Advice needed on elderly cat with suspected cancer

[Pastelrainbow]

Hi,

My darling cat is 18 years old (we have had him since he was 1.5) and has a whole range of health problems below. I feel like the time is close that we will need to consider PTS but making that final call is really hard and upsetting as he is sooo loved! It is a long one so bear with me….

• He has been on thyroid medication for many years and will be for life. Blood tests show this is controlled at the moment.
• He has been diagnosed with kidney disease although recent blood tests haven’t shown deterioration.
• He has a heart murmur.
• Around 18 months ago, his blood pressure rose quickly and unexpectedly meaning his retina’s became detached and he went blind temporarily. His sight came back to an extent due to blood pressure meds which he is now on for life.
• I’m pretty sure he is completely deaf
• He can get up and down stairs slowly but has stopped jumping up and down to sink and will wait to be picked up. I suspect arthritis.
• He sleeps a lot.
• His fur is duller than it used to be

Last week, we noticed a swelling on his face and redness to the corner of one eye/leaking from eye. The vet strongly suspects cancer within his mouth causing a lump that is pressing close to his eye. They won’t do a biopsy to confirm or other invasive treatments due to his age so have given him painkillers and told us to monitor him.

I think the swelling has impacted on his sight again as he seems to be looking near to movement but not directly at if that makes sense. He also bumped into his food bowl the other day. He isn’t bumping into walls (like he was when he lost sight before) and is making his way around the house.

The swelling has also impacted on his ability to eat. He is eating normal amounts but is getting it stuck in the fur at the side of his face, as he is trying to eat on one side, which he then tries to clean with his paw but then has cat food constantly stuck into his paw fur (which I am helping him to clean regularly).

When he was weighed at the vet, he had lost a lot of weight in the last six months- guessing linked to the cancer :-(

Positives:

• He is still eating and drinking normally (soft food only and on one side as mentioned above)
• He still uses the litter tray normally
• He still comes for cuddles and attention for short periods before going back to sleep
• He is in no way aggressive- never has been
• He doesn’t ‘seem’ in pain
• He will still go outside for short periods (he used to love being outside but is more of a house cat now unless we are outside with him)

Does anyone have similar experience/any vets on the group that can advise? I know it’s coming but I don’t want to call it too soon for him. I did a Quality of Life assessment and he got 35/50.
Thanks

Sorry, OP, it sounds like time to me too. It’s the worst.

When our lovely girl was diagnosed with cancer we booked the final appointment the following week, had a week of loving her extra hard, then said goodbye - she was only ten but I couldn’t bear the idea of her suffering in any way, despite it being absolutely heart breaking. I think it’s unlikely she would have “gently fallen asleep” (not saying your cat won’t) of her own accord but we helped her to do that in a safe and dignified way, being told how much we loved her.

I know you are right and I’d hate to leave it too late and for it to be really distressing for him, I’d much rather he fell asleep gently. I just keep thinking, without a confirmed diagnosis, what if it isn’t cancer and he has another year or so but then the vet seemed pretty sure and with the sudden drastic weight loss, it is the most probable cause :-(

Ahhhh I'm so sorry to hear that. Do remember that cats are very stoic and will put up with a lot and not show pain. It does sound like it really is time and he is probably in pain. With cancer he'll get weaker and won't be able to move about soon. It's far kinder not to let him get to that point.

I had an old fellow of 17 who also was on thyroid meds (was doing OK with those) and had chronic kidney disease although his values were good. However he then developed a tumour in his chest, but you wouldn't have known, he was a happy chap and still getting about. However when the vet checked him over she said it was time, and it was an awful shock as he didn't seem poorly. She said he only had a week at most left. Anyway we decided to have him PTS the next day, at home. I really felt bad about it but on reflection he didn't have much time left, and he went before he was truly suffering. Out of all the cats I've had, his departure felt worse because the other two were far sicker, and I took a long time to get over it.

Big hugs to you, it's such a hard thing to do.

Honestly, I think it's time. 😥

We went through similar with our cat who was so, so loved (although a bit younger than yours) and we made the call despite there still being seemingly good days.

It was the right decision no matter how hard it was. We had a vet come to our house to put him to sleep and it was the least worst way of doing it. Very emotional and I still cry when I think about it and it's coming up a year but I look back at photos and videos of him before he got all his health issues and I know that it was the right decision.

The thing with cats (especially ones with cancer) is that they can deteriorate really rapidly. We desperately wanted his end to be peaceful rather than stressful and big health event out of our control. If you wait, you are risking it being really horrible for all of you.