Tigger is a Tabby kitty who was diagnosed with feline diabetes and came to live at the Central Dakota Humane Society when her family callously moved and left her behind. This sociable, adaptable beauty requires an inexpensive insulin shot once a day, but the vaccination is painless and takes literally seconds to perform. It's true that a regular schedule must be maintained, but as far as the injection, Tigger doesn't even seem to notice she's receiving it. Since diabetic cats need to maintain their sugar level, Tigger usually gets treats or canned food at the time of the injection and honestly is accustomed to the schedule and looking forward to the snack. The injection becomes secondary. Our posting of the following article was prompted by her condition.

Diabetes is a disease in which the normal blood sugar is unregulated by the cat's own insulin. This disease is a complex disorder that may be caused by one or a combination of factors such as genetic makeup, diet, certain drugs, immune disease, hormone abnormalities and pancreatic diseases.

The diabetic cat has a multitude of clinical signs that may be subtle and vague, like poor hair coat and weight loss, to the more characteristic clinical signs of drinking excessively and urinating frequently. Unregulated blood sugar will lead to complications and deterioration of the cat's life expectancy.

Although this disease is incurable, it is manageable with diet management, daily injections of insulin and close monitoring of the cat's blood sugar by a veterinarian. In today's ever-advancing medical technology, we are fortunate to be able to diagnose early and improve the quality of life of our faithful furry companions.