11 Jun Bedford charity appeals for Felix the diabetic stray cat
Charity volunteers are appealing for a diabetic stray cat who is looking for a home with a family who can help manage his condition.
Felix the cat has been looked after by volunteers at Cats Protection’s Bedford and Biggleswade Branch since being brought into care as a stray. Social media and press appeals to find a home for Felix have so far not delivered and this poor cat is still waiting for his next home.
Four-year-old Felix was taken into care as a stray in Birmingham, where routine vet checks found he was diabetic but otherwise in good health. Soon after, he was transferred south to Cats Protection’s Bedford and Biggleswade Branch to be in the care of a fosterer experienced in caring for cats with diabetes.
Now his condition has been stabilised, volunteers in Bedford are looking for a loving home for Felix, so named because of the resemblance to his famous namesake.
Cats Protection fosterer Jude Clark, said: “He enjoys his food, although some days he just turns his nose up to everything – nothing so unusual there. But with a diabetic cat, his eating habits need to be monitored, so he will need to have a safe, quiet room with a separate area for food and water.
“Felix is a sweet boy who loves a head scratch and stroke but he’s not so keen on cuddles. He can be quite a playful boy when he relaxes, so a scratching post and a few cat toys would be nice, too.”
Diabetes is a manageable condition in cats as it is in humans. It affects the control of blood sugar levels, usually because the pancreas is not producing enough insulin. Insulin helps move glucose from the blood into cells so if Felix doesn’t have enough, he will be left with high levels of glucose in the blood stream, which would be dangerous to his health.
Tamsin Eastwood, Coordinator of the Bedford and Biggleswade Branch, said: “As an owner of a diabetic cat, you will need to inject Felix twice daily with insulin. It’s quite easy to do once you have been shown how and we can help with that. Luckily, Felix tolerates his injections well.
“Regular vet checks will ensure that Felix has the correct insulin dose but there are a few simple things that you can do to help Felix, such as monitoring how much he drinks and urinates, as increases in either of these could mean his diabetes is less stable. Changes in bodyweight are not good either, so a special diabetic diet is recommended to maintain a normal weight and help to keep the diabetes stable.”
For more information on living with cats with diabetes, refer to Cats Protection’s Veterinary Guide: https://www.cats.org.uk/media/1032/vg03_diabetes.pdf
Felix would like a child-free home where he is the only pet, where it will be easier to monitor his intake. He should also live away from busy roads, as he is likely to enjoy time outdoors.
If you can offer Felix a home, visit: https://www.cats.org.uk/bedford/adopt-a-cat?cid=329738 or contact bredhurst@cats.org.uk / 01634 232471.
