Cat with cancer pooping on the floor

[whoputallofthatthere]

Hi,
My 11 year old cat has aggressive lymphoma in her intestines. Ultrasound showed multiple tumours. The vet told us that they could operate, but they would have to remove a large section of her bowel and even then she'd need chemo and the cancer would likely return, so we have made the decision not to put her through this. She is on palliative care (steroids.)

She has always been perfectly toilet trained, but in the last couple of weeks she has started pooping on the floor all over the house. Weirdly she's also sometimes still going in the tray, so she knows where it is etc. The tray is definitely clean and nothing has changed - it's in the same position it's always been in, same litter as always, etc.

Does anyone have any advice on what we could do? It's unsanitary, the house stinks, and I'm worried that she is in distress of some kind. The thing is, I don't feel the time is quite right for euthanasia - she's still enthusiastic about food, comes for cuddles with lots of purring etc - and I don't want to have her put to sleep out of a sense of convenience to us. But what if she's more distressed than I realise? She doesn't groom herself anymore, doesn't play, doesn't want to go outside, and she's so so skinny now. I love her so much and just want to do what's right for her.

I will phone the vet for advice tomorrow but as she's already on palliative care, I don't think there is much else they can do to help her.

Does anyone have any experience of this, or any advice? Thank you

We had similar. The palliative was steroid and a low dose chemo though. He did stop the pooing in the house on that. We also bought a spot cleaner for the floor and covered furnishings. I’m so sorry. But it doesn’t sound like it will be that long.

Honestly, not grooming, losing weight, not playing and toileting issues indicate a very unhappy cat. I would seriously consider putting her to sleep before things get worse. She’s seeking comfort from you because she doesn’t feel well.

Our previous cat was diagnosed with feline dementia at 14 years old. We cared for her for a few months after diagnosis, but when she started pooping around the house we decided to have her pts. Cat poop on the floor is a serious health and safety issue for the humans in the house, it cannot continue. I honestly think the kindest thing to do is have her pts. Also, cats are brilliant at masking pain so she may well be a deeply distressed creature.

So true.

Oh OP, it’s so hard. Slightly different as no toilet issues, just vomiting, but when our cat was diagnosed with aggressive large cell intestinal lymphoma we opted to let her go the following week. Like your cat she was still happily eating, and was going out, playing, purring - to all intents and purposes, “well”. Ours hadn’t even lost any weight which was why it took so long to get a diagnosis even after numerous vet trips for the vomiting - we had to be referred out to a specialist place for further scans beyond the ultrasound before it was spotted. She caught a mouse that night in the garden, you would never have looked at her and thought she was remotely unwell.

Our girl was only ten, and it broke my heart. It was two years ago, and I am crying writing this! But she went to sleep with her people telling her how much they love her, she had the absolute best life, and I have her paw print tattooed on my arm so she’s always with me. Did we go in too soon? Possibly, but I loved her too much to have her suffer in any way - and it was only going one way. (We were told we had 12 months max with IV chemo, weeks with steroids. We had insurance so it wasn’t a financial decision.)

We have a little boy cat now who is coming up three. When we adopted him I told his foster carer from Cats Protection about our girl, and she said something along the lines of well done for doing right by her instead of doing what you wanted to do - have her live forever. I really take comfort in that.

Sending lots of love. It’s the absolute worst.

I'm so sorry 😔. I'd let him go now his cancer sounds unbearable. Speak to the vet in the morning.

Thank you for these lovely responses, your comments have really helped to clear my thinking.
We've had a chat as a family this morning and are thinking we will make an appointment within the next couple of days to have her put to sleep. I would rather she go a tad too early than too late because we've selfishly waited until she collapses or similar and is severely suffering.
Thank you again.

OP. That is the kindest decision you can make for your DCat. I’m so sorry. 💐

Thank you so much

Time to Let her go is when she still has some quality of life (can enjoy cuddles) but no prospect of her QoL improving. Don't wait until every part of her life is terrible. Sorry.

Im so sorry OP but I think you’re right. I believe we left it too long for our boy. He seemed to be improving then one day walked out in front of a car. Awful.

The kindest thing to do is have her put to sleep. Thanks for not putting her through an operation, they have no understanding of what is happening to them.

Not cat but dog with lymphoma. Was persuaded by vet to put her on chemo as ‘it wasn’t as harsh as the human treatment’. Diarrhoea (sp?) in kitchen every night and finally kidney failure. In retrospect would have been kinder to put her to sleep earlier. Do it.

We didn’t even entertain chemo - if it had been “treat to cure” we probably would have, but not to give us a little extra time. I asked our vet what she would do if it was her cat and she said she would pts. Our cat was really distressed by going to the vet/the box/the car although she was good as gold in the actual surgery - so humphing her back and forth for treatment would have been awful for her.

Thanks again to everyone, this thread has helped to make up my mind. I've been hoping against hope there would be something I could do to help her but I have to accept reality. It's so awful to have to make the decision for another being when it is time to die, but ultimately I know it's the kind thing to do.

It is the kindest and the hardest decision to make. Best wishes to you all.

I am so sorry OP but I agree totally. If you could cure this that would be different. But PTS is the only way to avoid suffering. You’re being brave and suffering so your beloved pet doesn’t have to.

It’s so awful and sad and hard, but I think if you can try to reframe it. Your cat is suffering, and you are choosing to end that for her - it’s a massive gift to be able to do that. I loved our beautiful girl with my whole heart, and I had to be taken out a back door of the vet because I was in such a mess, but I couldn’t bear the thought of her being in pain, getting sad and skinny. I am so glad we were able to let her go with grace. We made sure she had the best last week with her favourite foods (she was greedy to the very end!), sleeping in our bed every night, able to go out and sit in the sun, and all the love and cuddles - she knew how loved she was, and I am certain your cat knows too.

We have a lovely little boy cat now, and while I hope he lives forever I would (God forbid) do the same again in the same circumstances.

I may have let my dog go too soon. She was nearly 10, but a small breed who often live til 12-15 (my current one is 13.5!). She was diagnosed with chronic renal failure, sadly it took my vets too long to realise what it was. I wasn’t sure if she was starting to have tremors or not, which is common as kidney failure advances. She hated the vet, and I knew in the middle of a weekday it would be easier for the vets to arrange for someone to come and PTS at home. She was enjoying cuddles, not being sick anymore and eating. But it was a matter of when not if. This was nearly seven years ago now, and whilst I am sad that she didn’t really make old bones (she was a rescue, I got her when she was 5), I don’t regret having her PTS when I did. I worried I might, and that PTS early was more for my benefit not to see her suffer. But when you know it’s a when, not an if, you have the choice of timing. It’s far better to go three weeks ‘too soon’ than even an hour too late.

Sorry you are in this position, it’s horrible x

Hi
I am in a similar position, my cat was diagnosed with intestinal lymphoma but they said it was slow growing, this was 2 years ago.

She has been on chemo. She has 3 litter trays in various places, but over the last few months she is toileting daily outside her litter trays - sometimes right next to it. I am conitnuing scrubbing the floors, using the vax etc but its getting very stresful. I keep thinking if she was human we would all be saying its time for her to go....

She is eating but has naturally lost weight, this was partly due to a blockage a few years ago.

She does clean her self still. She is an indoor cat.

I am at my wits end what to do. On one hand I think let her go, as its not clean having this around the house and cant be ncie for her, but on the other hand she doesnt seem in pain and is eating...

I am so stressed about what to do, I of course dont want her to be in pain.

Is she telling it’s time?

This is maybe what I am thinking, but I just dont know what to do. I have the vets Monday, she has to have a flush every 6 months for a previous issue, so I will discuss then.

If she was off her food and not grooming I think I would maybe feel different, but she is eating etc, just the toileting....but maybe thats her way of trying to tell me. :(...x

My cat was toileting next to the tray. My vet thought it a brain issue as in dementia or cancer.

You will know more after the vets visit.

It is a horrible decision to make. I had my girl put to sleep a couple of weeks ago. It was devastating and I miss her so much it hurts, but I know I did the right thing.
The day after I made this thread she answered the question for me; she became very unsteady on her legs and her back legs went out from under her several times. It was obviously time.
All I can suggest is, monitor her closely and see what your vet thinks. But everyone told me I would know when it was time, and in the end, I did.
Hugs for you.

You did the right thing. Sorry for your loss.