As you probably know, vets are often asked to euthanize a cat, usually for health reasons.But, sometimes vets are faced with a request that they just don’t want to fulfill.That was the case with Amstel, who was brought in by her owners because “they were moving”.The vet had been treating Amstel for years and knew that Amstel was a wonderful cat.The vet asked whether the owner would give him several days to try to find a home for Amstel.Because Amstel was diabetic, the vet knew it would be a longshot.But, he called us and we agreed to take Amstel, if he could find a way for someone to hold onto her for a few months, until we had an opening.

We are so happy that he found a way to do this, as Amstel is one of the gentlest, sweetest cats we have ever met.

Diabetes results when an animal’s pancreas is unable to produce adequate amounts of insulin, a hormone especially important for metabolizing carbohydrates. The primary signs of diabetes are increased drinking, increased urination, and weight loss. Left untreated, diabetes can be painful and, even, fatal.Diabetes is most often treated by the administration of insulin, to replace that which the body isn’t producing.Amstel lives in the Special Needs Suite, where we feed a prescription diet that helps minimize the need for insulin in diabetic cats.Fortunately, Amstel has been very well regulated on her insulin since arrival.As you can see from the photographs, Amstel is very photogenic.(What you can’t see is that she is actually quite overweight.)

Amstel is such a sweetheart that we are hopeful that she may eventually be adopted.But, there are not many people who will consider adopting a diabetic cat, so we know her odds of adoption are greatly reduced.