Why Cats Get Diabetes
📝 Summary
Feline diabetes is an endocrine disease from low or poorly used insulin, raising blood sugar; type II is common and preventable. The real drivers are high-carb diet and low exercise, not just obesity - excess kibble becomes fat in a short gut. Signs: excess drinking/eating with weight loss, heavy urine, walking trouble, late paralysis. Prevent with fixed high-protein low-carb meals, activity and check-ups; many cats thrive on treatment.
1 Causes and Signs
Diabetes comes from insufficient insulin or poor response, raising blood sugar and disrupting metabolism and electrolytes. Type II is the common, preventable form in cats. Genes play a role, but the true culprits are diet and exercise – high-carb kibble converts to fat in a cat’s short gut that needs little carbohydrate. Signs: drinking and eating a lot yet losing weight, urine 3-5x normal, trouble walking or jumping, and late poor coordination possibly ending in paralysis. Complications: tiredness, dull dry coat, anorexia, vomiting, dehydration, sweet-smelling breath, then coma or death.
2 Prevention and Care
Keep meals fixed in portion and time, high in protein and low in carbs – more meat, less high-carb dry food is a key preventive. Exercise lowers blood sugar by speeding insulin metabolism, so play with your cat more. Monitor weight and get regular check-ups for early detection. Though many diabetic cats need lifelong treatment, good medicine and management let them live as happily as any cat.
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