Cats can live a happy life with diabetes if you're willing to devote consistent care
to their condition. Don't know about a cure, but the vet did say that cats are the
only animal that can, once in a while, recover from the condition on their own.

Me beautiful old tuxedo tom lived to age 18, with the last 8 years of his life as a
diabetic. It did require two insulin shots per day, and even though initialy
squeamish (I don't like needles!!) I got quite good at it.

I used the very short-barrel 30 gauge insulin needles. I'd put down his breakfast or
dinner, load up a syringe, then gently gather up the loose fleshy part back behind
his head (the same area momma cats grab in their mouths when they transport
kittens), slip in the needle and give the shot.

He never noticed the 30 gauge needle (but was aware of the 29 gauge and balked at
the 28). I did vary the insertion point around that neck area. Still, after a few
years, there was a bit of pincushion aspect to that part of his hide.

I was **VERY CAREFUL** to log EACH SHOT -- date, time, amount. This is crucial so
that you don't double-dose the animal. In 6,000 or so shots I did that once by
accident and he got very sick and shaky.

The vets might be very insistent about daily glucose/ketone monitoring. I could
never do it, either by blood or urine (he'd have nothing to do with it!).

So I got benchmarks from vet blood tests and their corresponding insulin dose, then
was able to guess any needed variances pretty closely by the quality of his fur (if
thick, shiny and healthy, I was probably right on; if coarse and dry I was probably
a little low). Also, if he drooled normally when he purred, I was close. If not, too
low. If lethargic, I was probably a little high.

Doing this with a vet test every 3-6 months worked fine, my boy was happy and
playful almost to the end.

He passed of heart failure just shy of two years ago. Still miss him, but 18 years
was a good life for big guy like him. Even though a shot every 12 hours kept me
pretty much attached to him for those years, he gave me much in return.

Best of luck with it; it's not a death sentence.

Frank