Devastated my darling cupcake has cancer!

[Cupcake]

Hi everyone I have just joined. My poor girl Cupcake is 10 she has just been diagnosed with cancer. I can't believe it it was so unexpected she has always been such a healthy cat and we went to the vets as I thought she had a furball.
She's now on steroids and water pills to help her symptoms and reduce inflammation and hopefully shrink it. But as it's just above her lung there's nothing they can do. It'd just a matter of time. Has anyone ever been through this? What will I expect to happen? Will she just get weaker and weaker? How do you decide when it's time to let them go? I want to keep her as long as possible but not to suffer at all.
She was hand reared by me from 5 weeks old.
Love her so much. She's such a gentle soul.
Sorry for this sad post Im just shocked.

[emmab]

I am so sorry to here this about poor little cupcake. Our cat Samuel had cancer too except his was a facial tumour which was horrible as we saw it gradually get worse. Can the vets do anything....ie have you got a second opinion?
The best you can do is keep Cupcake comfortable and give her lots of love and hugs. It is a horrible thing to have to watch them go through but she sounds a wonderfully loved girl and you must take comfort from knowing she is loved so much and is a happy little girl and having a wonderful life. Sending lots ofmlove to Cupcake and give her a massive hug from me. Keep us up to date. I am sure someone will come along with a similar experience.

[bobbys girl]

So sorry to hear the news. I only have experience of cancer in dogs, but I know there are folks on here who will be along with advice very soon.

I just wanted you to know I am thinking about you.

[Mayday21]

So sorry to read your post on your darling Cupcake. I can't offer any advice but know other experienced posters will. All I can say is that you'll receive heaps of support & post whatever & whenever. Fusses to Cupcake & hugs to you. Vivian

[MarySkater]

Something similar happened with me, but this story doesn't have a happy ending, so you may want to give it a miss.

A year ago, I adopted two 6-year-old cats. They were both lively and apparently healthy. During the summer, Bridie began to eat less, and became rather lethargic. She was eating a little, and peeing/ pooing normally, so I didn't see it as urgent. The weather was warm and she was long-haired, so I wondered if she was feeling the heat. Like you, I also wondered about hairball. I took her to my local vet, which is a branch surgery and doesn't have an x-ray machine. They said they'd keep her overnight and take her to their main centre, some miles away, and x-ray her. Next morning I had a phone call to say that she had a massive tumour in her chest which was pressing on her lungs, severely limiting her breathing. They said it wasn't operable, and there was nothing to do but put her to sleep. I had to give permission over the phone, and couldn't be there with her.

Some years ago, I had an elderly cat with a tumour in his abdomen. I felt he was too old to go through major surgery, so I agreed with the vet that I would keep him until I felt that he wasn't enjoying life, and then call it a day. With hindsight, I think I kept him too long, and by the time I took him in, he was finding life a burden. A few years after that, his friend, now in her mid-teens, started showing signs of failing. Weight loss, balance sometimes off, sight and hearing getting worse. Most of the time she seemed happy, but she had occasional "off days" when she seemed distressed and couldn't get comfortable. It was the off-days that decided me that it was time for her to go, even though most of the time she was okay. So I took her in to the vets, and stood over her stroking her until she went peacefully to sleep. It was hard, when I'd had her 14 years, but I don't regret it. Animals don't see death coming, so they're not afraid of it.

Everyone has to make their own decisions. But my feeling, based on that first cat that I kept too long, is that if it's going to happen, too soon is better than too late. What's hard for us (I'm crying as a relive all this) may well be better for them.

I wish you well with Cupcake, and I hope the treatment will make her comfortable. But only you can make the final decision for her.

[LittlePenBigHeart]

I'm so, so sorry. I can't offer any advice as it's not something I've seen a pet go through, but my heart goes out to you.

[Kay]

I found out my 13 year old Trigger had a large mass in his pelvic area by chance, when he was x-rayed for what I thought was just strained ligaments in his leg - like you the shock was huge, as I had no reason to suspect such a blow

I was told amputation of his leg was the only option, and offered only a slim chance of saving him, so I fairly quickly ruled it out, as I didn't want him going through pain and discomfort only to probably die anyway - and he would have hated all the necessary vet visits

once I had made this decision, and promised him he would not have to go in his hated carrier ever again, I began to get over the initial shock, and concentrate on making whatever time he had left as good as possible - he was on daily Metacam for pain relief, and took it very well in food, without any side effects, so that was the main worry out of the way, and continued to eat well, so his 8 weeks between diagnosis and having the vet come out to euthanise him were good ones for both of us

He spent September lazing in the garden in the sun, and seemed very content, but the weather changed in October, and I called the vet when the tumour got so big he was having to put himself through huge contortions to get in and out of his bed on top of the cat tree, where he chose to spend most of his time, and where I could fuss him easily - I was afraid he was going to break his back dragging about his leg, which he couldn't move at all by the end, and die in agony - and I could see in his eyes he was beginning to suffer - this was more apparent when I took photos of him surreptitiously, as he always roused himself when I interacted with him, and something I would recommend to anyone with a very ill pet

he died peacefully still in the bed on top of the tree, and although dreadfully sad, it was a good ending for him - I had already dug a grave for him out on the patio, and had a friend come so we could lay him to rest together

every case is different, so my experience may not be relevant - all I can say is keep remembering that Cupcake doesn't know she is ill and going to die - she will only know pain and suffering - I would recommend taking daily photos so you can monitor her more dispassionately when not interacting with her - and if your vet is willing I would recommend a home visit when the time comes, as it avoids an emergency and additional trauma for you and her, and will help you to accept the inevitable

it is a dreadful thing to go through, but for you, not her - my heart goes out to you, and may you find the strength to store up some happy final memories of your girl