As an Amazon associate I may earn a small fee from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. This helps us to run the site. Thank you for your support!
If your cat is diabetic, then it is very important that they have the correct diet.
A good quality diabetic cat food should help to manage your cat’s glucose levels while helping her lose weight. Diabetic cat foods are generally very low in carbohydrates and high in protein to boost muscle mass.
There are some very good options for diabetic cat food on the market and we have summarised our favourites in the table below:
Image | Title | Price | Buy |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | Royal Canin Diabetic Cat Food Veterinary Health Nutrition 48 x 85g pouches | Buy Now | |
![]() | PRO PLAN VETERINARY DIETS Feline DM Diabetes Management Dry Cat Food 5kg | Buy Now | |
![]() | Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Dry Cat Food Diabetic 1.5 Kg | Buy Now | |
![]() | Pro Plan Cat Veterinary Diets Feline Diabetes Cat Food, 24 x 195g | Buy Now | |
![]() | Animonda Integra Protect Diabetes, wet diet cat food for diabetes mellitus | Buy Now |
Diabetes in cats
Diabetes in cats is commonly known as feline diabetes, and it is caused when the cat has an inability to produce insulin or use insulin properly.
As insulin controls the flow of blood sugar (glucose) to the body’s cells to provide energy - if not enough of it is being produced then not enough glucose reaches the cells so the body uses fat or protein supplies instead.
Feline diabetes can be a very serious condition, leading to weight loss, dehydration and sometimes even death. This means it is important to know the symptoms and treatments if you suspect that your cat has diabetes.
Symptoms of Feline Diabetes
Although the exact cause of feline diabetes is unknown, it is more common in obese cats so it is a growing problem with the average weight of cats increasing worldwide.
Common symptoms include increased appetite, weight loss, excessive thirst and increased urination.
It may seem counterproductive for your cat to have an increased appetite combined with weight loss. This occurs because the cat’s body is breaking down fat and protein to balance blood sugar, effectively starving itself.
There is more about the symptoms, treatment and general information on feline diabetes in this excellent article.
Diabetic Cat Food
A specialist diabetes cat food can form part of a treatment plan for a cat with feline diabetes.
Diabetic Cat food will be high in protein, low in carbohydrates and should help to manage your cat’s glucose levels while helping her lose weight. This means the food should also only generally have a moderate calorie content.
It is worth saying that using a diabetic cat food is not a treatment in itself for diabetes, and should only be used as part of a programme of treatment prescribed by a qualified veterinarian.
This programme will usually include insulin shots so the body can manage glucose levels, while a good diabetic cat food will help your cat to lose weight while increasing muscle mass.
While there are some very good quality specialist diabetes cat foods available, it can be expensive so you may also be able to use some standard cat food with a high protein content.
Diabetec Cat Food Reviews
Royal Canin Diabetic Cat Food Veterinary Health Nutrition 12 x 85g pouches
Royal Canin are specialists in producing high quality and nutritious food for both dogs and cats, and this specialist cat food is highly recommended for diabetic cats.
It is made to a specific formula which contains a reduced level of starch to help limit postprandial blood glucose. It also helps to maintain muscle mass.
As this is a wet cat food, the pouches are very tasty and this pack is supplied in a pack of 12 individual meals. Although the initial outlay may seem high, the specific diabetic formula and large number of pouches means this works out at good value per meal.
These packs are also available with 48 pouches.
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets - Dry Cat Food
The Pro Plan Veterinary Diets from Purina is a range of foods which are designed for cats with specific health problems.
If your cat prefers dry food, then this is a great option as the food is very low in carbohydrates and also has reduced Vitamin E to reduce the oxidative stress associated with diabetes.
You can choose from packets of 1.5kg or 5kg, with the larger bag providing much better value if you have storage.
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Dry Cat Food
This dry cat food from the Royal Canin Veterinary range makes a great alternative to either the Royal Canin Wet Food or Purina Dry Food option.
The food is low in starch but high in protein and is specifically designed to moderate glucose levels.
This is a very good option for diabetic cats and other cat owners have mixed this in with other, less expensive food as part of their cat’s diet.
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets - Wet Cat Food
Purina also offers a wet cat food option in their Pro Plan range formulated for diabetic cats.
This food is very low in carbohydrates to reduce blood glucose variation, and is also clinically proven to help reduce insulin requirements in some diabetic cats.
Animonda Integra Protect Diabetes
This wet cat food for diabetic cats is made by German company Animonda.
It receives excellent reviews for taste, and is specifically formulated to reduce your cat’s blood sugar levels.
The case consists of 16 individual packets with a choice of fish, rabbit or turkey hearts.
Conclusion
Discovering that your cat has diabetes can be very worrying and upsetting. However, with such a good range of diabetic cat food available, this condition can be managed with a combination of a good diet and a course of veterinary treatment.
If you have found this article then check out our other reviews of the best wet cat food, the best dry food, the best kitten food available for your cat, as well as recommendations on cat water fountains and automatic cat feeders. We have also looked at other specialist cat food including grain free cat food.