The Sharp End

So far I haven't pet sat a diabetic hamster. It's just a matter of time. Giving insulin either by pills or injection, has become part of the job. For my first diabetic pet, I asked not only the owner to show me what to do, but my vet as well. And I was so worried. 'Sammy will hate me,'I'd cried to the owner of a long haired tabby when she explained my duties.

Sammy, who's eleven with a waistline bigger than the whole of him, didn't even flinch as I eased the needle into a fold of skin between his shoulders. But just to make sure I was still on his Dead Mouse to Go list, I played ping pong with him - not with bats you understand, just paws - for half and hour before leaving him on squirrel watch.

Tip: practise injecting an orange first and make sure you push up a drop of insulin out before you inject. You want to make sure you eliminate air bubbles. Oh, and rub the injection site before and after injecting to relieve any nerve pain.