Introduction
In diabetic cats, the body's tissues cannot uptake and utilize all of the important components in food (sugar, fat, protein). By reducing the cat's ability to turn food into useful fuel for its body, diabetes effectively puts the cat's body into starvation mode.
Symptoms of Diabetes in Cats
In the very early stages, reduced activity and reduced appetite and grooming may be the first signs. Severe diabetes results in weight loss, increased thirst and urination, nerve problems (cats often walk down on their hock joints of the back legs), liver failure, and increased risk of all chronic infections.
In very late stages, complete loss of appetite, vomiting, weakness, and death may occur. There are some severe but rare complications of untreated diabetes such as non-ketotic hyperosmolar, and ketoacidotic crises as well. Note that the eye cataracts that we see in dog and human diabetics are not reported in cats.