(read Anger, Shame, Rage … in support of Furry Royals (part 1))
Two years ago, the matriarch (Dreams) of the CatPeople that myself and cowboy are currently slave to:) was diagnosed with diabetes.
Her vet, of the time, said that her numbers were so high (27.3) that she’d probably not last even 6 months. Did I want to treat her with insulin? 6 months @ 2 needles a day, plus whatever on-going testing, vet visits and other needles, medicines … Her temperament, at the time, was a feisty, self-assured, uncooperative individual who would have hid and fought every injection. I weighed the information from her Dr., who I trusted, and decided Not to treat her with insulin.
The choice seemed clear – Quality of life over Quantity of life. We decided to treat her with food therapy (Canned food only, instead of the kibble that she has preferred and insisted on her entire life – She’d rather go hungry than eat canned food) and Bach Flower Remedies instead. It is just over 2 years later and she is still here. She is weak and frail, absent-minded, frowsy and still much-loved. We make her as comfortable as we can, respond to her demands to be lifted into the sink to drink (ever since she was a kitten) and have told her that we want her to stay as long as she wants and, we are ready whenever she is.
Just over a month ago, another of our Furry-Royals was diagnosed with diabetes. What the hell is going on!!! Though we do have cats who are blood-related (3 born at home), we have 3 others (rescues) who aren’t. Hue’s numbers are high too. Worse though, he has been hugely side-affected, from the diabetes, with neuropathy. Already he struggles to walk. We are devastated and now voraciously combing the internet for answers.
THE FRAUD. THE LIE. THE EVIL: Turns out that over the past 10 – 15 years (near as we can tell so far) the mainstream pet food companies have been knowingly reducing protein content (more expensive) in favour of carbs, chemicals, sugars (less expensive) in both hard and canned food. They even spray the hard food with a substance that addicts the animals to the food which is knowingly bad for them. Now there are cat dis-eases in epidemic proportions! Diabetes is just one.
Cats are obligate carnivores. They have no choice. Their bodies are designed to process meat. Dogs are victims of this too. They, however, can process a greater proportion of carbs and vegetable protein. However, Not as much as being sold to the trusting, naive, blind and complacent pet parents – shamefully, myself included.
More later (part 3)
