Feeding question

I was wondering about free feeding wet food. I am having issues with Rupert on scheduled feedings and would like to try free feeding low carb wet food or even leaving out some YA dry food. I have 3 other civvies, so that complicates things. My main question is can you free feed an unregulated diabetic cat? If his brain is telling him he is hungry, even when full, won't he just keep eating? I hope that is not the case, but I fear that it might be. I am so tired of him being hungry all the time and howling for so many hours of the day. It is stressing him, me and the other civvies out! I have tried different feeding schedules, smaller meals more frequently, but settled on 3 a day. Is free feeding possible in my situation? I have read the thread, but there seems to be different opinions on it. Thanks in advance!

 

When Squeaker was first dx, the IM who was treating him told me to free feed him. Something you might want to discuss with your vet or maybe even more frequent smaller meals.

 

I think it just depends on the cat really. I would go with wetfood over dry food but just give it a try and see how he reacts. ifs he always starving then maybe he wants to self regulate but can't due to lack of food. Its important for diabetics to eat regularly, their bodies get used to certain feeding times and their BG's can be thrown off by messing around with them. You could look into getting a microchip feeder for him if it works out and you don't want the other cats eating his food.

You could also look into getting freeze dried chicken/turkey breast to give him. you can soak it in water for say 30 seconds and feed him some when he's hungry as a healthy snack although one of my cat likes it and one doesnt, i've only just started wetting them before feeding so that it doesnt dehydrate him since they are so dry.

 

Thanks for both your replies! I do give Rupert boiled, white meat chicken as a treat and sometimes a tablespoon before I go to bed. He would eat the dried chicken, he eats anything! I dropped a piece of lettuce yesterday and he even scarfed that up! I think I will try free feeding, I can always go back to his scheduled feedings if it is causing problems.

 

Should I pick up any food 2 hours prior to testing, so as not to influence the BG number?

 

According to GTS's post below you should and i bow to someone more experienced. I would recommend more testing though. I would test right before putting food down and try to keep feeding times to a schedule. I feed at 9am/pm and my cat seemed to get pretty used to it and i have been getting reliable tests at those times. I think cats have a very good internal clock and will probably make sure they are hungry going into feeding time or atleast we hope they will. since you are changing the diet frequent testing would be good for awhile atleast as they settle in to it.

 

A way to circumvent a kitty's tendency to hoover up anything in the bowl is to get a timed feeder. Some feeders have room in the bottom for an ice pack if you're concerned about spoilage.

 

Hi Lynn,
yes you need to pick up the food 2hr before amps and pmps, so that you know that the results you are seeing just prior to shooting the insulin are not being influenced by the food. If you are talking about mid cycle testing then no it doesn't matter.

 

Okay, thanks for all the great suggestions and advice everyone! So far, we do pretty well with 3 feedings a day, but I feed at +6, so worry that brings him out of his low, nadir numbers too soon. I tried twice a day, but he seemed to hungry, or at least was so used to having that third meal, he was not going to let me skip it! lol I wanted to try the free feeding not only for Rupert, but also for my civvies. They used to be such polite kitties, now they beg and jump on the counters too. I think they picked that up from Rupert. I know they are getting enough food, I calculate what they need and they have not lost weight, just seem to miss those carbs. Wish I could explain to them, that it is for their own good. Thanks again, I really appreciate your help!