Updated: August 11, 2022 by Kristen Chapple
Diabetes in cats is a condition that’s quickly becoming more and more common these days. One might think that the food cats eat is different than the food we humans eat but the fact that both cats and humans can become diabetic is a big exclamation mark. So the question arises: how do cats become diabetic?
There is no straightforward and clear answer to this question, but a main pattern can be developed from all the research and that always involves the food we feed to our little feline friends. Or more, the quality of that food.
How Do Cats Become Diabetic
Before answering this question there is one thing we need to clear and that’s the eating patterns and behaviors of cats in general.
Cats are predators – carnivore creatures – and that means they feed on the meat of their prey when in the wild, but on what we give them or on what they can steal with their own little paws when in our homes.
The Food Quality
While a minority of the cats may develop diabetes due to genetic reasons or other underlying health problems that can further lead to diabetes, most cats become diabetic because of the commercial cat food that’s based on corn and gluten as their main sources of protein for the cats’ meals.
And don’t think for a second that the super-marketed premium cat food doesn’t rely on the same corn and gluten, because they often do. Make sure to look for corn and gluten free food for your cat – and yourself – if possible and then get out there in the backyard to play with your little furry friend. Lack of movement is another indirect cause for diabetes in cats and humans alike.
So while overweight and obese cats might be more prone for developing diabetes, obesity isn’t the direct cause but the one ensuring the necessary conditions for diabetes to develop. And obesity flourishes with corn and bad carbohydrates in general.
Natural Food
Think about it for a second. A cat that lives out there into the wild will never feed itself on corn or other carbohydrates. Cats are carnivores, so their main source of food is meat.
Now you might think that your cat isn’t the wildling of the past because he’s domesticated, but the reality is that their instincts, body structure and genetic characteristics point to the fact that they’re more related to their wild relatives than not.
A cat’s body is made to process meat and not grains and corn, so it might be a wise choice to look for better food alternatives such as high quality canned food if and when possible.
The price might first seem too high in comparison to the cheaper alternatives, yet think about how much the veterinary treatment might cost for cats who become diabetic or who develop other diseases, as diabetes isn’t the only possible problem of low quality cat food.
