Can I leave my diabetic dog or cat with a sitter?

Quick answer

Yes, you can go away. It just takes more planning than for a pet without diabetes. What matters is that someone gives the injection and the meal on time, and that they know what to do if your pet seems unwell. Everything else follows from that.

A diabetic pet's routine is built around fixed times for insulin and food. Pick a sitter on that basis, not just on price or convenience, and give them the plan in writing.

Can I leave my diabetic pet alone overnight?

Not if an injection or a meal falls due while you are away. Someone has to be there at those times. A pet that misses a dose, or is given one without eating, is at risk, so this is not a gap to cover with a timer feeder and hope.

If you will be back before the next injection and meal, there may be nothing to cover. Ask your vet whether they are comfortable with your pet being alone for that long, because it depends on how stable your pet is.

Who can look after a diabetic pet while you are away?

• A friend or family member you can teach. Often the best option, because you can train them properly and they already know your pet. Have them give an injection while you watch, more than once.
• A professional sitter at your home. Your pet stays in their own routine. Ask directly whether they are happy giving injections and have done it before. Many are not, and that is fine, but you need to know before you book.
• A vet practice or vet nurse. Ask your own practice whether they board, or whether a nurse sits. They are used to injections, but you still need to hand over your pet's plan.
• A boarding kennel, cattery or home boarder. Check they will give the injection and feed to your schedule. In England, anyone who boards cats or dogs as a business needs a licence from their local council, including home boarding. See the government guidance. The rules for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are different, so ask your local council.

Someone who gives injections may charge more than for a standard visit, so ask for a written quote.

What to ask before you book

• Have you looked after a diabetic dog or cat before?
• Are you happy to give an insulin injection, and will you let me show you first?
• Can you be there at both injection and meal times, every day?
• What would you do if my pet would not eat, or seemed unwell?
• Will you write down what you gave, and when?

Do a trial run

Before you travel, have the sitter do a full day with you there: the injection, the meal and the record. You will see whether they are confident, and they will see how your pet behaves. If they are not comfortable by the end, find someone else.

The handover sheet

Fill this in with your vet's instructions, not from memory, and leave a copy where the sitter will see it. Print this page if it helps.

• Pet's name, age and weight:
• Your vet and their out-of-hours number:
• Your phone number, and who to try if you cannot be reached:
• Insulin, and the dose and times exactly as your vet has prescribed: (write it from the label or your vet's instructions; the sitter must never change it or work it out)
• How the injection is given, and where the insulin and syringes are kept: (see storing insulin)
• What your pet eats, how much, and when:
• Anything your vet has told you to do if your pet refuses food: if they refuse a meal, the sitter should call your vet before giving insulin. See what to do when a diabetic pet will not eat.
• Low blood sugar: the sitter should read the hypoglycaemia guide before you leave, and know where your vet's emergency plan is.
• A missed or uncertain dose: the sitter should write down what happened and call your vet, never give a second dose to make up. See what to do about a missed dose.
• Who can agree treatment and payment if your pet needs a vet:

What the research says

When researchers asked 221 owners of insulin-treated diabetic cats what most affected their own quality of life, the difficulty of leaving the cat with anyone else was near the top: boarding came first, and leaving the cat with a friend or family member was also high. If you find this stressful, that is common, and it is a good reason to plan early.

How Mello helps

Mello is being built so that everyone who looks after your pet can record what they gave and when, so the next person can see it. Inviting other carers is part of Premium. The app is not released yet; you can join the early-access list.

Sources

The pages below were each opened and checked before being listed here, and anything that could not be opened was left off rather than guessed at.

• Boarding for cats or dogs licence (England): GOV.UK, page updated October 2026. That boarding for cats or dogs, including home boarding as a business, needs a licence from the local council in England.
• Evaluation of a Quality-of-Life Tool for Cats with Diabetes Mellitus: Niessen et al., Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 24(5):1098–1105, 2010. The 221-owner survey. The abstract record was opened; the full paper was not reachable.