The sweet sickness

Physicians in ancient Greece and Rome spoke of the “sweet sickness,” a disease we know as diabetes. It occurs not only among humans but cats as well, generally cats eight years of age or older. A diabetic cat tends to be overweight for a while, then, as the disease progresses, becomes emaciated.

It can be treated, just as human diabetes can, but doing so places demands on the owners, including giving insulin injections once or twice daily, frequently testing glucose levels and monitoring the diet extremely carefully.