I have no direct experience with cats with diabetes. What I DO have is a father who lives with me, is diabetic, and doesn't pay attention so I have to. I subscribe to several diabetes magazines, and they have all, at one time or another, run an article on feline diabetes. (Apparently diabetes is more common in cats than in dogs.) I agree, you need to find a diabetes specialist vet, even if it is for just once or twice. Monitoring blood glucose levels is important, I can't believe ANY medical professional (human or otherwise) would not advocate it. Particularly if you are giving insulin.
There are guidelines out there, you need to find them. Here is what to look for: times of the day to test, frequency of testing, how long before / after eating to test, how long before / after giving medications to test. Parts of the body to test, - the ear is NOT the only place! That I DO know. Whether or not to leave food out and available all day / night long. How much food to give, how often. Humans have fully digested a meal in about 2 hours, so Dad tests 2 hours after a meal as that "should" be his highest reading. I don't know what it is for cats, but you need to find out, is it 2 hours, half an hour, etc. I assure you, the information is out there.
In terms of which meter to use, with humans a lot of that is dictated by what your health insurance will cover and what your doctor wants you to use. Some can let you download the results onto your PC and get graphs to see how things are going. If you have the opportunity, contact the senior center in your city or town and see if they have a diabetes educator available. That person can give you the best info on meters!
Good luck
Freedom
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