Your cat is starting to exhibit some unusual signs. He seems to be missing the cat box with regularity and camps out by his water dish continually. He’s even gotten skinnier despite eating well. What could this be? Visiting your vet is the first thing you should do because it’s possible that your furry friend might have cat diabetes. Diabetes occurs when your cat’s body is not producing enough insulin to offset the sugar.
The Shock
We’ve known friends who have had cats diagnosed with diabetes and it’s always a shock. Your cat seems to be doing fine but then, all of a sudden, he goes downhill quickly. Cats are famous for hiding their medical conditions especially if they happen to be serious. Know that you’re not alone and that there are ways to live with a diabetic cat fairly normally.
Where to Start
It depends on the degree and severity of his cat diabetes, but you may be able to treat this with a limited amount of insulin. It will mean you’ll need to get used to giving your cat shots and monitoring his blood sugar levels, but it’s doable. The hardest part is blood testing and you may have to take him to the vet for this.
Education
One of the first things you should do is some research on the Net to learn as much about feline diabetes as you can. Join some support groups and ask questions.
The best tip for giving shots? Just do it. We have a friend whose male grey tiger was diagnosed with diabetes. She learned how to give him his shot every day while he was eating some wet food – a big treat for him. He barely even noticed the shot. She would pinch together the skin between his shoulder blades, insert the needle and plunge the insulin in.
Consequences
Your cat may react well to the treatment and, soon, your house will be back to normal. For others, symptoms abate but never quite go away.
You may find that your cat has one good day in 5 or 6. Sometimes he’ll stay camped out by the water dish and, occasionally, no matter where you put the litter box, he still misses it.
When It’s Time
If your cat is a severe diabetic and has only one good day in 50, it may be time to have a discussion with your family and your vet. It’s never easy to let an animal go, but if his quality of life is suffering, he’s depending on you to help him.
Keep a vigilant eye on your cat’s habits and if he strays from his norm for more than a day or two, have him checked for diabetes.
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