Chubby cats sure look cute but if you are a pet owner, you sure don’t want your cat to be fat and chubby. Cats need to be kept at a healthy weight in order to avoid getting into numerous health issues of which feline diabetes ranks at the top. Often older cats and cats that are overweight are diagnosed with a common disease known as feline diabetes or diabetes mellitus. Feline Diabetes is very similar to diabetes in human beings and it occurs when there is not enough insulin.

This a hormone that is made in the pancreas, in the cat’s body to balance out the sugar or glucose in the cat’s diet. When a cat is normal and has no health issues especially diabetes, the food that it digests is broken down during digestion and the sugar extracted from the food enters the bloodstream. Insulin is then released from the pancreas in order to regulate the glucose level in the blood. Your cat becomes diabetic when the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin to keep the blood glucose levels under control. The disease can become extremely dangerous and even life threatening if too much glucose builds up in the body due to the lack of insulin.

Like every other disease, diabetes also comes along with certain symptoms that can help you figure out if your cat is becoming a diabetic:

1. Weight gain

If your cat is older or overweight, you need to begin to monitor your cat very carefully.

3. Excessive eating and drinking

Keep an eye on his/her water bowl and food bowl. You need to keep track of whether your feline is eating and drinking more than he/she normally does. Especially if your cat is eating more than usual, but is still losing weight, then it is surely a big symptom that your feline could be diabetic.

2. Frequent urination

Frequent urination is another symptom that you need to be on the lookout for.

3. Insulin levels

All these symptoms point to the fact that his/her glucose levels are going unregulated. The lack of insulin in the cat’s body is preventing his/her cells from absorbing and getting the energy required from the glucose. The excess glucose in the cat’s body is the reason for his/her unusual thirst for water.

4. Blood sugar testing

These observations are the key signs for you to schedule a visit to your vet, who can run a laboratory test to check how much sugar is present in his blood and urine. These test results will let your vet know whether your cat has diabetes mellitus and can treat your pet accordingly. Some cats might receive pills to help regulate their glucose levels, although 50% to 75% of them might need insulin injections.

You will need to cooperate with your vet and work on changing and watching your feline’s diet, feeding him/her smaller portions of food specially designed to help his/her body handle the sugar. Another thing that is important when it comes to monitoring the cat’s diabetes will be closely monitoring his/her food and water intake, waste output, and weight.