Our At-Home Subcutaneous Fluids Kit for Cats (Everything We Use)

Roxy Velez

Disclaimer: This is what I personally use for my own cats, shared as a cat parent who gives subcutaneous fluids at home. It is not medical advice. Every cat is different, so please make any fluid, needle, or supply decision with your trusted vet.

Adonis started getting sub-Q fluids in the fall of 2025.

I had heard about the butterfly syringe method briefly, but I was so overwhelmed by the idea of having to do fluids alone, that I just went with the straightforward, basic way. Thinking this would be easier as I get started.

Bad, bad choice...

It was hard at the start, so we told ourselves that, like any medical training, we just needed time.

Nope.

Six months in, we were still dreading the weekly fluids moment. It had become part of our routine, but the kind you dread for...

Then Anabelita's panel in the spring of 2026 showed she needed fluids too...

And we knew: if Adonis was hard, Anabel would be ten times worse. She would chop our arms off, for sure.

So I finally looked into this famous syringe method... At first it was overwhelming because there are more tools, but trust me, it is worth it. Adonis took to it instantly, no training needed. Obviously. He had already survived the basic method, the hard way. Poor baby.

Anabel is still a work in progress. When she first needed fluids she was not in great shape, and she let me do it with, just a bad look... simply said: manageable drama. Two sessions in she was feeling so much better, running around again, force recovered, and now she absolutely will not let the fluids in. Ironically, lol.

Our vet gave us the green light on gabapentin as a support calming med, so we could keep our arms. (That part was our vet's call. Make it yours with your own vet, not with this blog post.) When possible, we also try to work out the timing: fluids at night, gabapentin two hours before, so she sleeps it off and does not lose a whole day to lazy mode. She wakes up back to her normal self, with more energy probably from the extra hydration. Or maybe I just imagine it lol.

💧 The Syringe Method | SubQ Fluids Tool-kit:

This is our full at-home sub-Q fluids setup.

Heads up: some of the links below are Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what I recommend, I only ever list what we actually use.

  • The fluids (Ringer-Lactat). The electrolyte solution that goes under the skin. This is the standard Ringer-Lactat and what our vet has us on.

  • Mini spike (B. Braun Mini-Spike Plus). A vented spike that screws into the fluid bottle so you can fill the syringe cleanly, with no needle and no stabbing the stopper over and over. It also helps you draw without air bubbles.

  • Syringes (BD Plastipak, 50/60 ml, Luer-Lock). Draws up and holds the fluids. The Luer-Lock tip is the important part: the butterfly needle screws on and locks, so nothing pops off mid-session. Heads up: a lot of Luer-Lock syringe packs (the US one included) already come with their own tip caps, so check yours before you also grab the closing cones below.

  • Caps (closing cones), only if you need them. If your syringes already come with their own caps, you can skip these. If they do not, they seal a filled syringe so you can warm it. My EU syringes are not capped, so I use separate ones (B. Braun Combi-Stopper), while the US Luer-Lock packs above often include caps already. (I am still checking whether pre-filling syringes ahead of time is a good idea, so that part is a question for your vet.)

  • Butterfly needle, 23G (blue). The thinner, gentler needle. This is what we use for both Adonis and our queen Anabelita now. Fluids run a little slower through it, and that trade is worth it for us.

  • Butterfly needle, 21G (green). A bit larger, so fluids run faster, but more cats feel it. We do not use this one right now. It lives in the kit as the faster option, for the braver cats that tolerate a bigger needle.

💉 Choosing your needle: 23G vs 21G

Butterfly needles come in gauges, and the number is a little counterintuitive: the higher the number, the thinner the needle. So a 23G is thinner than a 21G.

  • 23G (blue): thinner and gentler. Less for your cat to feel, which can keep the whole session calmer. The fluids flow a little slower, so it takes a touch longer.

  • 21G (green): larger and faster. The fluids move quicker, which some cats and larger volumes benefit from, but more cats notice the bigger needle.

We started Adonis on the 21G and Anabelita on the 23G. Over the past weeks Adonis (or Adonos, as he becomes when he is feeling spicy) made it very clear the 21G was not for him, so we moved him to the 23G too. It was easier on everyone, and now both cats are on the thinner one.

If your cat lets you choose, the gentlest needle they will tolerate is usually the kindest place to start.

🧪 A note on the fluids

Not all Ringer-Lactat is identical. Different versions carry slightly different amounts of electrolytes, and that can matter for your cat. A blood test can point to one formula fitting better than another.

The bottles we use are the standard Ringer-Lactat our vet put us on. If your vet suggests something specific, or your cat's bloodwork changes, that is a conversation to have with them, not a swap to make on your own. Every cat is different.

🛒 Buying from Germany or the EU

The Amazon links above are the easy option if you are in the US. If you are in Germany or the EU, here is where I get the kit (however always do a quick browse on google and compare prices, the stores throw the prices up and down all the time):

As CKD progresses, subQ fluids often become a new ongoing cost. Not every cat needs them. Early on, wet food, water added to meals and a fountain can carry a cat a long way. Later they usually can't, because the kidneys are dumping more water than a cat will drink back.

Some vets won't bring fluids up at all, because they assume you'll be overwhelmed by them. You can ask. Staying on top of hydration is easier on your cat, and usually your wallet, than the crashes that come from letting dehydration build. Same when pancreatitis flares.

Doing them at home also spares the vet visit stress. Our vet's view is that the stress itself works against the kidneys, cortisol included, so anything that keeps your cat calm is supporting a happier kidney too. A stressed cat may also eats and drinks less, and a CKD cat can't afford either.

Your vet needs to define the dose, based on your cat's latest blood test lab results.

🐾 Helpful Communities

Sub-Q fluids are commonly prescribed for cats with kidney disease and pancreatitis. If you are new to this, have your vet walk you through your first session.

Disclaimer: This reflects what I personally use and my own experience as a cat parent giving subcutaneous fluids at home. It is not medical advice. Any fluid, needle, or dosing decision for your cat should be made with your veterinarian.

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