My senior cat has mammary cancer. What to expect in her final months?

First off, I'm very sorry that Mama Kitty has mammary tumors! Unfortunately, 90% of mammary tumors in cats are malignant. I think your best option in this case is to enjoy the time you have left with her. Spoil her, give her lots of love and attention, feed her favorite foods (but not ones that are toxic!). Spend as much time with her as you can. Monitor her in regards to her quality of life, and if that starts to decline (i.e. she stops eating, stops drinking, loses more weight, becomes very lethargic, appears to be pain), then it's time to discuss with your vet humane euthanasia. It's a hard thing to do, but it will allow her to go peacefully and without any further pain. You can keep in touch with your vet to discuss her quality of life which will help you make an informed and objective decision. I work for a home euthanasia service and help owners with these decisions all the time, so if you'd like to talk with me further, you can request a consult with me. Just click the consult online button under my answer. Otherwise, again I'm sorry and I hope this helps somewhat.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding SweetPea. I am sorry to hear about her diagnosis. Cats hide signs of pain very well. Typically I assume that cancer is painful and will always offer pain medications. Otherwise, I have owners watch for decreased appetite, hiding and crying as these can all be signs of discomfort. I hope this information helps!

I am so sorry that your and Gingers are both going through this. Mammy tumors in cats can be malignant or benign. Unfortunately, studies show that 90% of them are malignant and aggressive where only 10% are benign. The normal treatment would be a full mastectomy on the side that the tumor is located. With her age, this is still an option but you may just consider taking off just the mass to make recovery easier. The other option is to do nothing and just keep her comfortable. I am sorry that she is going through this and I know it isn't easy on your as she is part of the family. My thoughts are with you during this time and whatever you decide, just know you are doing it with her best interest in mind. I hope this helps!

I'm sorry to hear that your cat isn't doing terribly well. There are several different possibilities here. One is that his weight loss is completely unrelated to the masses. As cats get older, they're more likely to develop conditions like hyperthyroidism or kidney disease, which can lead to weight loss. While neither of these conditions can be "cured," both can be managed to some degree with certain medications or diet. The other possibility is, as you mentioned, that these masses could be cancerous. I completely understand not wanting to pursue extensive treatment for cancer, but before making the assumption that it is cancer, I'd try to get some more information. For starters, I think it's perfectly reasonable to take your cat to the vet for an exam and some bloodwork to check his organ function. There's a chance that your vet may find something that's not terribly difficult to manage, but you don't know unless you look. I would expect that your vet would recommend trying to diagnose the masses in order to be thorough, but if you are clear that you don't want to look into them further, it shouldn't be an issue. At the end of the day, you own your cat and are responsible for making choices for him. Your vet's job is to present those choices to you and help you to find the approach that works best for you and your cat. I hope this helps and that everything goes well.

How lovely of you to think about finding this cat a home! She deserves a loving home for the remaining time she has left. The time she has left depends on the grade and stage of the tumor. It would be important to know if the cancer has spread, which would be a factor in how much time she has left. Without seeing her in person, I can't say how long she does have left. Yes cancer can be painful, but it would be up to the shelter vet to decide if pain medications are warranted or not. You should speak to the vet about that issue, and they can prescribe as needed. I would try to find her a home as soon as possible simply so she can spend her remaining time being loved and comforted, for however long that is. I hope this helps.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Fiona. Unfortunately, there is no way to determine if the mass is cancerous or not just by looking at it. Her veterinarian could perform a simple procedure known as a fine needle aspirated. The doctor would use a small needle to collect a sample of cells to evaluate under the microscope. This can lead to a diagnosis in some cases, but can be inaccurate. For a more accurate diagnosis, the mass would need to surgically removed and the whole mass submitted to the laboratory for a pathologist to review. I understand your hesitancy to do so given her age. That being said, cats have a higher rate of cancerous mammary tumors compared to dogs. Furthermore, the mass appears ulcerated in your picture. This can can associated with malignancy as well. Unfortunately, there is a good chance that it is cancerous. I hope this information helps.

I'm very sorry that Persephone has been diagnosed with cancer in her spleen and intestines. You can talk to your vet about putting her on pain medications, but if she isn't eating and not responding to appetite stimulants or antiemetics, then it may be time to let her go peacefully. Not eating will cause her to slowly starve, which will be painful in itself, and she will be suffering from that. From what you have told me, it sounds like her quality of life has declined to a point where humane euthanasia should be considered. Because I work for a home euthanasia service, I face these types of decisions frequently with my clients, and I'd be happy to have a consult with you to discuss this further if you'd like. Just click the "consult" button under my answer. I wish I had better information for you, and I'm very sorry :-(