight that things are not as stable as we would like.
Also there are those diabetic cats who go and get hyperthyroidism as well so this would be something else I would be checking out too.

Have had a trying 6 months with rescue cat and diabetes. He started by losing weight and begging for food, and getting wobbly back legs. He had many many weekly glucose curves to get his insulin dosage right, and went onto Royal canin feline diabetic food. The wet food is eye wateringly expensive. He was having free access to the dry and a pouch in the evening. Down to half a pouch now as he gained his weight back, stopped begging and is on his way to fat! He is injected twice a day with 6units.

I would say if your cat is still starving then he is not yet stable, or there's another issue.

Hi and thanks all.

He's have regular; 2 weekly fructosamine bloods and I'm testing his urine at home and it's ok-ish

Ironically I'm an ex Nurse who used to work in Diabetes.

His thyroid function seems to be ok, it was fine when it was first done but I asked them to repeat it, and again well within normal limits.

I've been working from home for a few days, I did wondered about the Dementia thing, as I'm sure GirlCat is heading that way. Her personality has totally changed, she used to be very very shy, several of our friends have only just seen her as she used to hide and hide well when anyone visited. If she is confused, she a happy confused and benefiting from BoyCats new diet

But as I said I've been home for a few days and he was whimpering in his sleep . But roast Chicken solved that.

We're trying 4 smaller meals.