? Safe weight loss for fat diabetic kitty?

Would love to hear from anyone who has experience of safely slimming down their diabetic cat...

It's very likely that I'll be fostering a diabetic kitty for a UK animal rescue charity, starting middle/end of next week after she's had a 'curve' at the vets.
The poor love seems to have so much stacked against her. She's overweight (not able to groom herself properly). She's only ever eaten dry food and doesn't recognise wet food as 'food'. And she's on Caninsulin (something that I am unable to change because she won't be my cat...)

The only thing in her favour would seem to be that I can hometest her (well, hopefully, but she doesn't know me at all and...she is a tortie...)

The vet has put her on 'prescription' dry food (Hill's M/D and W/D....)
I have a sort of a starting plan, which is to transition her to a better and lower carb dry food to meet her calorific requirement, and also at the same time to try to tempt her with some low carb (and low fat) wet foods, just to see if anything interests her.

I am very nervous of getting this totally wrong and causing her harm. I know that weight loss has to be done very carefully with diabetic kitties, and that insufficient calories can lead to some extremely serious health issues.
I've read and re-read info from sites such as Catinfo.org, but I would love to hear from anyone who has actually had real practical experience of safely getting their diabetic kitty to lose weight. I feel like a newbie again, and need all the advice I can get, haha!

Thanks in advance, dear people...

Eliz

 

I can’t help with the weight loss I am sorry. But I think you are wonderful taking on another FD kitty Elizabeth. What a lucky girl that kitty is. I hope you can tempt her with suitable foods and eventually get her changed over to a better insulin.
I had a Tortie years ago and she was a gorgeous placid affectionate girl. Hope yours is too.
Please post pics!
Bron

 

Not with my FD kitty but I have my civvie on a weightloss diet now. I would suggest investing in a baby scale if you don’t already have one. Aim for just a few ounces of weightloss per week.
Good luck! What a good thing you’re doing

Edit: 1-2% of current body weight per week should be safe. Also here is a very good article from Dr Pierson
https://catinfo.org/feline-obesity-an-epidemic-of-fat-cats/#Implementing_a_Safe_Weight-Loss_Program