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I am looking for someone who has a cat with diabetes who would be willing to give advice about critical things that must be done when your cat has diabetes. The vet who diagnosed our cat simply sent in a pres:cription to a pharmacy,...and gave us little advice on food we should be feeding, how to monitor his glucose levels, not even what would be the appropriate needle length and gauge for the insulin pen that was prescribed. Any and all information would be appreciated.

I have a diabetic cat, he is now in remission.  
I am not a veterinarian, but can give you some advice as to what worked for me. Want me to post here, or in private message?

I would do it in private if you tell me how to do so, but if you want to just post here, that would be fine. I'm just looking for info from someone who has some experience dealing with feline diabetes.  
 
Edited by Concernedcatmom, 2025-06-23 19:25:20

We had a female cat that was diagnosed with diabeties atthe age of 12. We fed her low protien cat food from the vet. She was fine but we had to finally put her to sleep when she was 27 years old !!!

Thank you for the tip about the food. I had thought that it would be low carbohydrate food, not low protein.  
I can only hope our cat has as long as life as yours.  
Thanks again.  
 
Edited by Concernedcatmom, 2025-06-23 19:54:32

I had a diabetic cat. I purchased from the vet an insulin tester as it was specifically for cats and dogs. I did end up using my dad's left over needles to do the poke.  
 
It took me lots of practice to get the blood test poke right and I felt bad for my poor kitty. You poke them in their ear and after awhile you could see all the marks.  
 
I hate needles, but again practice, practice, practice. I found it worked best to give him insulin when he was eating. I could just grab his rough and inject him.  
 
I don't recall what we did about food. I was lucky my cat was pretty docile and loving. If I had to go through all that with the cat I have now, I don't think we could manage.  
 
Good luck. Just be patient with your cat and yourself

Disclaimer: I have no experience with a diabetic cat. I was surprised to hear that your vet didn't give you more information and advice. I'm guessing that you will be doing follow up with this chronic condition and hopefully your next visit will be more productive. At least you will have had time to organize your thoughts and maybe write down any questions you have. In the meantime there is quite a lot of information online and I found this from the Merck manual on feeding. https://www.merck-animal-health-usa.com/vetsulin/cats/nutrition-for-cats-with-diabetes

Thank you so much for the website.  
We're very disappointed in the support we have received from the vet who diagnosed him, and are looking for any vet recommendations to one who would show a little more compassion for our situation.

I sent you two private messages, are you able to open them?

She was adopted and after a few years she became diabetic. Our vet was extremely understanding and despite our hesitations to buy the 'Purina Diabetic Management' wet cat food, we saw the results quickly. We cut out the dry food (it's full of fillers and salt) and only gave her 1/2 of a can of wet food, twice a day, upon the vets recommendation.  
 
It was an adjustment for the cat, as she was used to having unlimited access to food. Her intake was healthier which resulted in a healthier outtake and she had more energy and used the litter box less.  
 
We caught the diabetes early and were lucky enough to have her go into remission. She lived a happy life after that and continued on the same diet. Eventually we lost her to cancer, but I would strongly suggest considering switching the diet around if you can.  
 
Also, we were using needles to insert insulin and were having to poke her ear regularly to draw blood for testing. While she didn't enjoy the process, she understood it helped her. If your vet didn't give you specific advice on how to administer things, try giving their front desk a call and staff there are usually helpful.  
 
All the best with your cats journey.

Thank you so much for the information. We are trying to switch our cat, but he doesn't like canned food, and is a little fussy about what he eats. I really appreciate that you took the time to reach out. Like you, we are trying to give our boy the help he needs.

I did have a kitty who was diabetic, with food, insulin, and weight loss he went into remission. I would be willing to help give you some pointers and info. Also really recommend the sub on Reddit r/felinediabetes this site is also helpful https://catinfo.org/feline-diabetes/