Hi,
This is my first day and first time posting on this site. I registered just so I could respond to your post. We had a diabetic cat for 8 years. Dusty developed diabetes at 8 years old when we lost his littermate due to Hepatic Lipidosis and Pancreatitis. Dusty mourned so deeply he became diabetic. He was not overly overweight and in the prime of his life.

Yes you can use human testing equiptment to monitor blood sugar levels in cats. You have to have a manageble cat that doesn't mind having his paws played with. We would clip a small amount of hair away from a pad and then place the paw in a bowl of warm water to draw the blood into the pads. But Dusty was really good about all the fussing. He even used to remind us to give him his shot. He received 2 shots a day and the amount of insulin changed frequently depending on exercise level, appetite and many other unknown reasons. You just have to watch the signs along with the testing. Watch for urine output, water intake, appetite and the dreaded low blood sugar. For that keep Karo sryup handy and place lots on the gums.

It is not a simple disease but it is managable with lots of love and patience. However, it does also depend on the cat.

Good luck!

Denyce