Human diseases affect animals, too, and when a chronic illness strikes, many owners will go the extra mile to make sure their pet lives a long and happy life.

Here's a story about a very lucky cat and her loving owner.

Ada Yamaki of Halawa has a cat with special needs.

Kayla is a 13-year-old long-haired Maine coon cat. She's a big girl, weighing in at 14 pounds. Yamaki got her as a gift from her husband while they were living in Georgia. He was going away to the Middle East, and so he gave her the little green-eyed kitten to keep her company.

When Yamaki decided to move back to Hawai'i in 2001, she drove from Georgia to California with Kayla in a pet carrier, and then took a flight to Hawai'i.

About three years ago, Yamaki noticed that Kayla wasn't quite right. She was drinking an unusual amount of water. She was lethargic and going to the bathroom very frequently.

Yamaki immediately took her to Dr. Peter Herman in Pearl City. The diagnosis was diabetes.

She needs insulin shots two times a day and she eats a special type of diabetic food called D/M.

Kayla's health improved immediately on insulin and her new diet.

"She is doing much better," Yamaki says. "I take her to the vet once a month to get her blood tested. Dr. Herman is great with diabetic cats, and a lot of his patients come to him for that reason. His cat lived to 18 years old with diabetes."

Giving injections wasn't easy at first, but now Yamaki is a pro. "It was hard in the beginning since I didn't want to hurt her or do the wrong thing. Now since it's become a routine, it's OK. It's just a matter of having a schedule to give the shots on time at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. every day," says Yamaki.

When Yamaki decided to visit Maui this past spring, she took Kayla with her because she was able to stay at a relative's home. "Leaving her at the vet was going to cost a lot, so I decided to take her with me and give her the shots myself."

How's Kayla handling her chronic illness? Well, she's quite a trooper. When Yamaki shows her the needle, she jumps on the couch and waits for the injection in the scruff of her neck. Perhaps she knows, it'll make her feel better.

Animal lover Leslie Kawamoto has been with the Advertiser for 19 years, or 133 in dog years. Check out her blog at http://HonoluluAdvertiser.com/Blogs.