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The Inspiration Behind Pandora's pet sitting
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Pandora's Purpose
Pandora first came into my life in January 2008. She had been brought into a vet clinic as a stray and they were looking for someone to help her find an adoptive home. What first started out as temporary fostering took a turn when she got a bit too playful and ended up breaking her hoc joint. This is not a typical injury for cats and it requires surgery.
After the surgery it took her time to recover and during this time we really bonded. It was clear that she needed to stay. I am grateful I kept her for so many reasons.
At the time, I did find it interesting that she didn’t have any medical conditions like my other cats. During those earlier years, I had a soft spot for special needs cats and would often take those kitties in. That did change for Pandora as she got older.
In 2018, Pandora became very ill, right after Clyde passed away, our sweet Siamese boy. She was diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis, and we started medications for her. She rallied back and was doing quite well. Things changed in 2019, when Bonnie passed away, our twin flame Siamese girl. Pandora again, got very ill and during these vet visits, she was diagnosed with diabetes.
It was tricky to navigate as she was never fully regulated. The first year, I was never able to stop testing her twice per day and record the findings. At that time, we were trying to determine what her “normal” glucose reading was, since despite our efforts, we could not get her close to 120, let alone 80.
Through this process, accompanied by journaling her readings, regular weekly and bi-weekly glucose curves, helped me develop a deeper understanding of this disease and how it impacts our cats.
Cats are known to hide their symptoms and even as close as we feel we are with our cats; they can still hide things from us. Going through this process with Pandora helped me understand her better and how she responds to diabetes.
Even after the first year, I always tested Pandora twice a day before giving her insulin. In the earlier years there were times when she got the same dose AM/PM for several months before a change was needed. Her normal was 300 but once we knew that we could keep her stable and out of the 700+ readings and help her achieve quality of life.
Things changed for Pandora in 2022, after Onyx passed, our 19-year-old black beauty. Pandora struggled to eat and began having urinary issues. Her pancreatitis became worse which also made the diabetes worse. Her doses changed quite often in the final year and her quality of life started to diminish.
After 3 months in hospice care, Pandora got her wings in December 2023, but her legacy lives on. Pandora had a purpose, to share her journey with diabetes and to give me a deeper understanding of diabetic cats and the care they need.
Throughout my cat rescue career and with my own cats, I learned a great deal about the medical side of feline care. I learned how to manage many chronic conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease, IBS/stomach issues and thyroid disease. Part of this journey included learning about various treatments and medications used for short term issues, as well as treating and monitoring cats and their long-term medical conditions.
Now that Pandora has passed, as well as many of our feline companions, I want to share my knowledge with others and help cats in need of this specialized care. Whether you are traveling or working long hours, I can be your trusted resource to help care for your pets while you are away.
