—Jake: Listen Cupcake, don’t I get royalties for these articles?
He is definitely a cat with an attitude.
Long time readers know I have an old diabetic cat named Jake. He has been diabetic for several years. He’s 16 and in good health most of the time.
He’s my second sugar cat which is what they call diabetic cats. I knew the routine. Prior to his diagnosis, I couldn’t even pill him let alone give him shots and test his blood glucose.
After the diagnosis, things changed.
When Jake came to join the household, I always said that he wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer. It took him several years to figure out the front door and back door came into the same house.
Personally, I think he did this to keep my expectations of him low.
He has his idiosyncrasies which require more work for me. He is a meticulously clean cat – never dirty or stinky. He demands a clean litter box. He would prefer that no one use his litter box except him. Try telling the other cats that!
I clean those boxes twice a day. There is a punishment for not keeping it clean. He will hoist over the edge and piddle on the outside.
Of course he tells me his equipment is too big for the box but I think that’s what all males say.
He was diagnosed when he lost 25% of his weight in a couple of months. He also developed neuropathy in his back legs. That means they didn’t work and he would drag them along. It was heart-breaking to see.
With a heavy heart and a lighter pocketbook, we started insulin. Cats metabolize faster than people which is why they don’t get sick from bad food as frequently as we do. That also means that the shots were administered twice a day because the insulin metabolized faster too.
So….would he cooperate?
Somehow in his pea brain he knew something. He knew this was a good thing because he wasn’t feeling so chipper.
I had no trouble with the shots at all. Easy peasy. Lickety split.
Since they were given roughly 12 hours apart with breakfast and dinner I wasn’t inconvenienced. If we went out for dinner it was easy to adjust the timing. For vacation he gets boarded so I don’t worry at all.
It took a while to stabilize him and we discovered that he didn’t do so well on the cat insulin. Nope! Not my cat. He needed people insulin.
That would be Lantus — the expensive stuff. Whadda cat! Cha-ching, cha-ching!
Now many years later, it’s all rote. He even jumps up on the chair for the glucose test which I rarely need to do.
But what is most amazing (and this is what this post is really about) is that he can communicate how he feels.
I didn’t get it at first. I’ve had this cat a long time and I know his habits and reactions. He eats twice a day with maybe a nosh of hard kibble during happy hour. That’s it. He doesn’t beg for food. He doesn’t steal it off counters.
Hey Cupcake! I need some help here!
One day he is yelling his fool head off. I have no idea what’s going on. He’s stalking his empty dish. It’s not food time.
Suspecting that he knew something I didn’t, I checked his blood glucose which was 30. For anyone unfamiliar with the numbers, your glucose reading (same for cats) should be between 75 and 150. A little higher won’t hurt but when it plummets very low there are serious consequences which includes coma and death.
The little bugger was telling me he needed carbs to up his glucose and he needed them NOW. What a smart cat.
I have a diabetic friend who can regulate by how he feels so maybe this isn’t unusual….unless you are a cat who speaks very limited, highly accented English.
Jake: Damn! Where did I put my stash! It’s here somewhere. Ahhhh! Catnip! Life is good!
Views and Mews by Coffee Kat 
I’m glad to hear that Jake’s doing well and can help detect what’s ailing him. It’s so sad when you know there’s something wrong and you just wish your cat or dog (or whatever) could tell you. That’d make life a little less stressful. 😉
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I wish his English was better but after all these years, I can sometimes figure it out.
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I always enjoy your cat stories, and especially the ones about Jake. It’s kind of awe-inspiring that he is able to convey to you when he needs his blood sugar checked, and when he needs a carb-induced adjustment. It’s impossible to understand how much these little guys worm their way into our hearts (oh yes, and our pocketbooks). 🙂
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He has a personality about him that can be endearing and annoying but it’s all Jake. I know you love your pups too and yes they worm their way into our hearts and pocketbooks.
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They really are so smart aren’t they? It amazes me how they communicate their needs but it also takes someone who is aware of their world to notice too. Unfortunately not all people are tuned in to the signs that surround them every day about life! I knew Coco was more sick than originally suspected because suddenly she was sleeping on my head every night! It was 30 out, hot and humid, why was she sleeping on my head! Because she had a tummy ache!
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Sometimes we don’t understand but they are trying to tell us as best as they can. Glad that Coco is better.
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You can test his blood and give a shot? It’s amazing what moms can do.
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You can do anything if you have to.
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Just love the blackness of your cat. I’m sure he is worth every penny to get people’s meds. You are such a good mumsy.
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He is definitely worth it.
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Your relationship with Jake is so special. He’s so smart and cute too and you two know each other so well it’s uncanny.
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That’s part of the connection. I think he knows me too. This is what happens when you spend 16 years with the same cat.
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Lucky Jake.. he’s got you.
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Lucky me. I got that ornery, self-centered, lovable cat.
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True! But you know Kate there aren’t a whole lot of owners that would give him those extra years!
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That’s what my husband says. Jake was very comforting when I went through cancer treatments many years ago. He would come and purr on my stomach when I was sad and sleep on the bed when I couldn’t sleep. I owe him.
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Kate.. I understand. I had a kitty that got me through a very difficult time. I will be doing some extra reading about Jake at your blog.
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That Jake, he’s smart, just like his Momma! He’s so cute too!
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Except for his attitude of course. Gotta go, I hear him calling.
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Oh, he wants his Momma!
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Not likely. He probably needs me to fluff his pillow or clean the litter box yet again.
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one clever cat you’ve got there … or maybe just in tune with his inner needs
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We should all be that lucky.
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I love Jake. Smart enough to find the right home. (Granny feels similar about litter boxes and if it’s not clean she’ll token get her front end in and that’s it….there’s a sea of papers over plastic around her box in her current suite….not that anyone would fail to notice a deposit has been made…RC is most displeased.)
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Oh yes, I am quite familiar with doggie piddle pads. Best thing since sliced bread!
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hmmm, Much better than newspaper…..if only Granny would pick a spot and keep to it…..meanwhile wide beaches of paper around box. Considering…(but not taking her out for pizza, No.)
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What a smart sugar cat! Wonderful story of love and patience! Cats are amazing, aren’t they?
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Yes they are!
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What a cat!! He’s not as dull as you thought huh – I have a cat that goes out the back door and in the front door – only! It’s just the way it is. Though I do tend to make the same toolbox statement about him that you use for Jake.
My daughter’s cat who has just gone through a near-death experience and who took one vet and three vet assistants to hold down despite his near death state so they could administer the drugs, has suddenly become most cooperative about all medicinal advances on his person. We think it is because he understands.
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Somewhere under all those addled feline beliefs is a kernel of understanding. Glad the cat can be medicated because 4 people is a lot to have on hand.
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Jake is the cream puff to your cupcake! I’m glad that he was able to let you know that he needed carbs NOW!
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My husband says I’m the same way when I need chocolate!
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Kate, I feel like you posted this for me to read :). What a cutie! But so scary to have his glucose plummet like that! My vet and I are still trying the diet out here for Mac. Then I expect to check his glucose from the new diet and even a little purposeful weight loss within a week. Keeping my fingers crossed, but your post is heartening! xo
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Good luck. At first we tried weaning him off all dry cat food and switching the wet to a healthier variety. It’s hard with multiple cats because he just ate their food and they hated the healthy stuff. I did keep him off the dry stuff for about a year or so but another vet told me they no longer believe that dry cat food contributes unless high in carbs. There are low carb varieties out now. End of story, Jake is back on his Friskies/Fancy Feast which he loves and he occasionally will nosh on the dry stuff. He also loves roasted chicken which I will give him when we get a rotisserie chicken for dinner. (Yes, he has me trained, doesn’t he?)
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You are like my husband with the cat food! I am the bitch-in-charge. Mean as heck. And keeping my fingers crossed. Sigh.
(I hate being mean).
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Can I borrow you for a month? Jake is fine and thin but Hazel really needs to lose at least 8 pounds. I am no match for her wiliness.
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Oh just send Hazel over ;).
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She is on her way. She is also bringing some snacks to hide around the house.
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Ah, Jake sounds like a great cat. I can’t believe that he just jumps up on the table for his shots!
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Not the table (he couldn’t jump that high) but the chair and it’s for his test. Cats have a capillary that runs along the edge of their ear. If you lance (gently) you will get a drop of blood to test. It doesn’t seem to bother him at all. I did try testing Hazel once. Oy vay! All hell broke loose! He gets his shots either when he is eating or right afterward. Doesn’t seem to bother him either. I think he understands in some primitive way that this stuff helps him stay healthy.
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Smart cat after all!
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Yes, he smarten up over the years. I’ve had Houdini cats who could open a door at 3 months. He wasn’t one of those but he managed just fine.
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