“What you mean ‘no more steak’?” (photo: iStock)
Apparently, it’s not just an increasing number of the world’s human population who are being diagnosed with forms of diabetes. Our furry kitty friends are also getting in on the act.
More and more cats are being diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes because they are eating way too much and not getting enough exercise. Today, upwards of every second cat is overweight and not being active enough.
A report from animal insurance firm Agria Dyreforsikring showed that the groups most susceptible are male domesticated house cats. Compared to pure-bred cats, domesticated cats had a 20 percent higher chance of developing diabetes, and the risk is now twice as great among males compared to females.
“A cat that has been diagnosed with diabetes can be treated, but it can be an expensive affair,” said Sonja Karaoglan, the head of Agria Dyreforsikring.
“The treatment demands patience, special diets and, in most cases, insulin injections. So unfortunately, we see many people without animal insurance who choose to put their cats down.”
Weight change
The report revealed that certain breeds of cats – the Sacred Birman, Russian Blue, Norwegian Forest Cat and Abyssinian – are considered high-risk breeds, while the Bengal, Birman, Persian, Ragdoll and British Shorthair are low-risk breeds.
A cat with diabetes will drink and urinate much more than usual and tend to lose weight despite eating normally.
Tips for avoiding diabetes in your kitty:
– Make sure your cat doesn’t become too overweight
– Activate your cat so that it gets plenty of exercise every day
– In some cases wet food can be better than dry food. Wet feed contains more water and can more quickly make the cat feel like it isn’t hungry anymore. But there is a greater risk of tartar accumulating on the cat’s teeth from the wet-food.
– Control what your cat eats. Give it portions of food rather than just constantly putting food more out
– Avoid giving the cat human food – table food often contains more fat and more carbohydrates than cat food.
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