Cat Saves Diabetic Girl

If you have a diabetic cat one of the things you have to be constantly alert for is hypoglycemia or low blood sugar.  It’s said that hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar kills slowly but hypoglycemia kills quickly.  This is not just true for diabetic cats, but it is true also for humans.

You should test blood sugars at least twice a day to be sure that blood sugar levels are not too high or too low and that the correct insulin dose is being delivered.

Diabetic humans also need to test their blood sugars to ensure that they are not too high or too low. Regulating blood sugars is not an exact science and occasionally they can become dangerously high or dangerously low. Here is a story of a cat who can sense when her human owners blood sugars get to dangerous levels.

http://www.parentdish.co.uk/2014/03/27/rescue-cat-saves-diabetic-girls-life-20-times/

Cat saves diabetic girl

diabetic cat

“The Jansa family, from Whitstable, adopted Pippa from the RSPCA in August, after she had been abandoned in a cardboard box outside a shop in Dartford.

“We got her as a rescue cat for a family pet,” said Mia’s mum Laura. “She really was very gregarious and we bonded with her immediately.”

But little did Laura and Mia know that soon Pippa would repay them for saving her.

Mia was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of six. If her blood sugar levels drop dangerously low she can experience a hypoglycemic episode, which could lead to a coma.

Laura and Mia learnt of Pippa’s special ability when she crept into Mia’s room one night and woke her up by walking over her arms and legs.

Once awake, Mia – who is prone to suffering hypoglycemic episodes in her sleep – decided to test her blood sugar levels and discovered they were dangerously low.

“We quickly realised she was warning us,” said Laura. “If Mia didn’t wake up, then she would come to my door and miaow.

“She comes onto the bed, walks onto my pillow and across me until I wake up. She really makes her presence felt, she won’t take no for an answer. She knows it’s important that I get up and help Mia.”

Interestingly although there is ample evidence that dogs have been known to alert their owners to things like epilepsy, cancer and low blood sugars there has not been any evidence of cats so this may fuel some research into cats abilities to sense these conditions.