Living with a Diabetic Pet

This beautiful feline is "Emmy". She is a senior citizen at 19 years of age and has been living with diabetes for over 7 years now. I am fortunate enough to be able to take care of Emmy when her mom goes out of town, and they have both taught me so much! Thanks to them, not only have I become quite the expert at administering insulin shots, but I have also been the lucky recipient of Emmy's loving, extremely patient spirit. Moreover, I am grateful to Cindy (Emmy's mom) for renewing my faith in humans with her unwaivering TLC and persistence in accepting the challenges of this role.

Cindy was kind enough to pass on the following tips she has learned over the years:

1. The good news is that a diabetic pet can live a long and happy life!
2. Find a vet that you can trust and who thoroughly understands your pet- you need to know what to expect when your pet gets too much or too litle insulin.
3. The level of insulin required does not remain constant. As an animal ages and loses weight, the dosage will decrease.
4. Make sure your pet has had a full meal before giving insulin - this alone could cause an overdose.
5. It is possible to either give too much insulin (overdose) or give too little (underdose). Over time, you will learn what type of behavior your pet exhibits in both situations. If an overdose has occurred, make sure you have Karo syrup on hand. Rubbing some on your pet's gums is the first response to an overdose. You should also do everything possible to keep your pet safe, like temporarily confining them to a small area, as their behavior will not be normal.

For more detailed information on animal diabetes, visit www.noah-health.org/en/healthy/pet/disease/diabetes.html.

If you live in Raleigh, check out our website: www.noplacelikehomepetsitting.org.

Feral Cats Are Special

I was NOT a "cat person" when I first met my husband and thought his hobby of caring for a feral cat colony extremely odd. Well, that was then - this is now! I am presently owned by several felines (couldn't imagine life without them!) and have also had the opportunity to observe and learn quite a bit about the cats who reside in my husband's colony. He has been caring for the same group of cats for over 10 years now, which is deemed quite a success in the world of ferals. You see, feral cats are the victims of our society and the carelessness of humans who, over time, have not spayed/neutered their pets. Their life span is not ususally very long, due to the harsh obstacles they must overcome on a daily basis to survive in this overpopulated world.

If caught young enough, these homeless creatures can easily be domesticated. Even if not caught quite so young, and someone is willing to put in the time, they can be domesticated, just not quite so easily. Moreover, some ferals will retain some of their unique traits when living with a human, like their non-trust of people in general, unusual eating habits born from days of not knowing from where or when their next meal will come, and their tendency to bond with just one person in the family. Despite these behavioral quirks, they are worthy of our attention as a responsible, conscientious society.

BTW, the cat at the top of this blog is "Moses", a former feral who was lucky enough to be snagged from my husband's colony when he was young. This beautiful feline now happily resides with our next-door neighbors! If you would like more information about ferals and hear more success stories, visit the following websites: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/marvelous-molly.html; www.alleycat.org; www.feralfriends.org.

If you live in Raleigh, check out our website: www.noplacelikehomepetsitting.org