Papa was a rollin' stone...

Good afternoon all...

Been pondering something, and don't know if anyone knows, but figured I'd toss it out there and see if it floats...

All of my cats were either abandoned by their people, left after mom got hit by a car, or [mostly] neighborhood ferals that found food & water at my house. For this reason, I don't have any experience with fatherhood... motherhood once (Grayson and his siblings' births), and that was plenty!!! But here goes:

Is it safe to assume that diabetes in cats can be hereditary?

As I've been telling EVERYONE about Grayson and his condition, I started thinking about a black cat that was regularly in the neighborhood before Tedi, Grayson's mom, showed up VERY pregnant. Tedi is a B/W tuxedor; her litter included 1 calico, 1 B/W tuxedo, one long-haired gray, one long-haired black, and Grayson, a short-haired gray.

I don't remember what i called this fuzzy-coated black guy, other than prolific, but I remember he had a HORRIBLE looking coat. He disappeared quietly and there was no sign of him in the neighborhood again. Fast forward nearly 7 years to January, and Grayson's coat looks like a teddy bear exploded... gets diagnosed w/ diabetes, and it occurs to me.... hmmm could this have been a hereditary condition?

Any thoughts? Experience? Wisdom?

 

No idea.

Have any of Graysons other litter sibs developed FD?

Sneakers sister lives with my sister and she doesn't have them. But- she has a can of friskies every morning and Sneakers didn't. I was asked today by my sister why I didn't just have Sneakers put to sleep because of her age...

Is human diabetes hereditary or is it conditional upon body type? That might give us a clue for feline diabetes. Maybe the gene to develop FD is hereditary but, just like in humans, the type of food we eat and the amount of exercise we get is what pushes us over the edge into diabetes. And, while humans can learn and understand the risks to develop it, cats have no idea what it is and most people i talk to about this don't either or know that it is even possible.

That would be an interesting grant to write.

 

It can be genetic, yes.

 

This is a stretch, but has anyone here have a diabetic cat that had a litter, and has followed up w/ the babies...?

Makes me reaize I need to talk to Grayson's sister Samantha's people and tell them to keep an eye out for the changes I experienced... or just start feeding FF! She's an only pet child in their household, so she may already be eating canned. My household, on the other hand, is in double digits! FF for everyone would be pretty expensive - so in the meantime I'm testing everyone to keep an eye on things!

 

Late nekked Jock, the sphynx, was a stud cat, breading, until he got diabetes. I don't know if anyone in all his litters have developed diabetes.

 

Jock's burning candle was one of the first I read... It would be interesting to know if his bean has had any contact w/ Jock's descendants (wait, this is DCMB and not Ancestry.com, right???) Thanks for the insight!

 

I would think that just as in humans, there can, but not always be a predisposition to diabetes. We have had many, many cats live to 15+ in our family, and Sonny is the first to develop diabetes. We fed all the others similarly, wet in the AM and PM and free-fed dry, and while we've had one with horrible hyperthyroid, one with CRF, and one boy who lived past 19 with both of the latter, Sonny's diabetes dx was a new one for us, and for our extended family, all of whom have grown our kitties 16 years plus! Given that we fed the same and such, yet he was the only one to ever have it, I would guess that there could be some genetic predisposition.

 

We had two littermates with diabetes, Max and Maggie. My vet and I assumed a genetic cause.

 

Interesting.

I've checked BG on both Tedi, Grayson's mom and Franki [Francesca] his sister. Both have, at various times, had dandruff and mildly bad-looking hair - but not currently. They always ate downstairs on the dryer (Tedi wasn't fond of dog Jack) and Tedi seemed to have put on some weight. Due to my laziness, I stopped putting food downstairs, and now the girls eat w/ the boys in the hallway. Tedi lost most of her weight - and both currently have great coats. Wish I had known about testing before... but then everyone who tells me their cat makes big "pee pies" in the litter box, I offer to come and test them for them! Or at least suggest they opt for canned food, just in case!

 

Patticass, shes not been posting much, but she was an aby breeder, Tyler being her diabetic, and one of Tylers sons developed diabetes.

 

I think that it is possible to have a genetic predisposition towards diabetes, but it isn't an absolute. I have 2 cats, a male, Phoenix and female, Missy. They are litter mates and have been fed identically since they were 4 weeks old. Phoenix does not have diabetes and Missy does. But, she is less active and overweight.
I would think it would be a multifactorial disease, with genetics being one of the predisposing factors.