Food
Confirm what the cat actually ate
Food offered is not the same as food consumed. Interest, timing, quantity, nausea signs, and transition-related refusal matter before insulin decisions.
Practice-based protocol
Diabetic boarding requires decisions—not autopilot.
The Cats in the City diabetic boarding protocol integrates glucose information, food intake, body-state observation, stress, timing, and hypo-prevention priorities before insulin is administered or withheld.
Sellwood locationGlucose-informed decisionsFood before insulin contextIntentional withholding when indicatedHypo prevention
Boarding requests, availability, current rates, and care approval are managed by Cats in the City.
Cats in reported cohortPractice-based boarding cohort described by Cats in the City.
Hypoglycemic emergenciesReported across the cohort on the source protocol page.
Reported practice-based outcomes
The cohort shows why withholding can be an active safety decision.
Cats in the City reports the following institutional boarding data. These figures describe one practice-based cohort and should not be generalized into dosing instructions.
14diabetic cats in the reported cohort
268documented insulin decisions
89intentional insulin withholds
0hypoglycemic emergencies reported
Evidence boundary: These numbers are presented as institutional practice-based evidence reported by Cats in the City, not as a randomized trial, universal safety guarantee, or substitute for veterinary guidance.
Decision principles
The protocol resists automatic dosing.
The central safety problem in boarding is that appetite, stress, glucose, and routine can change. A written dose cannot be separated from the cat who is presenting in real time.
Glucose
Use measured information within the plan
Glucose data are interpreted alongside food, symptoms, timing, and the approved veterinary/boarding care parameters.
Body state
Read the cat, not only the number
Alertness, weakness, tremor, gait, behavior, hydration concern, stress, and recovery provide critical context.
Withholding
Treat “do not give” as an active choice
A documented withholding can prevent immediate harm when the cat has not eaten adequately or other risk indicators are present.
Documentation
Preserve the reasoning trail
The time, food intake, glucose information, dose or withholding, observed response, and communication are recorded.
Escalation
Know when boarding is no longer enough
Concerning symptoms, unstable trends, persistent refusal, or care outside the approved plan require guardian and veterinary escalation.
A glucose result is one part of the picture. Appetite, movement, alertness, and recovery remain visible.
Why boarding changes the picture
Transition can alter appetite and glucose response.
A cat may arrive with a stable home routine and eat differently in a new environment. Stress, new timing, altered activity, unfamiliar handling, or reduced food intake can change the immediate safety context.
The protocol therefore prioritizes preventing hypoglycemia over treating the insulin schedule as an inflexible task. That principle requires trained judgment, documentation, and clear boundaries.
Care boundary: Portland Cat Boarding and Cats in the City provide boarding, observation, medication support, and guardian/veterinary coordination. Boarding does not replace diagnosis, emergency care, or treatment by a licensed veterinarian. Every medical boarding request is reviewed for fit and current stability.
Request diabetic boarding through Sellwood.
Provide current veterinary records, insulin details, monitoring method, food plan, home glucose pattern, prior hypoglycemia, and emergency contacts for review.
Representative case pathway
Follow Vanta through a seven-day stay.
The case page distills the published Cats in the City record: ten insulin administrations, three safe withholds, no reported hypoglycemia, and appetite normalization within the stay.