Bringing a Barn Cat Into the House

[Melvin]

I took my barn cat to the vet last week. His blood work showed high levels of glucose, so they had me bring him back for a fructosamine test. This test tells us the average level of glucose in the cat's blood over a two-week period. This value was also high, so the vet diagnosed my cat with diabetes.

He's been prescribed insulin. I'm afraid he will run whenever it's insulin time, and you have to be pretty accurate with the dosage times. So, I want to bring him into the house. He lived indoors for a while when he was young, but it's been a while. Do you all have any ideas about how I can make the transition an easy one for him?

 

[Smarty Plants]

I hope your cat starts feeling better. Do you have other indoor cats? If so, you might want to isolate him so he can get his bearings without worrying about the others. Catios help, but that's not always realistic since they're costly. A room with windows he can access and a sturdy cat tree should help. Be prepared for lots of meowing and darting towards the door at first.

 

[Amanda]

You could try adding some Feliway diffusers in the areas he'll be in. It mimics their pheromones and it's supposed to be calming. Good on you for noticing your barn cat was in distress and for taking him to the vet!