Hello, we adopted a rescue cat 3 years ago. He is now 16/17 years old. He is a big gentle giant of a cat, who despite his old age, settled in very well to a house with a dog and a child (he had lived with neither before).
About 2 months ago we noticed a wound on his hip. We took him to the vets thinking it looked like a puncture wound. But no :( It is a tumour, an ulcerating one, which is visible on the exterior. It is deeply embedded in his hip bone (so the vet thinks, we've not paid for bipsies or scans) and operation is unlikely to be successful. We also do not know if it has spread.
We thought initially that the tumour was a puncture wound because the cat himself shows absolutely no difference in behaviour, and the tumour does not appear to hurt him at all - though he licks at it (probably because it weeps) - the vet prodded and poked at it, and he didnt so much as notice.
The vet said in the light of his diagnosis, we ought to think about what is fair on our cat :( We have decided not to have him PTS because he seems so well - he eats (double what he used to eat), drinks, goes outside for the toilet and for a wander round (not massively, but then he is old) and comes upstairs for a cuddle with us first thing in the morning, as he has always done.
He is starting to get quite thin now, though he still appears happy. Right now he is howling in the kitchen for DH to give him some chicken, prior to that he was sat on my lap (he likes me as I am pg) being stroked.
I guess the reason I am posting is because of the vets continual insistence that we "make a decision" with regards to him - should I have him PTS before he gets unwell - or should we allow him to enjoy the last remaining months/weeks whilst he has a good life quality?
WWYD?