Diabetes in cats is becoming an epidemic in the US. What causes a cat to develop diabetes? What can you, as a cat owner, do to prevent your cat from becoming a victim?
First we need to learn a little bit about cats, and how their bodies utilize nutrients.
Cats Are Obligate Carnivores
What is an obligate carnivore? It's an animal that was designed to eat a diet that's high in protein, with very few carbohydrates. Cats in the wild are predators who eat other animals. As distasteful as this is to some humans, you can't change biology. Cats just aren't designed to eat large amounts of carbohydrates. Their bodies don't even produce the enzymes needed to break down carbs efficiently.
Unfortunately, nearly every commercial dry cat food on the market contains large amounts of carbohydrates, in the form of grains. Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins is a vet who has been studying feline diabetes for over ten years. At her website, YourDiabeticCat.Com, she says that "Diabetes in the cat is a man-made disease, which is completely preventable by avoiding the "kitty junk-food" that is dry kibbled cat food."
A wild cat's diet is high in protein, and very low in carbs. Dry cat food is very high in carbs due to its high grain content, and contains only a moderate amount of protein. This is almost the exact opposite of a cat's natural diet. According to Dr. Hodgkins, feeding an animal that isn't designed to eat large amounts of carbs a high-carb diet can only lead to the disaster of a diabetic cat.
What Should You Feed Your Cat?
Dr. Lisa A. Pierson is another vet who believes that diabetes in cats is a direct result of feeding a high-carb diet of dry cat food. In her article, Feline Diabetes and Diet: The High Carbohydrate Culprit she points out that a bird or mouse contains only three to five percent carbs. Dry cat food, on the other hand, contains 35-50 percent carbs. All these extra carbs are stored as fat, which is why so many cats are overweight these days. And a fat cat is more likely to beome a diabetic cat.
Dr. Pierson recommends feeding all cats a high-quality canned food, which is much higher in protein and lower in carbs. Canned food also has the additional benefit of a much higher moisture level than dry food has. Many cats don't drink a lot of water because they were designed to get most of their moisture from their food. A cat who eats dry food all the time is always somewhat dehydrated, which can lead to urinary tract infections (a very common problem in cats) and even kidney disease later in life.
Diabetes In Cats Is Easier To Prevent Than To Treat
Both Dr. Pierson and Dr. Hodgkins are firm believers in preventing feline diabetes from developing in the first place. Both vets think that since feline diabetes is caused by feeding cats a low-quality, species-inappropriate diet high in grains, the best way to prevent it is to feed your cat a high-quality canned cat food throughout his life. Feeding a proper diet will also prevent your cat from gaining too much weight and becoming obese.
