Diet is one of the three main “pillars” of managing feline diabetes, with the other two being insulin and home testing blood glucose. What a diabetic cat eats can directly impact blood glucose levels, insulin needs, and other parts of their body. A poor food choice can keep numbers elevated no matter how carefully insulin is dosed. With a good food choice, we’ve even seen some cats go into remission with a diet change alone, usually early in the disease and alongside careful monitoring. This can also lead to significantly reduced insulin needs. That is why food is foundational to diabetes management.
It’s also important to mention that blanket statements rarely apply to diabetic cats. But generally speaking, and for the majority of folks starting out, we’ve seen feeding a good low-carb wet food diet help get blood glucose numbers under control. There are more nuanced situations where slightly higher-carb foods (still considered low-carb) can help stabilize a cat’s numbers. And of course the situations where blood glucose is dropping that call for medium or high carb food. We’ll cover that a little later on.
Understanding Carbohydrates
Cats are obligate carnivores designed to run on protein and fat. When a diabetic cat eats food high in carbohydrates, blood glucose rises quickly and often unpredictably. This puts pressure on insulin dosing and can contribute to sustained high numbers and, in poorly controlled cases, increase the risk of complications such as diabetic ketoacidosis. When carbohydrates are kept low (<10%) and consistent, blood glucose is often easier to predict and manage overall.
Why Unregulated Diabetic Cats Seem Constantly Hungry
When a cat’s diabetes is unregulated, glucose is present in the bloodstream but not effectively entering the cells to be used for energy. The body behaves as if it is starving, even when the cat is eating more than enough food. That’s why one of the symptoms new caregivers mention when they join the Feline Diabetes Message Board (FDMB) is weight loss despite good food intake. Many cats are overweight at this stage, so it’s still important to monitor calorie intake and body condition and adjust as necessary. A veterinarian can help with a good target weight for your cat.
Low-Carb Foods – The Baseline for Most Diabetic Cats
For the majority of diabetic cats, low-carbohydrate wet food is the default starting point. This generally means under 10% of calories from carbohydrates on a dry-matter basis. Here are some food charts and a link to a calculator if something you find isn’t listed in the charts.
In the US, Fancy Feast Classic Pates are commonly recommended on the FDMB. They are a low-cost, low-carb wet food available online and in local retail stores. Not every flavor is appropriate for every cat, especially if there are other conditions like kidney disease or food sensitivities. For example, if your cat has other conditions such as kidney disease, the Fancy Feast might be too high in phosphorus. Weruva is another brand often recommended, as is properly balanced home cooking.
Wet vs Dry Food
Many cats have been on dry food their whole lives. The problem with dry food though is the carbohydrate content, and the lack of water. There are some low-carb dry foods. Dr. Elsey’s and Young Again are probably the two most popular on the forum. But, we’ve still got the hydration problem. Keeping them hydrated helps with overall health and the kidneys. I know for us, our guy got used to the wet food pretty quickly. I don’t think he misses the dry at all. There are timed automatic wet food feeders that can help too if your cat is a grazer.
Medium and High Carbs
Medium carbs are generally considered 11%-15% and high carbs are 15% and higher. It’s a little more advanced, but caregivers can use medium carbs strategically to help slow drops. Once you know your cat’s typical cycle you can use them as support to help keep them steady. High carbs are usually reserved for emergencies, see the posts below.
Any use of medium or high-carb food should be guided by blood glucose data.
Common Feeding Mistakes
- Prescription “diabetic” or “dietetic” foods
These foods are often too high in carbs for our diabetic cats. Check the ingredients and run them through the calculator. We’re looking for <10% carbs.
- Feeding only two times a day
Traditional guidance recommends feeding twice a day. We’ve already covered how our unregulated diabetics are basically starving. And this isn’t how cats naturally eat or how modern insulin strategies are managed. Most cats do better with multiple small meals spread throughout the day and night. This can help keep blood glucose smooth.
How Food Fits Into the Bigger Diabetes Picture
Food does not exist in isolation. Its effects are tightly linked to insulin type, dose, timing, and the individual cat. Changing food should be done slowly, with your veterinarian on board, and paired with home blood glucose testing. Once there is no longer a high-carb food fighting insulin treatment, diabetes management can become more predictable and less stressful.
Where to Go Next to Learn More
Join the Feline Diabetes Message Board (FDMB). It’s free. And the folks there have been helping diabetic cat caregivers since the 1990s. Someone would be glad to answer any questions you might have.
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