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Boarding your diabetic animal requires a few extra provisions. Though you always want to board your animals with trustworthy people in trustworthy facilities, it is of special importance when you have an animal that needs daily medical monitoring. The insulin needs of diabetics can change based on exercise habits, stress, diet, food amounts or times fed, and so forth, and all of these things can change while boarding.
24-Hour monitoring--either with a home sitter, or in a 24-hour veterinary hospital--is the best choice for all diabetic pets. However, as we discuss further below, home visits by a knowledgeable veterinary technician or skilled sitter are a third option for well-regulated, controlled pets on stable regimens.
We do not recommend boarding any diabetic pet at a non-24 hour veterinary facility--even if you consider your animal to be well-controlled. It is our strong belief--based on professional knowledge and personal experience--that this is not a safe option. Boarding subjects the animal to stress-related changes. When these changes occur in a 24-hour facility, the pet can be monitored to ensure that hypoglycemia or other diabetic crises, such as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), do not result. However, when the animal is boarding at a facility that does not provide 24-hour coverage, staff are not always present to monitor the effects of those changes. Given the risk of hypoglycemia and other diabetic complications, this is very dangerous. It will be difficult if not impossible for the owner to effectively "check up" and monitor care when staff are not present 24 hours a day.
Bottom line: One wrong dose, one shot given too soon, and the cat can die.