Reptile & Amphibian Forums

2 of my cats are from the same litter...both are 14 years old..one is male,obese (15lbs) and the other is female, smaller frame than her brother and is normal weight (8lbs).

the female has recently been diagnosed with diabetes she's been peeing outside the litter box 4 or 5 times a day and is always hungry and hiding. not much has changed in her behavior now that we've been giving her insulin shots... hopefully this will change in time but does anyone know if her brother is likely to be diabetic also? we haven't had him checked out because he doesn't seem sick at all. he always uses the litterbox and eats and drinks like normal and plays and socializes.

i'm thinking since he is obese he would have diabetes but oddly enough its the other one. is it hereditary?

While type 2 diabetes, due to insulin resistance, is not inherited, we often see it in numerous cats in the same household. This is due to the conditions the cats are living in; specifically high carbohydrate diets, meaning, in most cases, dry food. Cats do not handle carbohydrates well, as it is not normally found in their natural diet. Cats should be fed a diet of canned food, or better yet, fresh meat and bone, preferably raw, but cooked if necessary, along with organ meat, fish oil and a probiotic or yogurt. Feeding dry food leads to urinary track infections, urinary blockages in males, obesity, and oftentimes, vomiting.