How do I know if my cat has cancer and is suffering?

Question

I just went to the vet yesterday and he told us that my cat has arthritis on his back and that she may have a possible cancer of lungs or liver. But he said that we need to do an ultrasound. My parents and I think that we shouldn't do it. But my question is how do we know if my cat is going through lots of pain due to cancer? How do we know that it is time to put her to sleep forever?

also she weighs 6 pounds which is below 6.5 pounds which is bad. she has been eating for two weeek we have been forcing her to eat and drink But she seems to purr a lot when we are around her and taking care of her.

my cat gets traumatized after goign to vet every time. she is sensitive.

Answer 1

Euthanasia is the most agonizing,unkind thing you can do to your pet.

If you don't want to 'know' about the cancer,just tell your vet you would rather not know. There's a variety of 'natural' things you can give your pets to help them combat things like that,too,take a minute to look it up.

Arthritis can be treated very easily. I highly suggest helping the animal up stairs (if you have any),making it strictly an indoors cat,placing small pet-sized steps onto any higher jumping surfaces the cat is allowed on,and there are a variety of window ledges you can attach to your window to let older cats bask in sunlight.

Answer 2

I actually agree with you. My cat also (probably) has cancer. She has a brain or sinus tumor that has altered the way her face looks. I paid for the blood test because if it was a fungus the vet could have treated it, but she told me from the bat it was 9 times out of 10 cancer. She offered to remove the tumor, or to do a biopsy, both which are expensive - more than the average pet owner can afford and much more than a vet visit costs. She also told me that the cancer will probably come back if it is removed. I opted to do nothing. If I was a millionaire, I might consider having it removed, but I don't think the average person can afford those kind of treatments for themselves, let alone their pets. Instead of spending the money on the ultra-sound, I would talk to the doctor. Why does he think the cat has cancer, and is he relatively sure of this without an ultrasound? The next question I would ask is, what treatments can be given? If there are no treatments, or if you can't afford them, then why spend the money on the ultrasound? And if the cat is old, you probably wouldnt want to spend money on those kinds of treatments anyway, and you are probably doing the cat a favor.

As far as when to put it down, my vet told me to watch her appetite, change in sleep patterns, and crying all the time. Your cat could just be temporarily ill, so I would wait a little while, but if the symptoms don't change (ie not eating, crying, sleeping all day...) I would say its time to put it down.

Forget what the other people here are saying. You know your cat better than them and it may be crueler to put your cat through difficult treatments and tests than to just let it live the rest of its life quietly.

Answer 3

Most cats get traumatized going to the vet because they rarely go anyplace and so aren't used to going places. My show cats would be traumatized at first when being taken to shows but soon got used to going to the shows and even got used to the baths they had to be given the day before the show. Has the vet done blood tests and a thorough physical? These things should be done before a vet would need to think about recommending ultrasound! Blood tests should be able to confirm or rule out kidney and liver problems. What makes the vet suspect lung cancer? Ask the vet those questions, he should be willing to give you an explanation of why he suspects those kinds of problems, if he wont answer your questions, get another vet, any good vet shouldn't mind telling you what they see that makes them suspect a particular problem. Weight loss is common in old cats with problems, kidney failure is one common condition in old cats that makes them lose weight and condition that way. A cat with liver problems usually is jaundiced and you can see the yellow in the ears, gums, etc, instead of normal healthy pink. Even then, there are some things that can be done to help the cat live comfortably longer. Cats in pain usually react when touched in a sore spot when the vet is doing the physical palpation exam. Arthritis is a condition every animal and human develops if they live long enough.

Answer 4

The only way to tell is to have the tests the vet reccommends. Why don't you want to do it? Let the vet advise you of what's best for your cat. That's the only way you can tell.

I think your parents are being selfish and cruel by not allowing your cat to get the medical care it deserves. If money is an issue, then how did they afford to take her there in the first place, but not get the tests she needs?

You can't ask people on the internet to speculate about what might be wrong. She needs to see a vet again.

Answer 5

Any arthritis can be painful as it is with humans. More importantly is the cancer - he's not even sure if it is cancer. What prompted him to diagnose the possibility of cancer? Is there a tumor? At least do the ultra sound to determine what is going on. If it's not cancer - good at least the arthritis can be managed to provide a comfortable life for your cat. If it is cancer, the vet will advise what to expect as the cancer progresses and when a decision should be made to euthanize her. Sorry.

Answer 6

Cancer and weight loss go together. Cats will purr when they are in pain. I think it may be time to put her down. I wouldn't spend money on the ultrasound because it will not CURE her, it will only let you know if it is definately cancer. The arthritis is painful enough.

Answer 7

Unfortunately cats purr when they are in pain as well as when they are happy. Not eating has been my criteria for when it is time to release a cat from its pain and illness. I euthanized my 22 and 1/2 yr old cat just after Thanksgiving. She was severely arthritic and still got around most of the day. She was dying of kidney failure and not arthritis.

It is a hard decision to make and for me the fact that she no longer could enjoy her food was a deciding factor. Diagnosis is a moot point if her quality of life is poor and there seems to be no way to help her.

Answer 8

I would go ahead and do the ultrasound and if it shows cancer then put her down. It is extremely painful emotionally for anyone when they have to make that decision. You have to think about the fact that you don't want her to suffer. That is the hard part about having pets. You grow to love them so much. They truly are just like a family member.

I have an 19 year old gramma kitty that I will have to face the fact that one day I may have to put her down.

Good Luck to you and your family and especially your cat.

Answer 9

I'm so sorry. Having a sick/dying pet is very hard. We have been through it more than a few times over the years. I can tell you that a pet has a way of letting you know when it's had enough. That spark in their eye when they see you just fades away. They get listless, stop being affectionate, move uncomfortably, go off their feed. You can just tell they aren't "happy." We always took the approach with our old or sick pets that as long as their good days outnumbered their bad days, we'd keep them with us and make them as comfortable as possible. When the bad days became the norm, we felt it was time to let them go.

Answer 10

If you are having to force her to eat and drink then she is telling you that it's time for her to go. She is in pain and ill or she wouldn't be losing weight. I have been were you are and couldn't bring myself to have my sweet friend put to sleep. Our family hugged her alot and cried often as we watched her health steadily decline. She would no longer sleep with us and stopped going up stairs. We found her one morning a few days after she stopped using the litter box. She was alone, which made me sad and wishing I would have had her put to sleep with all of us there to comfort her. That was almost 7 years ago and I still miss her. I will NEVER forget her.