How Does Obesity Increase My Cat’s Risk For Diabetes?

Does Your Cat Look Like This???

Feline obesity has been closely linked with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus; which is the most common form of diabetes in cats and humans. Type 2 Diabetes is characterized by a decreased production of insulin, as well as a poor response to insulin by the body. While your cat’s diet and genetics certainly play a role, feline obesity is the biggest risk factor for feline diabetes. Indoor cats can often become sedentary and overweight, even while being fed a low calorie cat food. More than 1/3 of cats are obese and in many cases the owner doesn’t realize how overweight their cat has become; let alone how that can create a life-threatening situation. Symptoms of feline diabetes are not always obvious to the cat owner, either. Common symptoms are obesity, increased thirst, increased urination, urinary tract infections, and weight loss, as diabetes becomes more advanced.

Obese cats have a four-time greater risk for type 2 diabetes. We don’t often think of fat as an organ, but it produces hormones capable of changing how the body interacts with food. These hormones control things like appetite, blood sugar storage, and increases in insulin sensitivity. An abundance of fat tissue causes an imbalance of these hormones in the body, which eventually leads to diabetes in the cat.

To evaluate obesity in cats, systems (body condition scores) have been developed for veterinarians and their staff to evaluate and track weight in cats. These systems can be quite accurate, comparable even to advanced laboratory tests, such as bonescans. For example, the nine-point system that Purina developed provides a simple and reliable method of determining body condition in pets. Another simple and easy way to evaluate body condition in the cat is to take photographs (from the front and side) every year. The body weight and body condition score should also be recorded at least yearly.

Daily Feeding Guide from Side of Bag.

The most common contributing factors for feline obesity are age, spay/neuter status, frequency of treats, and how much the cat is fed. Treats are a large source of calories and a huge contributing factor to obesity in pets. Portion sizes are often too large for our pets, as well. Oftentimes we simply fill up the food bowl whenever we see that it's empty; that's usually just way too much food. It’s best to measure portion sizes using recommendations from the food manufacturer and/or your veterinarian. The food manufacturer will usually put a feeding guide on the back or side of the bag with their recommendations. For obese cats, feeding low calorie cat food is certainly better than high calorie cat food and treats. However, when symptoms of cat diabetes develop, it is more important to feed a low-carbohydrate, high protein diet.

The cat is considered a carnivore and, as such, is not well adapted to ingestion of excessive amounts of carbohydrates. They simply aren’t able to store excess amounts of carbohydrates after a meal. When cats become diabetic, their carnivorous nature makes it even more difficult for them to metabolize carbohydrates. When considering a food for diabetic cats, a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet is highly recommended in feline diabetes, and is quite similar to a cat’s natural diet. Studies show that cats fed a low carbohydrate diet versus a high fiber diet, were 3 times more likely to stop taking insulin injections. 

Even if they beg, don't give in to their pleas...keep 'em happy and healthy by feeding the appropriate amounts of a good healthy feline diet.