Diabetic Cat Diet

by Angie
(Burlington, WA)

Hi there,

I just recently entered my lil' kitty Boo in your photo contest. Boo is a newly diagnosed diabetic cat.

My question is: I am trying to get him to put on some weight. What cat food would you recommend that has the most calories?? My kitty's favorite is Fancy Feast.

I would really appreciate any suggestions that you might have. Thank you for your time.

Angie & Boo Banta


Dear Angie,

First, thank you for your photo contest entry and for the amazing story of Boo's journey.

Regarding your concerns about Boo's weight and selecting the proper diet for him, while we certainly don't want a cat to be emaciated, it is not as important to get Boo to gain weight as it is to control his feline diabetes.

I would recommend feeding your kitty a low-carb canned-only diet, selecting foods with 5% or less carbohydrate content as outlined on these charts on the Binky's Page website. The standing recommendation is to feed a diabetic feline any foods with 10% or less carbohydrates, but I have found success feeding my own diabetic cat by choosing brands and flavors of foods that have 5% or less in the carbohydrate column. Fortunately, Fancy Feast, your kitty's favorite, has many flavors that meet the guidelines.

Feeding this low-carb cat diet to diabetic cats is part of successfully practicing Tight Regulation Protocol, as outlined by Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins, and I strongly recommend following this protocol to control feline diabetes. The Diabetic Cat Care website has the entire protocol outlined very nicely, and even offers a very helpful forum for discussing your diabetic cat questions and stories with other owners.

All the best to you and Boo,
Dr. Neely