Digestive Hormones

Behind the mechanics of digestion lie hormones produced by the thyroids and parathyroids and the pancreas. The thyroids, two glands on either side of the windpipe, control the metabolic rate.

Pedigreed cats tend to have higher thyroid activity than random-bred cats.  Overactive thyroids, almost unknown until 1978, but now common in older cats, cause dramatically increased heard rate, a voracious appetite, and weight loss.

Underactive thyroids are extremely rare. Next to each thyroid is a tiny parathyroid gland, which produces a hormone needed to extract calcium, important in muscle contraction, from bone.

Insulin, secreted in the pancreas, allows cell to  absorb vital glucose from the blood. Many hormones counteract insulin; diabetes in cats can be caused by overactive pituitary, thyroid, or adrenal glands.