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My 14 year old indoor/outdoor cat has been diagnosed with diabetes. I travel for my work, so am unable to provide the twice daily insulin injections. But I did change her diet to all protein. Over the past 3 years she has gotten thinner, slower, and weaker, but still visits for caresses.

Trouble is, she is urinating all over the house. I try to keep the litter box clean, but my husband is ready to feed her to the coyotes. Even my love for her is laced with resentment at this point.

At what point will she be truly suffering with this disease? How long will she live? I have never put down an animal before and prefer not to, but certainly don't want her to suffer.

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    I don't know how similar feline diabetes is to human diabetes, but if my mom doesn't get her insulin shots she won't be in pain, but she won't be feeling swell either, she'll feel sick, dizzy and lethargic. – Just Do It Feb 24 '16 at 17:38
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    Your vet can probably answer this question – jalynn2 Feb 24 '16 at 20:28
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    Honestly the energy put in by two humans to resent this poor animal could have been better used in treating her condition properly. My diabetic cat ceased urinated constantly when I treated him according to the vet's instructions. He's now in remission after careful care. Since this is a member of your family, it's reasonable to ask your family, friends and spouses to help out. Injections are a lot easier than cleaning cat urine. Best of luck to everyone caring for their dear kitties! – Melissa Oct 30 '19 at 18:42
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Your cat is showing symptoms that are signs of untreated diabetes in humans at least (weight loss, increased urination, fatigue), and untreated diabetics say the condition is quite uncomfortable. Untreated diabetes can lead to pretty awful complications in humans as well, such as blindness and susceptibility to infection. I'm guessing the same applies to cats. If you are unable to treat your cat, and considering her age, I think you should seriously consider putting her down.

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First off speaking as someone that has had type I diabetes for 20 years, pain isn't the most common thing I associate with the disease. It does however cause a great many changes making life unpleasant and has led to secondary problems. Feline diabetes causes similar issues with your cat. Untreated diabetes leads to consistent elevated glucose levels in your cat's body. This will basically cause stress on it's organs. Side effects may include loss of feeling (neuropathy which can be painful as well). It can cause slower healing of the extremities, lead to blindness, circulation issues, kidney failure, ...

If you're unable to provide your cat with the medication it requires you should seriously consider finding someone that is home and able to give your cat treatment and give your cat a new and healthier home. A simple switch to a protein only diet will not "cure" the problem. If you want your cat to live out the remainder of its life as best as best as possible you need to seriously consider these things.

You can read quite a bit about feline diabetes here

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Please take your cat to the vet and express your concerns. Ask the vet directly how your cat feels on a day-to-day basis.

  • Is she in pain?
  • Is she uncomfortable?
  • Is her mental state affected?
  • What should you look for to identify pain and altered mental status?

These answers should help you determine when euthanasia is the right time.

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Earlier this year our cat started showing these symptoms, urinating massive amounts, wasting away, so we started him on insulin, I've been very good about dosing and titrating up and up and up. He tolerated the shots so they aren't a big deal but nothing helps, his glucose three months later is still massively high. He cries for food and eats voraciously all of the time and drinks about a half gallon of water every day, and pees it out whenever and wherever he can. He otherwise appears to be not unhappy. He's very loving and sleeps when he's not eating or peeing. I just don't know if he's suffering and what he's feeling like. He's around 12-13 y/o.

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  • Welcome to Pets, please add some sort of a conclusion to this post that addresses the essence of question being asked, this section is reserved for answers only and your answer doesn't explicitly address the question. – lila♦ Dec 17 '20 at 23:36
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I have a diabetic cat as well, and the symptoms you mention are signs of diabetes getting out of control. Nothing to play with. Take her to a vet to get glucose numbers. This can be life and death.

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