Fat cats in Britain are beginning to suffer the same diseases as their owners. A growing number are having type 2 diabetes diagnosed, as obesity and lack of exercise take their toll.

A pioneering study at the University of Edinburgh has found that one in every 230 cats in Britain is diabetic. Although there is no baseline for comparison, the evidence suggests that the rates of feline diabetes are rising rapidly. A study in America in the 1970s found only a fifth as many cases.

Professor Danielle Gunn-Moore, who led the study, said: “The lifestyle of cats, just like their owners, is changing. They are tending to eat too much, gain weight and take less exercise. Unfortunately, just like people, cats will overeat if they are offered too much tasty food, particularly if they are bored and have little else to do.

“While cats would naturally exercise outside, many cats are now house-bound — perhaps because they live in a flat or because their owners feel that it is too dangerous to let them out — so they have little to do all day but eat, sleep, and gain weight.”

Diabetes in cats, as in people, is a serious, often fatal, condition and affected cats need daily insulin injections and a special diet. They also face an increased risk of pancreatitis, urinary tract infections and other problems.

The research, published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, was based on data from Pet Protect, a veterinary insurer. The team compared the number of cats insured by the company with the number found to have diabetes in 2003, and also surveyed 2,000 readers of the journal, which is published by the Feline Advisory Bureau, a charity devoted to promoting the health and welfare of cats.

The questionnaire aimed to establish the factors that increase the risk of cats becoming diabetic. This established that diabetes is more common among male, neutered, overweight and inactive cats. Among the breeds, Burmese cats are three times more likely to develop the disease.

Professor Gunn-Moore said: “This is the first study of its kind to try to quantify diabetes among cats in the UK and the results show extremely worrying levels. To reduce your cat’s risk of developing this often fatal disease you need to keep them active and not allow them to gain too much weight.”

Why Burmese cats are so prone to the disease is not known, but has been shown in other surveys. In one study in New Zealand, some Burmese cats had more than 10 per cent of their kittens developing diabetes. One possibility, albeit speculative, is that, like people who develop layers of fat around the middle, Burmese cats have a form of fat distribution that is more likely to lead to diabetes.

Other risk factors were being male, which doubled the risk; eating a wet diet; being inactive; corticosteroid treatment; and weighing more than 5kg (11lb), which increased the rate of diabetes to more than 11 per cent.

The classic signs of cat diabetes are similar to those in people: excessive thirst and urination. Type 2 diabetes, the commonest type in people and cats, occurs when the body does not respond well to insulin. This results in high blood-sugar levels. The excess suger is passed to the urine, and excessive urination is an attempt to flush it out.

Britain has a cat population of about 9 million. Of these, research published recently by Sainsbury’s Pet Insurance estimated that almost 3 million were overweight and their health was consequently at risk. Claire Moyles, Sainsbury’s Pet Insurance Manager, said: “Many pet owners may like to treat their animals with food and snacks intended for human consumption, but they must be aware of the detrimental effect this can have on their pet’s health. “Owners concerned about their pets’ weight should consider feeding their animals from the growing range of nutritionally balanced, low-calorie, organic or additive and preservative-free pet foods.”

Fighting the feline flab

According to Joe Inglis, a veterinary surgeon who appeared on the BBC programmes Vets in Practice and Blue Peter, obesity is the biggest threat to health now facing domestic pets in Britain. Here he offers his tips for keeping your cat in shape. Diet

Choose a healthy, natural cat food

Lots of foods are full of artificial additives, sugars and cereals and not enough meat. Look for natural dry foods with at least 26 per cent meat and wet foods that have more than 80 per cent meat

Feed the correct amount

Follow the guidelines on the packaging rather than just feeding to your cat’s appetite

Small regular meals

Don’t leave food down all day. Instead, give your cat small regular meals when it is hungry

Avoid titbits and treats

Leftovers tend to be very fatty and treats are usually rich in sugars, so avoid letting your cat snack between meals

Make your cat work for its food

Rather than serve the food openly in a dish, hide it. You can buy specially designed toys in which to hide dry or wet foods, or you can improvise Exercise

Introduce exercise gradually

If you have a fat cat it will need to be eased into it. Cats are not like dogs. There are no set targets and you cannot force them to exercise

Playtime

Rubber balls, a ball of wool or any toy with catnip in it should really get them going. Activity centres with scratching posts and hanging toys are a good way of interesting them in exercise

Walkies

You can buy harnesses to take your cat out for a walk. It is not for every cat, but some will benefit

The RSPCA has a website with advice for animal lovers about how to keep their pets in shape: www.petsgetslim.co.uk .

Patrick Foster

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