Cancer in cats

[tiggerwillow]

I'm asking cause I still think about what my soulmate girl cat Ebony got, she had several health problems when she was rescued and I took her on, knowing the vet didn't think she would live beyond 2 years. At that time, cancer was not one of the things she had wrong with her.

4 years later, the vet found a lump in her tummy (by that point she was having breathing problems again, which the vet at first thought was her asthma playing her up again, asthma was one thing she had when she was rescued with her kittens, most of her kittens did not survive long enough for rescue to help them, all but 2 were found passed away with Ebony, Ebony and the two survivors were rushed to the vet. Kittens both made full recoveries, but Ebony herself was in that bad a condition, the vets at first did not think she would make it. They tried though and after they had done everything they could, they said they didn't think she would last for longer than another 2 years. We think she had given everything she had, to make sure her kittens had a chance of life (she was a amazing mum to them, to the point she had to be seperated from them partly so they would eat solid food and partly because mastitis was something she had back then, on top of all her other health problems, so they had to be given bottled milk while they were being weaned from her, she kept trying to have them nurse even when her milk would not of been the best thing for them, even after seperation from her kittens she would try to get to them to check on them, only letting up once she had seen and smelled them and knew they were okay

It's known that at some point her ribs had been broke, vet thought someone had hit her with something, despite this, she was willing to trust humans, after first staying back and watching from a distance, nobody could pick her up, she was too worried for that in case she had to run to get away from any danger.

The lump in her tummy that was found, it was proved had spread to her lungs and by the time she was showing symptoms (breathing trouble first, then fits), the vet thought the cancer had got into her brain from her lungs, he scanned her chest and tummy and found the cancer had really taken hold in her lungs and tummy area.

I still think about her a lot, and wonder could I have stopped her from getting the cancer? Her other health problems were managable, with a special diet and medications, but the cancer the vet said the only thing that could be done for her, with her history of her health problems, was euthanasia

So on the 2nd of March 2018, same day as the scan, I held her as I said goodbye to her

I chose not to get her ashes back, instead I donated that money to rescue, cause my thinking at the time was "getting her ashes back won't help anyone or any cat, but giving the money it would cost to a rescue, will help save other cats who can be helped"

Everyone who knew her loved her, she was one of a kind, not many cats who went through such violent abuse and neglect would ever trust humans again, but she chose to place her trust in us and let us help her and her kittens, those two kittens that survived.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi
It's impossible to know, she could have been drinking water that had chemicals in it or been near to other environmental hazards such as lawn chemicals plus there could have been inherited susceptibility.

Given that, it's very hard to say that a vaccine, food or supplements would have lengthened her life.
This is quoted from International Cat Care icatcare .org
When cancer is diagnosed, a natural and common reaction is ‘What have I done wrong?’ or ‘What could I have done to have prevented this from happening?’ While these are entirely natural responses when we first learn that our pet has cancer, it is important to remember that in the vast majority of cases we don’t know what will have led to the development of the cancer, and therefore it would have been impossible to prevent.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I don't think there is an answer to your question. How would any of us know how to stop something for which we have no idea why it occurred in the first place? Gracie, passed away at the age of 12 from cancer. I will never wonder if I could have done something to stop it and no vet could tell me any reason for it happening. Feeby, now 18+yo, was just diagnosed with small cell lymphoma in some of her intestinal lymph nodes. Again, I have no idea why, and will not ask myself if I could have stopped it because that is a futile question to ask myself.

I know none of this will help you to stop wondering, but I am sure you will hear from others who will tell you the same thing I am.

Have you considered setting up a thread for Ebony in the Crossing the Bridge section, so you can share more stories about her along with some pics? It is this site's memorial to our lost cats.

 

[iPappy]

I'm in the pet industry, so I see a lot of pets. It happens really often, an owner feeds only the best foods, chooses their vaccination schedule carefully, finds the most non-invasive ways to deal with minor problems (cuts, mild allergies, etc.), and even buys from respected breeders who health test for everything and work to make sure their breeding stock is healthy and long lived so the progeny will be as well. Yet, they still get cancer. Some very young. Other times, I see animals who eat mid priced food, is outside on the farm while the farmer sprays glyphosate all over the property, and come from stock that has had no health testing done, ever. Yet they live to be 20 and never have a health problem outside of age related arthritis or hearing loss.
My dog has cancer. I have lost two cats in less than a year to cancer. Is it their (our) environment? Maybe, but I have 4 cats that are older than the two I lost were when they passed and they are healthy as can be (aside from a 2/6 heart murmur. But that's not bad for 14.)
My feeling is it's a combination. Environment ,things we can't always control, we live in a toxic world whether we like it or not. Genetics. ("I have a family history of...." heart disease, liver problems, etc.) We had a neighborhood stray cat when I was growing up. She had several litters of kittens over my childhood. We kept several of them, and found homes for the others. That cat lived forever, and so did her kittens. The kittens we kept lived to be 20-ish. No health problems. That we know of because that cat got her shots from the farm vets but never "went to the vet" for health screenings. Vet care has come a long way and can detect problems now that a lot of people never would have even considered decades ago. Back in the 70's or 80's (in my area of the country), it was a really rare thing that people would take a dog or cat to the vet for anything other than shots, mange or ear mites. Cancer didn't really cross many people's minds, and if an old pet lost weight, got sick, and died, it was "old age". If a young pet died, it was "a heart attack". This in italics IMO is a big thing because we assumed it was old age or a heart attack when it could have been a million other things.
My dog was rescued. I love him so much. He has had a lot of health issues along the way. If I had it to do over again I would rescue him again, because he's perfect for me, and he's a "cat dog". He's very much a dog, but he's so cat like in so many ways, and would ignore a group of friendly playful dogs to see a cat or kitten. IMO, with Ebony, you did nothing wrong and everything right.

 

[tiggerwillow]

The cancers was a particularly bad one, according to the vet, I forget the name of it but I remember it had malignant word in it, which my understanding is the bad thing you do not want to hear

 

[silent meowlook]

Inflammation can lead to cancer. The tough life she had before you could have set things in motion. There is no way of knowing. It wasn't anything you did or didn't do. Life is very unfair sometimes.

I am sorry, she sounds like a lovely cat.

 

[artiemom]

I am so sorry for your loss.. Yes, I understand.. I really do. My guy currently has small cell GI lymphoma. He was diagnosed in Late May of this year. It has been worse than a roller coaster. Right now, he is very close leaving me. If the current meds do not help, or cause more side effects, then I will not allow him to suffer..

This is my third cat in a row with severe medical issues:
Pumpkin--- sick from birth.. yup, bottle baby with many infections, when I adopted her from a co-worker. She lived until 18 years old; but, turned into a diabetic. She had a seizure. It was found to be cancer, and fluid in her lungs..

Artie: my soul love bug.. IBD, Megacolon (motility issue). He could not poop without medication and enemas. He ended up with a heart arrhythmia, spot on his lung. The last straw was him refusing all food--all types. I went crazy trying to find something for him. His life revolved around multiple daily medications ( which he hated) and daily sub-q fluids..

Geoffrey--- IBD and small cell lymphoma, on top of an anxiety problem, which we worked so hard to get through.
He is having side effects from the medications.. He now has a heart murmur and is a borderline diabetic. We are approaching our last line.. I cannot allow his life to revolve around medications and Vet visits. I cannot be a raving maniac to the vet.. I just cannot do that. I also cannot afford it. I love him.. I saw what I put Artie through--he was so good about things, to me. He was a terror at the Vets. I vowed I would never do this again.. Geoffrey is my baby boy.

Life really stinks.. It really does.. Why do cats acquire cancer?? No one knows.. Why do people acquire cancer???
No one knows that answer to that..
Why do some of us have kitties like mine?? who are always desperately sick.. I do not know..
I am kind of thinking that God, or the Heavenly Being knows who will love and take care of the animals who most desperately need kind care and love.. I have to believe that...

There is no other answer. You can drive yourself crazy doing this. Scientists do not even know the answer; how can we??

I hope this helps a bit..

BTW.. My Artie found the Rainbow Bridge on May 23, 2018... I had him for 6 years.. and he was sick for at least 3 of them.
Geoffrey is 7.5 years old. I adopted him when he was 4... so.. not long. He was sick (anxiety, suspected IBD) from the third day. SCL diagnosed late May, early June of 2022...

Life is so unfair...
(( hugs)).

 

[tiggerwillow]

I was talking to a friend tonight and cannot shake this idea now:

Basically, Ebony had a boyfriend who I took on cause he was getting rejected too many times by humans and it was getting to the point with him that if he went back into rescue again, chances are he would not leave again, so instead of him going back into rescue I took him on when he was looking for another new home, I had him for 3 months before the vet advised euthanasia cause his spine was basically crushing itself and pressing into his kidneys

the choice i had, was either bring him home and have him die in agony (even on painkillers) in front of Ebony, or the vets putting him to sleep while he was at their bigger surgery that i wasnt able to get to at the time, i chose to agree for them to let him pass away there

My question is, Ebony truly never recovered from losing him, could the greif of that of contributed to her getting cancer?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Please shake the idea. Yes, stress can cause illnesses, but I sincerely doubt that her losing her bf is what was behind her cancer. And, you know what, even if it were, how would that have changed anything? Please don't make things worse on yourself by going down these kinds of paths.

Remember how much you loved her, and she loved you, and enjoy reminiscing in all the good times you had together. I am pretty sure Ebony would want that for you.

 

[iPappy]

My dog has since passed on since this thread started, and my own grief is real. My pets sense it. I've been going through the same though process as you, and I keep reminding myself to stop. If grief, sadness, or even depression or anxiety can contribute to cancer, it is what it is. I can't shut my grief off like it's attached to a switch, and neither can Ebony. All emotions are a part of living and who we are. I know my dog was very sensitive to my moods, and if I was upset it affected him. But how could I not be upset with such a terrible situation on my hands? You can't BS an animal into believing you're happy when you're not and you can't pull them out of their own grief before it passes.
I've heard people say "cancer is caused by bad food choices" or "it's all the chemicals sprayed on the grass" or "it's all in the genes" or "it's all in the stress levels" and I disagree with them as singles but add them all up into the whole along with a billion other factors we don't even know about. IDK why but there are some lines of animals, and some lines of people, that have a LOT more cancers or other diseases running in them. Please be kind to yourself.

 

[silent meowlook]

No. It was nothing that you did or didn’t do that caused Ebony to get cancer.

we humans like to think that we have some control over things, but we don’t. It is a helpless feeling to know that we can’t stop unforeseen bad stuff from happening to those we love. So we try to find reasons things happened, even if it means blaming ourselves. But honestly, you didn’t cause this. Nothing you did caused it. Very bad stuff happens to wonderful innocent little animals for no reason at all.

I am truly sorry for your loss.

 

[stevehailey]

My sincerest condolences.