Your vet Columbia, MD can tell you that diabetes mellitus or sugar diabetes is a common occurrence in cats. Feline diabetes generally occurs when a cat’s body doesn’t produce enough insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is produced in a cat’s pancreas and is in charge of regulating the flow of glucose from the bloodstream into the body’s cells. When there isn’t enough insulin the cat’s body starts breaking down fat and protein reserves as an alternative. Ideally, the energy source should therefore come from glucose and not stored fat and proteins. As a result the cat may start to lose weight and develop high levels of sugar in the bloodstream. Cats with diabetes tend to face a number of additional health issues including pancreatitis and frequent urinary tract infections. Both humans and dogs are known to have eye problems such as cataracts as a direct result of diabetes. Eye illnesses such as these; however, are rare in diabetic cats. See details here.