Q. My 7-year-old cat was diagnosed with diabetes. His blood sugar count was 274 after fasting for 14 hours before the test. I'd rather not have to give him insulin injections. So I started him on an MD prescription food formula that is a preferred method of feeding diabetic cats. He has been on this diet for about two weeks and seems to drink less water and makes fewer trips to the litterbox.

I guess I just want to know if I am doing the best I can to keep him as happy and healthy as possible, and do I have him on the right diet?

A. The MD diet is excellent for cats with diabetes whether they are receiving insulin shots or not. I recommend that you follow up on his blood glucose levels, since less than 50 percent of cats with diabetes respond to dietary changes alone, so you may need to reconsider insulin injections at some point. Although most people are reluctant to start insulin, they usually find that administering it becomes an easy task.

Take your kitty to the vet after he has been on this diet for four to six weeks to have his glucose checked. If there is improvement, you may choose to stick with the diet and recheck him monthly. If his glucose does not respond or worsens, I recommend you start your cat on insulin, per your veterinarian's recommendations.