Should I indulge my elderly diabetic cat?
By Suzieqmom
@Suzieqmom (2755)
United States
December 29, 2010 7:58am CST
My oldest cat, Simba, is a beautiful orange Maine (c)oon who is almost 15 years old. He has been diabetic for 10 years, on insulin all that time. He also has pancreatic disease and inflammatory bowel disease. He has severe cataracts and has significant loss of vision (but is not blind). Other than that, he is still happy and playful, loves to be petted, can still hop up on the couch and climb the stairs, and swat at our new kitten, but he is slowing down significantly and sleeps a LOT, even for a cat, and is losing some weight.
Because of his diabetes and IBD, he is on a strict diet of prescription canned and dry food. He will willingly eat his special dry food, but hates his canned food, and is constantly trying to eat one of the other cat's food. Normally we don't let him, but now I am wondering if we should let him indulge now and again. We have switched his insulin type 3x over the years (as well as the dosage) and there is no other insulin type to try, so I think that this may be the beginning of the end. So I am trying to decide whether I should be strict with his diet, in the hopes of prolonging his life, which is still of a high quality, or just let him eat the other cats' food sometimes, to make him happy.
What would you do? Any advice is appreciated!
1 person likes this
2 responses
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
29 Dec 10
That is a really hard call. I'd guess that the canned food doesn't have the strong scent the other food does. Can you talk to your vet about maybe mixing a spoonful of the other food in his canned food to up the flavor, or maybe mixing in some fish flakes or the like.
I would talk to your vet about it, but 15 years with 10 of them getting twice daily shots and meds, you need to think about what he (Simba) might want. If he's losing ground - and weight loss is an indication that he's starting to - it might be time to think of some last indulgences to make him happy.
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
31 Dec 10
I got him some kitten food, because it smells and tastes better (to him) and the vet said that had higher protein/less carbs than some other food, but he doesn't want to eat that either. He only wants to eat what the other cats are eating--out of their bowls.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
29 Dec 10
I would say just give him a treat once in a while. For instance for a rewardt That is not indulging him. To indulge him you would be giilng that treat every day or for no reason. I would stick to the dried cat food and not use the canned food. He can probably smell the difference between that and his own cat food. Since the other cats may not be getting a dry cat food, he does not have any feelings in that regard.
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
31 Dec 10
They all get canned and dry food, and the canned is actually much better for him. And he has eaten the same food (canned & dry) for years--it is only lately that he has refused to eat it. I do give him treats every so often, but again, they are dry, not so good for a diabetic. It is very tough when they get to be this age.
