> "This may be why cats are getting diabetes," Brand offers. "Cat food today has around 20 percent carbohydrates. The cats are not used to that, they can't handle it."

It's worse than that, usually 35-50% carbohydrates. The good (expensive) dry stuff is usually 10-20%. Wet food is often lower, depending on the type, as low as 7% as-fed with pates.

The weight-control labelled food is terrible both for weight and diabetes risk. It trades protein for carbohydrates under the assumption that cats don't absorb the carbohydrates as easily because the cat's liver has to process them. But this means the liver processes them to body fat, and the lack of protein leaves the cat less satiated, so it eats more food.