Diabetic cats with kidney disease may negatively react to a high protein diet, so talk to your veterinarian before switching your cat’s food. Cats with diabetes can become dehydrated easily, so choosing canned wet food for your cat also helps ensure they get the water they need at each meal.
Be sure your cat has access to fresh, clean water at all times.
Read the label of the cat food and check the nutritional values listed. Make sure the canned food contains at least 50% animal based protein.
It can be tricky to find information about the carbohydrates and fat content in cat food on the label. You can contact pet food companies to find out this information or ask your vet if certain cat food brands are known to be good for diabetic cats.
Based on your cat’s condition, your vet may recommend a prescription diabetic food for your cat. These prescription foods are designed for diabetic cats but they can be expensive.
Your vet should show you how to give your cat their insulin. You may need to practice doing this a few times to get it right.
Make sure your cat eats the mix of old and new food. Not eating can be dangerous for diabetic cats. If your cat does not seem interested in its food, you may need to revert back to its old diet for a little while to get it to eat again and transition it to the new food more slowly. Do not let your cat eat human food or table scraps, as this can negatively affect its condition.
For example, you may feed your cat once in the morning before you go to work and once at night before bed.
An under ideal cat has visible ribs, no palpable fat, and a pronounced abdominal tuck. An ideal cat is well-proportioned, with a slight abdominal tuck and a minimal abdominal fat pad. An over ideal cat has a poorly visible waist, rounding of the abdomen, and fat deposits present.
Do not leave your cat’s food out throughout the day to let it graze or snack on. This can lead to weight gain. Instead, only put your cat’s food out when it is feeding time. You can also help your obese cat stay healthy by giving it access to climbing and resting areas in your home so it can roam around. Have play time with the cat regularly so it gets enough exercise every day.
You should also check your cat’s litter box to confirm it is going to the bathroom regularly. It should be urinating the same amount of liquid on a regular schedule. If this is not the case, speak to your vet.
Keep in mind with the right diet, some cats can go into diabetic remission, where they no longer have low insulin levels. Over time you may be able to reduce the amount of insulin you give your cat or not need to give them insulin at all. If this happens, you will still need to maintain your cat’s diet and health to ensure the diabetes does not return.
