Diabetes and Overweight Cats

By far the biggest health threat to overweight cats is type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is a complex endocrine disorder that affects the body’s ability to metabolize sugar. This disease often affects older overweight cats. It’s a serious illness that can cause cataracts, blindness, gangrene, and kidney failure. It can lead to coma and death. The good news is that type 2 diabetes can be prevented by keeping your cat lean and healthy. 

“Even a few extra pounds can cause type 2 diabetes in cats,” says Dr. Ernest Ward, veterinarian at Seaside Veterinary Animal Care in North Carolina, and founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. “An obese cat, 14 or more pounds, has a very high likelihood of developing diabetes. I advise the owners of obese cats it’s not if, it’s when will they develop diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a fast-growing—and expensive—condition.”

“According to my complications, treating a diabetic cat can easily cost over $1,400 a year. The sad reality is that this disease is completely preventable by keeping your cat lean and thin.”

The signs of type 2 diabetes include excessive thirst and urination, and weight loss despite increased eating. In addition to diabetes, overweight cats are at greater risk for osteoarthritis, respiratory problems, and several forms of cancer. “These are generally chronic, expensive, incurable, and largely preventable diseases,” says Dr. Ward.