Can a cat die of diabetes?

Answer 1

Definitely, and the proportion of cats with Diabetes is rising from about 1 in 400 to closer to 1 in 50 (Source: Dr. Jacquie Rand, Queensland University).

If you are afraid your cat has diabetes, (because it's drinking and peeing a lot, and losing weight), then read as much as you can about how to care for it. It's actually possible to bring it totally back to good health given the right diet and insulin shots.

See the links below for lots of information.

Answer 2

If your cat has diabetes and isn't given insulin then it will eventually go into a coma and will die, but if it has the right amount of insulin it requires and is given the right food then your cat can live as long as a cat without diabetes.

Answer 3

If a cat with diabetes is not treated, yes, it will eventually die. But the good news is that treatment is relatively easy and there is lots of information on the internet about the care and treatment of diabetic cats.

Some cats can be treated by switching them to a low carbohydrate diet, and even if this does not "cure" your cat, it will help regulate the sugar levels in the blood. Some cats can be treated with an oral medication such as Glipizide, but only a few cats adequately respond to oral medication. Many cats are treated with insulin shots once or twice day.

Treating with insulin sounds difficult and scary, but it actually easy to do and the cat adapts to the shots very quickly in most cases.

If you treat with insulin shots, you need to understand the symptoms of hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. Your vet can help you learn about this condition and how to treat it. Hypoglycemia is a very dangerous situation and needs to be addressed immediately. For this reason, many people with a diabetic cat choose to test their cat's blood with a glucometer before each shot and sometimes more often.

Answer 4

I have a male cat who has diabetes and we’ve been giving him insulin for almost 4 years. He’s not well right now. He has chronic Arthritis in his back hips. He has cataracts and is going blind. And for the past six months he’s been pooping all over the house. We had to have him under anesthesia to have several teeth pulled and his teeth cleaned. He was better for a couple of months but now he’s back to a sick kitty. He will be 14 next month. I feel like we’re going to have to let him go. 😢 We’ve had him since he was eight weeks old and as you can see in the picture he’s always like to sleep on your shoulder or close to your head. My chest literally hurts from the hard ache that I am feeling. We have loved him for almost 14 years and to say goodbye to him will be one of the hardest things we will ever have to do. Love you babies and if they are sick take them to the vet and do what you can to make the quality of life as good as possible. But death is the end result for any living thing. I believe that we will all be together with our loved ones whether that be a person or a pet, when it is our time to die.

Answer 5

Yes, it is more common with obese male cats

Answer 6

Yes. I had a cat who was diabetic. I gave her insulin injections the last two years of her life.