How to Care for a Diabetic Cat

Last Updated: February 28, 2023 References Approved

Finding out that your cat is suffering from diabetes can be both frightening and overwhelming. Some owners may wonder how they can help their cat manage the disease. Although it might be overwhelming at first, taking care of a diabetic cat is completely manageable. If you catch the disease early enough, you may even be able to reverse it with proper care. If your cat has diabetes there are several steps you can take. You can manage their everyday care, learn how to give insulin injections, and learn about the signs to watch out for in diabetic cats.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Providing Everyday Care

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Feed your cat the proper diet. Most people know that human diabetics have to be careful what they eat, and this is also the case with cats. The ideal cat diet is rich in protein and low in carbohydrates. Unfortunately, most cat foods you find at the supermarket will be high in carbs and low in protein. You'll need a cat food geared for your cat's needs.^{[1]
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- Many premium pet food companies offer high protein prescription diets. These companies include Purina, Hills, and Royal Canin. The Purina diet, DM, comes in wet and dry varieties. As long as the cat has free access to drinking water, either formulation is fine.
- Feeding your cat a protein-dense diet will help your cat’s body reduce the amount of excess glucose it produces. This will help your cat’s body to stabilize itself. Some cats may not need anything more than switching to a high-quality, protein-dense diet. These cats may even go back to normal after a few months of this new diet.
2
Create a feeding schedule. Until recently, many believed that the best time to feed a diabetic cat was directly after an insulin injection. However, scientists now recognize that insulin levels will peak 3 to 6 hours after injection, which causes your cat to become hungry. The principle is to match the main meal to the peak insulin activity, which happens around 3 hours after you give them an insulin injection.^{[2]
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- Before you give your cat an insulin injection it is important to check that they are eating as usual. That's why it is a good idea to give them a snack before their injection. If you notice that your cat refuses to eat, give your vet a call before giving them the injection. If the cat is sick, giving a full dose of insulin could result in an overdose.  
- In simple terms, this means splitting your diabetic cat’s daily food allowance into four small meals. Give two small snacks before each insulin injection and the rest in two meals, approximately 3-6 hours after each injection. A typical regime might look something like this:
  - 7am — snack + insulin injection
  - 10am — a meal
  - 7pm — snack + insulin injection
  - 10pm — a meal
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3
Get regular check-ups with your vet. Your cat will require frequent vet visits. The vet will teach you how to give insulin shots or how to track blood glucose, but there will still be some tests that only the vet can perform. These tests might include kidney and liver function testing.
- If your cat’s diabetes is being well-managed and there are no problems, a vet visit every three months should be sufficient.
- Be familiar with warning signs. Changes in thirst, appetite, and the volume of urine the cat produces are all signs that something is wrong. If you notice a diabetic cat is more thirsty than usual, it could be a sign their blood glucose is not adequately controlled. Take your cat to the vet if this happens.
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Find reliable care for your cat when you are away. Find someone reliable to care for your cat when you cannot be at home because of work, school, or travel.^{[3]
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- Hiring someone knowledge to care for your cat, if you will be out for a long time, will give you and your cat peace of mind. Most veterinary clinics offer boarding, and can recommend cat sitters for diabetic cats.
- If a friend will be caring for your cat, be sure to show them how to give injections and/or monitor blood glucose levels. Educate them on behaviors to be aware of, and teach them about what to do and who to contact in an emergency.
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Join online support groups or forums on cat diabetes. Websites such as FelineDiabetes.com, CatInfo.org, and Diabetic Cats In Need are great resources for diabetic cat owners. Having information and support on hand will be helpful.
- Constant veterinary care can get expensive. Some groups like Diabetic Cats In Need offer financial support to owners of cats with diabetes.^{[4]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Giving Your Cat an Insulin Injection

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Prepare the syringe. You will need to use a new, sterile syringe for each injection. Doing this will help to avoid infections. Prepare the syringe with the dosage instructed by your vet.
- Don’t try to prepare the syringe while your cat is around. Let your cat do whatever they are doing while you prepare it, prepare the cat’s treat, and then go find your cat.
2
Establish a routine. You should try to give your cat their injection(s) at the same time each day. Have a high protein, low carb snack for your cat, and approach them with the snack and the prepared syringe. Giving your cat a treat before their injection will help them associate positive things with getting an injection.^{[5]
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- If you give the injections at the same time each day, you will also be less likely to forget. You can set a reminder on your smart phone if you’re worried about forgetting.
3
Sit comfortably by the cat. If you feel worried your cat will try to get away from you, have a person the cat trusts hold onto them firmly, but gently with both hands. Make sure that you can easily and comfortably reach the cat. ^{[6]
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- Help the cat get used to this routine by keeping it relaxed and calm. Avoid startling the cat.
4
Tent the cat’s skin. Use your thumb and forefinger to gently pinch the cat's skin. Typically, you will give the injection in the shoulder or the hip. Pinching the skin will help you insert the needle and will also numb the area a bit.^{[7]
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- If your cat has long fur, try using a brush or comb to gently part the hair so that you will be able to see the skin when you give the injection.
- If you aren't sure where to give the injection, contact your vet.
5
Insert the needle into the skin. When giving an insulin injection insert the insulin just under the skin and not into the muscle. Putting the insulin into the muscle will be painful for the cat. You can do this by holding the syringe so that it is almost parallel to the cat’s skin. Insert the needle into the skin where you are holding it. Do this as quickly and smoothly as you can.^{[8]
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- You don’t want to jab the needle into the skin as this may make it more painful for the cat. The needle will be sharp, so a quick and smooth insertion is possible.
- Make sure that the bevel (the tip of the needle) is pointed up when you insert the needle. This will help the needle pierce the skin as cleanly and painlessly as possible.
- Once you have inserted the needle push the plunger to inject the insulin underneath the cat's skin. Once you have done this, you can remove the needle.
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Give your cat lots of attention and praise. After you have completed the injection be sure to praise your cat. For example, you can pet them or brush them, and tell them they did a good job. You want your cat to know that they behaved well, so don’t skip this part.^{[9]
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- Keeping a positive routine will ensure that your cat doesn’t try to hide from you around injection time.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Monitoring Your Cat's Health

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Monitor your cat's blood sugar. The gold standard in diabetes control is measuring blood glucose levels. Digital glucose monitors for humans can be used to check your cat’s blood sugar levels. The normal glucose range for cats is around 80 to 120 mg/dl. After a meal the sugar levels in normal cats may rise between 250 to 300 mg/dl. Since the blood sugar of a diabetic cat is maintained by insulin injections, the glucose levels in the blood should be within the normal range.
- Regular blood glucose monitoring will help avoid the effects of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Hypoglycemia may occur if accidental overdosing of insulin occurs. In this condition the animal may suffer weakness, confusion, lack of coordination, and in extreme cases coma.
- Consult your vet immediately if your cat has high blood glucose even after an insulin injection.
2
Check your cat's urine. Your vet may have suggested you test your cat’s urine with a dipstick a couple of times a week. A typical urine dipstick, like Ketodiastix, has two pads that change color depending on the amount of glucose and ketones in the urine. The main use is to check if the cat is ketone-negative, rather to than monitor urine sugar levels. Your vet will instruct you on how to use these dipsticks.^{[10]
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- Ketones are toxins produced when blood glucose is high for too long. If ketones are present in the urine, this is a warning the cat is not stable and you should seek urgent veterinary advice.
3
Observe your cat’s behavior. Whether or not your cat has diabetes, you should always try to remain aware of how your cat is behaving. Cats are not able to tell us when they are not feeling well. Thus, it is important to know what is and isn’t normal for your specific cat.^{[11]
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- Contact your vet immediately if you notice that your cat is drinking a lot more water than usual, urinating frequently and in large amounts, is having trouble with coordination, is losing weight for no clear reason, or seems lethargic.
4
Learn about feline diabetes. Just as in humans, cats can suffer from two different types of diabetes. The first type is type 1 diabetes. This type usually requires insulin injections as the pancreas cannot produce the insulin needed to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. The second type is called type 2 diabetes. If your cat has this type of diabetes they may or may not need insulin injections. This depends on whether or not the pancreas is producing enough insulin.
- There are four major symptoms of diabetes. These include: frequent and high amounts of urination, increased water consumption, unexplained weight loss, and increased appetite.^{[12]
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- In some cases, cats with diabetes have returned to normal when the disease was caught early enough and were treated carefully
- Cats don't respond well to oral hypoglycemics (drugs that lower blood glucose). This is why insulin injections are necessary to control their condition.

Warnings

Do not give insulin to your cat without first consulting a vet. Giving your cat the incorrect dosage, or giving them insulin when they don’t need it could be fatal.

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