have you/do you have a cat with cancer??

Question

i've got a cat with cancer....he developed it as a kitten (he is now aobut 3 yrs old)....he has lot's of tumors on his body/face....he doesn't seem to be in any pain and is a happy, playful, loving cat.....my vet has had few answers, has consulted with many different specialists, and apparently it's a type of cancer nobody has really ever seen before.....
i'm wondering if anyone else has had a cat with cancer and how long the cat lived with it....thanks

Answer 1

My total now is THREE. I am glad your cat is doing so well. It is hard to find information on rare cat cancers. One cat had surgery in May for a bladder cancer tumor and has been treated by a veterinary homeopath for the past seven months. He is twelve and has had no symptoms or problems in that time. That cancer is very rare in cats and somewhat common in dogs so all the treatment protocols are for dogs. I started a Yahoo group: felinebladdercancer so that people with cats with the cancer could share their experiences.

Another cat died three years ago from mammary cancer. That's a particularly aggressive cancer and by the time it was discovered the cancer had invaded his lungs.

Currently I have a 14 year old rescue cat whom I have had for three months. He has a squamous cell tumor in his jaw. I will not do surgery to remove his entire lower left mandible so I have an appointment tomorrow with the homeopathic veterinarian in MA (I am in CA) to see if there would be a remedy to help him. Unfortunately because infection and inflammation occur in his mouth, making it too painful for him to eat, we may not be able to do anything for him. Homeopathy takes time for its effects to heal. So all of Alexander's medical records, x-ray reports, biopsy report, blood work report etc. will be faxed to MA today for the vet to review before our conversation tomorrow. The vet is a conventionally-trained veterinarian who has gone into further study to qualify as a homeopath.

Since your cat is doing well (thank heavens) and conventional vets have no answers for you homeopathy is something you might consider exploring. You can go to my vet's website: www.homeovet.net and learn something about that approach. At www.littlebigcat.com Dr. Jean Hovfe has an article titled "Introduction to Homeopathy" which you could also read.

I have been a member of the Yahoo group: felinecancer for over a year and you can join that and talk to other people dealing with cancer in their cats. I choose homepathy for the bladder cancer cat as it was deemed "rare, aggressive, and no treatment available over than surgery and pallative care."

So the vote on homeopathy is still pending. I personally felt it was the best choice I could make.

Answer 2

I had a cat with lymphosarcoma in the stomach.

He was diagnosed at 11 years of age. Because my vet said it was caught very early and there was a great chance of him going into remission, we decided to do the chemotherapy. After a year of that, he went into remission for 4 year. Unfortunately the cancer came back, with a vengence, and we had to put him down on November 15, 2005.

Those 4 years were a blessing for him and for us. He was a wonderful cat and I will miss him every day of my life. I would do everything the same for him, no regrets.

I don't know where you live, but we have a wonderful place here in NJ - RedbanK Veterinary Clinic. The doctors and staff are wonderful. They have oncologists on staff there, maybe you see if they have any ideas? (Please don't be insulted thinking that I'm saying the other specialists aren't worthy, my thinking is the more people involved, you never know who might hit on something).

Prayers to you both

Answer 3

My cat just died a few days ago because of cancer. She had this rather small node under her skin for a few years (don't know exactly, but I would say 5 years or so). She wasn't in pain or anything. Then last summer, it started to spread. She got many nodes, and she had operation. Unfortunately, it started to spread right away. She had another operation in December (4 months later after the first one), and we were hoping we gave her at least 5, 6 months of life. But unfortunately, she was so sick, she couldn't walk, and I had to put her to sleep, less than one month after this other operation.
Cancer is problematic because no one really knows how fast or slow it will spread, what kind of damage it will make and how much pain it will cause. There are only predictions, I would say guesses. Cancer doesn't cause pain at first, that's for sure, but later it does, and then you don't have too much time.
I'm glad your cat is fine after three years. And let's hope he would make many more years. If he stops eating, purring etc., then you'll know it's getting worse. That's the only thing I can tell you.
Don't let him be in too much pain, because in the end, cancer is really tough. Please, don't let him to get to that stage.
Good luck!

Answer 4

We did have a cat who developed thyroid cancer. He had to be eventually put to sleep because of the pain. He was only 5 years old. We tried radiation and chemo (very expensive) but no luck. Make sure he is not in any pain or very little and when he does begin to suffer, please have him put to sleep. Give him much love. Cats are VERY intuitive and know when something is wrong. Just as children do, they will look to you for their comfort and self-esteem. They also know if their appearance is not right, so all the more reason for extra love and time. Good luck and I will think good thoughts.

Answer 5

Your cat is doing much better than mine did. My 9 year old cat was diagnosed with bone cancer last May. They amputated her back leg and took more tests. She appeared to be cancer free. I was thrilled to death and she got along great with just 3 legs.

Around Thanksgiving, my husband noticed a little knot on her side. A few weeks later, she had a knot on her neck, leg, back and foot. I took her back to the vet. He said the cancer was attacking her whole body and there was really nothing we could do.

She then devoloped a huge knot next to her rear end and it was hard for her to go to the bathroom. I asked the vet for any advice or a laxative. He gave me a laxative, but said I should really put her to sleep, she wouldn't last much longer.

I couldn't put her to sleep. She was eating, drinking, trying to go to the bathroom and loving as can be. She never acted like she was in pain. On Jan. 5, 2007, two days after I took her to the vet, she was dead.

What is sad is that, it seemed like she was fighting to stay alive, but after the vet said there was no hope, she gave up.

Amputating her leg gave us 8 more months, which I will never regret. I just wish the cancer hadn't come back and ate her up like it did.

I hope you have much better luck with your kitty. Maybe it will go into remission or they'll find a cure.

Answer 6

I know this is not exactly a response you are looking for,but my mom had a dog with lymph node cancer. She passed away in the summer of 2006. She had lumps all over too,but she was given about 4-6 months to live. It all came to an end when she was literally bleeding to death. She had it coming from her nose,and sneezing it all over the walls. She also got very moody and sometimes wouldn't eat. Her lungs were full of blood. Now I am not saying that is what your baby has but at least he is happy. In the end it is your love and comfort that your baby will need to make him happy.

Answer 7

I had one that developed intestinal cancer late in his life. He was fine, and a month later he was half his weight. It happened so quickly and so completely that there was little we could do. I'm glad to hear your's has lived that long and has had a happy life so far.

Answer 8

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