Cats with diabetes or complex medicine routines can sometimes board, but the arrangements need to be clear before the stay begins. Appetite, timing, handling and emergency contact information all matter.
This is one of the situations where a veterinary-led cattery can be helpful, because health information and boarding care can be discussed together before you travel.
For diabetic cats, insulin timing and food intake are linked. Tell us what your cat normally eats, when insulin is given, what dose is current, and what you do if appetite is reduced.
Do not change insulin instructions for boarding without veterinary advice. If recent glucose monitoring or dose changes have occurred, let us know before the stay.
For diabetic cats, write down the insulin type, dose, timing, storage instructions, usual feeding times and what should happen if a meal is missed or only partly eaten.
Please also tell us when the dose was last changed and whether recent glucose monitoring has been done. Boarding is safer when the diabetes routine is already stable.
A diabetic cat who does not eat normally is not just being fussy. Insulin, food intake and safety are connected, so appetite information must be clear from the beginning.
If your cat has been eating less before boarding, call us before drop-off. The safest response may be a veterinary discussion rather than simply watching them in the cattery.
Instructions should be current, labelled and specific. Include dose, timing, route, storage needs and what side effects or problems have happened at home.
If more than one medicine is involved, a simple written schedule can prevent confusion. This is especially important for thyroid, seizure, heart, pain, kidney or diabetic treatment.
For a medically complex cat, normal may not mean perfect health. It may mean a particular appetite, thirst level, litter tray routine, energy level or response after treatment.
Those ordinary observations are useful because they help us recognise meaningful change. A cat who always drinks a lot is different from a cat whose thirst has suddenly increased.
A diabetic cat who is eating well on a stable insulin dose is a very different boarding situation from a cat whose dose has just changed or whose appetite is uncertain.
The same idea applies to other chronic illnesses. The diagnosis matters, but recent stability, appetite, hydration, toileting and medication tolerance often matter more for the stay itself.
If tablets, injections or other treatment have become difficult at home, say so. We would rather know the truth than discover during the stay that the routine is not realistic.
A difficult routine may still be manageable, but it may need extra time, different handling, a medication review or a clearer agreement about what to do if a dose cannot be given safely.
Call before boarding if your diabetic or medicated cat is not eating normally, vomiting, losing weight, unusually sleepy, drinking much more, or has recently had a dose change.
Sometimes the stay can still go ahead with clearer instructions. Sometimes a veterinary review first is the safer choice, especially if appetite and medication timing are already unstable.
Make sure we know who can make decisions if your cat becomes unwell and you are unavailable. For medically complex cats, delayed decisions can make care harder.
If there are limits around treatment, finances, referral or after-hours care, tell us before the stay begins so expectations are clear and your cat's care is not delayed by uncertainty.
For medically complex cats, the emergency contact should be able to make decisions quickly. This matters if your cat needs blood testing, fluid support, imaging, medication changes or transfer for urgent care.
Tell the contact person what you would want and what limits apply. A name on a form is not enough if that person cannot authorise care when it is needed.
If your cat is due for monitoring tests, prescription checks or a chronic disease review, try to arrange those before the stay rather than letting boarding interrupt the schedule.
This is especially useful for cats with diabetes, kidney disease, thyroid disease, heart disease, seizures or long-term pain medication.
Return to the usual home routine unless we have given different instructions. Watch appetite, water intake, litter tray use and energy over the first day or two.
Contact us if your cat does not settle, refuses food, vomits, seems weak or behaves differently from their normal post-boarding pattern. For diabetic cats, appetite changes should be taken seriously.
Practical preparation for tablets, drops, injections and other regular treatment.
How food routines are handled while your cat is staying with us.
How contact instructions and veterinary decisions should be arranged before you travel.
Return to the main cattery page for bookings, vaccination requirements and how the cattery works.
If your cat has medication, anxiety, dietary needs, senior health changes or a first boarding stay coming up, talk to us early so the arrangements are practical.
If something changes before boarding, contact us before drop-off so we can decide whether the stay can go ahead as arranged or whether your cat needs extra support first.
Cat-specific advice for appetite, toileting, stress, senior comfort and clinic visits.
Carrier, litter and environment support for cats at home.
Carrier and travel planning can make boarding drop-off easier too.
Watch our cattery preparation video.
