Diabetes in cats is increasingly common and requires daily insulin injections; with modern management including remission protocols, quality of life can be excellent.
Feline diabetes management has been transformed by understanding of remission potential. Rather than a lifelong diagnosis requiring permanent insulin therapy, many newly diagnosed diabetic cats can achieve remission through aggressive early intervention with appropriate insulin and low-carbohydrate diet. For cats where remission is not achieved, twice-daily insulin injections can be administered with minimal stress when owners are trained in fear-free injection technique. The welfare cost of well-managed feline diabetes is low; the welfare cost of unmanaged or poorly managed diabetes is substantial and progressive.