How common is diabetes in cats? What the UK figures actually show
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New UK research covering over 1.2 million cats gives the clearest picture yet of how common feline diabetes is, which cats are most at risk.
Quick answer
Research covering more than 1.2 million cats under UK primary veterinary care found that around 0.39% — roughly 1 in 256 — had diabetes in a single year. The average cat diagnosed was around 11.8 years old, and cats aged nine and over had roughly five times the odds of diagnosis compared with younger adult cats.
When your cat is diagnosed with something, it can feel like it's only happening to you. It usually helps to know the real numbers — so here they are, from the largest UK study of its kind.
The headline figure
Researchers at the Royal Veterinary College examined records for more than 1.2 million cats under primary veterinary care across the UK, using the VetCompass database. It's the most comprehensive picture we have of feline diabetes in this country.
They found an annual prevalence of 0.39% — roughly one cat in every 256.
That may sound small. Scaled across the UK cat population, it represents a great many cats and a great many owners going through exactly what you're going through. If you're wondering whether what you've noticed fits the pattern, our guide to the signs of diabetes in cats is a useful place to start.
Which cats are most affected?
Two findings stood out.
Age is the strongest signal. The average cat diagnosed was 11.8 years old. Cats aged nine and over had around five times the odds of a diabetes diagnosis compared with cats between roughly four and a half and nine years. This is very much a condition of later life.
Weight matters too. The median body weight of cats at diagnosis was 5.9 kg — above the typical healthy weight for many cats, which supports what vets have long observed about weight and feline diabetes risk.
What this means if your cat has just been diagnosed
A few genuinely useful things.
You didn't miss something obvious. At roughly 1 in 256, this isn't a condition most owners are watching for. The early signs — drinking more, larger clumps in the litter tray — are easy to attribute to warm weather or simply getting older.
Your cat's age is typical. If yours is around eleven or twelve, that's precisely where this condition tends to appear. It doesn't mean anything went wrong.
Weight is worth a conversation, not a reproach. If your cat is carrying extra weight, managing it alongside your vet can genuinely help — particularly with cats, where good early control opens the possibility of remission.
A note on remission, because cats are different
Something worth holding onto: unlike dogs, some cats can achieve diabetic remission and come off insulin entirely.
It's not guaranteed and it isn't every cat. But it's a real possibility, and it's most likely with early diagnosis, low-carbohydrate feeding and good glucose control in the first months. Our guide to feeding a diabetic cat explains how to approach that routine, and is the diet working? can help you think through what to look for. Which is precisely why the effort right now is so worthwhile.
Why data like this exists at all
Briefly, because it's rather good news for pet owners.
These figures come from VetCompass, a Royal Veterinary College programme that gathers anonymised clinical records from primary-care practices across the UK. It means research can be based on ordinary cats at ordinary practices, rather than only the complex cases that reach referral hospitals.
For a condition like feline diabetes, that's exactly the kind of evidence that helps vets give owners realistic, grounded answers.
Sources
This guide references the following veterinary sources.
- Waite O, Gostelow R, Wright E, Jepson RE, Brodbelt DC, O'Neill DG. "Frequency, Risk Factors, and Mortality for Diabetes Mellitus in 1,225,130 Cats Under Primary Veterinary Care in the United Kingdom in 2019." Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2025;39(4):e70161. DOI: 10.1111/jvim.70161 (open access)
- O'Neill DG, Gostelow R, Orme C, et al. "Epidemiology of Diabetes Mellitus Among 193,435 Cats Attending Primary-Care Veterinary Practices in England." Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2016;30(1):964–972. DOI: 10.1111/jvim.14365
When to contact your vet
- Contact your vet promptly if your pet’s symptoms, appetite, drinking, urination, behaviour or glucose readings change unexpectedly.
- Ask your vet for advice before changing insulin, food, exercise or any other part of your pet’s routine.
- Seek urgent veterinary care for collapse, seizures, severe weakness, repeated vomiting, or suspected hypoglycaemia or diabetic ketoacidosis.
Quick answers
What's Next?
Continue your diabetes management journey with these recommended next steps.
You might find this useful too
Signs of Diabetes in Cats: Symptoms Every Owner Should Know
The warning signs of diabetes in cats — drinking more, heavier litter trays, weight loss, and a distinctive change in how they walk.
What to feed a diabetic cat: food choices, portions and routines
Low-carbohydrate diet for diabetic cats explained — why low-carb matters, wet vs dry food, remission support, and practical feeding guidance from vets.
Diabetic remission: can the right diet reverse feline diabetes?
What diabetic remission means, why it's mainly a feline possibility, how diet and early control give the best chance.
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