My cat has diabetes. Are its littermates at risk for diabetes?

Cats get hyperthyroidism and this actually causes them to get too skinny. Cats who are over weight at at a much greater risk for diabetes but if they get the disease, they tend to lose weight and drink excessively. To answer your questions though, both conditions require blood work for diagnosis. Most cats get heavy because they eat too much and their metabolism slows down. Feeding multiple cats is difficult when one needs to lose weight and requires commitment on the humans part. You cannot leave food down all the time. You must separate the cats at feeding time. You must switch the heavy cat to a light cat food and control the portions. Cats do best if they are feed 4-6 times a day. For my own fat cat, I got an automatic feeder that stays shut in a room. It portion controls and is timed. All I do is open the door and shut it behind him. It’s pretty easy and I like that. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Although there are some feline viral diseases that would typically be present in litter mates and can cause neurologic disease, I would suspect that you would have noticed that one or both cats were sick prior to this if that were the case. In a 2 year old cat the most likely cause of seizures is a toxin exposure, so I would be sure to check the area very thoroughly for any potential hazards, such as antifreeze, that may have precipitated this.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would check the blood sugar again. Stress can make the blood sugar go up. Can you post the blood work as your values are not the same as the US? I would confirm it again. I haven't in 13 years seen a diabetic cat present with out weight loss. Unless you caught him very early.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! To be safe, I would recommend blood testing the second cat. If she's not in failure, it would give a good baseline for future blood testing. It will not hurt both cats to be on the special diet. They are safe for all pets and could help stave off renal changes. Good luck and kisses to both kitties!

This makes me suspicious that one of the cats may have diabetes. If any of the cats are drinking more water or urinating more frequently then that would increase my concerns of diabetes. Also, are any of the cats losing weight? I would encourage you to consider having your cats evaluated by your veterinarian soon. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Glucose levels in cats should not change based on size. However, levels can increase with stress but anything over 300 is very concerning for diabetes. Several tests can be done to diagnose diabetes. A fasting blood glucose level in addition to a urinanalysis will diagnose most cats, but occasionally a test called fructosamine may be needed. Overweight mid aged male cats are more predisposed to diabetes than others. It sounds like you may need to visit with your veterinarian to make a plan for BB.

First off, I'm sorry very sorry you lost Rigby! Please accept my condolences for your loss. I don't think the chances are high Chicken has cardiomyopathy as well. You can have his heart checked out by a vet to make sure everything is ok. Again, I'm sorry for your loss.