Cat with cancer - multiple cats in household

[Claire Louise]

My dear senior cat is dying of mammary cancer. Her tumor has gotten quite large and she has some bleeding from the site. We are keeping up vet visits, so he is aware. He doesn't see any sign of infection and there is not much to do about it.

I know cancer is not supposed to be contagious, but I have two other cats, and it has made me wonder about them using the same water dish. She does not obsessively lick it, but she does lick it sometimes, just out of grooming and probably because she notices when it is bleeding. The thought of her licking it and then taking a drink and then the other two cats drinking from that bowl seems not so good. I've tried to give them separate water dishes and they have adapted to it some, but not completely. Plus, there was sharing of water bowls before this occurred to me.

Does anyone else have any knowledge or experience with this? Am I just being OCD about it?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi and welcome to TCS, despite what brought you here. I am so sorry for your girl with the mammary cancer. I presume the vet(s) think it has already spread? That can happen pretty quickly, and is the primary reason it can become untreatable. If not, there are ways to treat it, which can be successful.

But, to answer your question - cancer is not considered a contagious disease. If there is a cause behind it, such as household cleaners and other chemicals in your home that contain carcinogens, that could increase the likelihood of a cat/cats of getting cancer. Or, cats who get into similar items when allowed outdoors.

I don't think you need to worry about your cats sharing water dishes. And, I wish the best for you and your senior girl.

 

[Kris107]

Let's be honest - cat mouths have bacteria in it. So yes, when they share a bowl they could share this. That being said, the cancer isn't going to be spread via the water.

 

[FeebysOwner]

As I said earlier, if there is a cause behind the mammary cancer - this time I'll go beyond my earlier example and use FeLV (which is highly contagious), then there stands a greater possibility for another cat that contracts FeLV from that cat to possibly develop cancer. But, it isn't the cancer that is contagious, it is virus. And, the virus may or may not affect the second cat in the same manner it affected the first. In other words, it may have been the cause of the cancer in the first cat, but may not cause cancer in the second one.

There are more and more studies that have begun to erupt indicating a possible link between certain cancers occurring in association with some infectious diseases (which is broad term that can include various bacteria, viruses, and parasites), in cats - and humans as well. But, once again, it is just that, it is the infectious disease that is transmissible, not the cancer itself. These studies have not gone far enough to suggest that any infectious disease that ends up correlating to a cancer will also cause cancer in another cat with the same infectious disease.

This is all only relevant if the mammary cancer has been connected to a specific infectious disease that your cat had contracted sometime in the past, and of which she is still a carrier. And, even then, the likelihood of another cat getting cancer because they contracted that same disease is still unknown enough that it would be considered very slim.

 

[Claire Louise]

FeebysOwner - Yes, it has already spread. X-rays in October showed that it had metastasized to her lungs.

 

[Claire Louise]

Let's be honest - cat mouths have bacteria in it. So yes, when they share a bowl they could share this. That being said, the cancer isn't going to be spread via the water.

Kris107 - I hear what you're saying. I just keep picturing cancer cells from the bleeding tumor site in the water dish. I have a bit of health anxiety of my own, so now as I'm dealing with losing her little by little, I started to obsess about losing my younger cat the same way.

 

[Claire Louise]

FeebysOwner - Thank you for sharing this. She doesn't have FeLV or any other disease except arthritis in her hip. She's 15 years old. There's nothing that she has been exposed to that would have caused it. I'm finding out that mammary cancer is not all that uncommon, and I never even saw it coming.

 

[Kris107]

Anticipatory grief can be very real, so just focus on making her happy and comfortable and remind yourself this is a natural part of life. Sometimes reminding ourselves that can help ground us. Take care of yourself a you support her.

 

[Claire Louise]

She also seems to be dealing with a bad tooth. In her condition she can't undergo any anesthesia in order to take care of it. I've been letting have her favorite things the last few weeks and now tonight she just walked over to me for her favorite crunchy treat and looked excited. Then she looked down at the treats and stopped. I know she still wants them, but all she can eat is baby food and Churu. I hate that she can't get the nourishment she needs and still wants because of a rotten tooth. It must be hurting her, too. I can hear a grating and sucking sound even when she eats the baby food. I wish it would just fall out, and there's nothing anybody can do to help her, except to try to get pain medication down her, which doesn't go very well.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Maybe moisten the treats so that they are soft? If she likes the taste of them, then making them softer should enable to eat them.

 

[Claire Louise]

How do people do this? It's so much harder than I ever thought. Beyond watching her slowly lose weight and get weaker every day, the care has become so expensive and difficult. It's harder because I rent, and I have to keep trying to protect the carpets. She is not able to use the litter box for urinating consistently anymore, so I put fresh plastic and litter pads out all the time. Fortunately, she still pees near the litter box, so that helps with just protecting the carpet near it. Her mammary tumor looks awful now and she is just bleeding and leaving multiple spots of blood on the carpet throughout the day. There are more than I can count or keep up with trying to clean. I'm hoping I will find the right product to get bloodstains out eventually. I can't afford to replace the carpets here when I move out, which I need to do soon. She's only eating Churu, Gerber baby food, and some of her favorite treats now. The Churu and baby food and litter pads are so expensive, I'm getting nervous.

Yet she's so amazing. Even while she's dying, she just carries herself with the same dignity she always had. She hasn't pooped outside the litter box yet, and yesterday, I was nearby and heard her tap on the litter box. I thought that was odd for her, but I waited and she did it again. The box has a cutout to make it easier to enter with her arthritis, but she struggles even with that now. I picked her up and put her in the litter box. Wouldn't you know it? She had to poop. She did her business and covered it like always. She has always been fastidious about that. She just amazes me. I truly believe that she did not want to do her business outside the box, so she asked me for help.

I've never had to be part of this horrible process of cancer slowly, agonizingly taking the life of a beloved animal friend, and I just feel the weight and pressure from all around, from her suffering, to my empathy with her suffering, to my daughter's suffering over this, to the finances, to feeling guilty about worrying about the finances, all the extra time and care she needs, and the dread of what's coming - losing her finally - and wondering if I am going to have to be the one to make that call, and if so, when and how. And how it will feel as I clean up after she's gone, as I'm scrubbing the stains out of the carpet, and I don't ever call her name out to her again. And she doesn't answer back. I'm just overwhelmed.

 

[Molly and Abby]

How do people do this? It's so much harder than I ever thought. Beyond watching her slowly lose weight and get weaker every day, the care has become so expensive and difficult. It's harder because I rent, and I have to keep trying to protect the carpets. She is not able to use the litter box for urinating consistently anymore, so I put fresh plastic and litter pads out all the time. Fortunately, she still pees near the litter box, so that helps with just protecting the carpet near it. Her mammary tumor looks awful now and she is just bleeding and leaving multiple spots of blood on the carpet throughout the day. There are more than I can count or keep up with trying to clean. I'm hoping I will find the right product to get bloodstains out eventually. I can't afford to replace the carpets here when I move out, which I need to do soon. She's only eating Churu, Gerber baby food, and some of her favorite treats now. The Churu and baby food and litter pads are so expensive, I'm getting nervous.

Yet she's so amazing. Even while she's dying, she just carries herself with the same dignity she always had. She hasn't pooped outside the litter box yet, and yesterday, I was nearby and heard her tap on the litter box. I thought that was odd for her, but I waited and she did it again. The box has a cutout to make it easier to enter with her arthritis, but she struggles even with that now. I picked her up and put her in the litter box. Wouldn't you know it? She had to poop. She did her business and covered it like always. She has always been fastidious about that. She just amazes me. I truly believe that she did not want to do her business outside the box, so she asked me for help.

I've never had to be part of this horrible process of cancer slowly, agonizingly taking the life of a beloved animal friend, and I just feel the weight and pressure from all around, from her suffering, to my empathy with her suffering, to my daughter's suffering over this, to the finances, to feeling guilty about worrying about the finances, all the extra time and care she needs, and the dread of what's coming - losing her finally - and wondering if I am going to have to be the one to make that call, and if so, when and how. And how it will feel as I clean up after she's gone, as I'm scrubbing the stains out of the carpet, and I don't ever call her name out to her again. And she doesn't answer back. I'm just overwhelmed.

I am so sorry you have to go through this. And I'm sorry you're overwhelmed. It sounds like a very scary time for you. I'm reading your post and crying.

You and your darling girl really love each other. You're a bonded pair. I can tell how much you love her. She really loves you too. That's why you care about her so much - you two are bonded.

I believe you're in each other's lives for a reason. That's what I truly believe. Out of all the people in the world, only you could be her mom and she could be your daughter. And you're an awesome cat mom.

What's your girl's name? When did first get her? Tell me about her.

 

[epona]

How do people do this? It's so much harder than I ever thought. Beyond watching her slowly lose weight and get weaker every day, the care has become so expensive and difficult. It's harder because I rent, and I have to keep trying to protect the carpets. She is not able to use the litter box for urinating consistently anymore, so I put fresh plastic and litter pads out all the time. Fortunately, she still pees near the litter box, so that helps with just protecting the carpet near it. Her mammary tumor looks awful now and she is just bleeding and leaving multiple spots of blood on the carpet throughout the day. There are more than I can count or keep up with trying to clean. I'm hoping I will find the right product to get bloodstains out eventually. I can't afford to replace the carpets here when I move out, which I need to do soon. She's only eating Churu, Gerber baby food, and some of her favorite treats now. The Churu and baby food and litter pads are so expensive, I'm getting nervous.

Yet she's so amazing. Even while she's dying, she just carries herself with the same dignity she always had. She hasn't pooped outside the litter box yet, and yesterday, I was nearby and heard her tap on the litter box. I thought that was odd for her, but I waited and she did it again. The box has a cutout to make it easier to enter with her arthritis, but she struggles even with that now. I picked her up and put her in the litter box. Wouldn't you know it? She had to poop. She did her business and covered it like always. She has always been fastidious about that. She just amazes me. I truly believe that she did not want to do her business outside the box, so she asked me for help.

I've never had to be part of this horrible process of cancer slowly, agonizingly taking the life of a beloved animal friend, and I just feel the weight and pressure from all around, from her suffering, to my empathy with her suffering, to my daughter's suffering over this, to the finances, to feeling guilty about worrying about the finances, all the extra time and care she needs, and the dread of what's coming - losing her finally - and wondering if I am going to have to be the one to make that call, and if so, when and how. And how it will feel as I clean up after she's gone, as I'm scrubbing the stains out of the carpet, and I don't ever call her name out to her again. And she doesn't answer back. I'm just overwhelmed.

My heart goes out to you.

I went through similar with my old boy Jakey during 2024 - he had CKD then a number of bacterial UTIs (due to the CKD) and was gradually losing weight and becoming incontinent and frail. Then it became clear late on in the year that he also had an intestinal cancer of some description, already quite advanced.

It is really really hard, you just keep on going while they are still happy and getting some enjoyment out of life - because to me it is as wrong to give them release a day too soon than a day too late. But it is so so difficult dealing with the food fussiness, trying to get food in them, medications, vet visits, and the more petty-seeming (but also all too real) aspects of the expense and the mess and having a wee smell everywhere.

I recommend washable incontinence mats to protect your furniture where your cat likes to sleep, and vetfleece (which is a thick antibacterial fleece with a porous backing so urine and other fluids drain through it onto an incontinence product placed underneath) on top - I am in the UK so will have different products and suppliers to you but if you google for those items you will likely be able to find a supplier in your part of the world.

Eventually my Jakey deteriorated to the point where I knew it was time - he stopped eating and just looked miserable and that day was the day. It's so so difficult, but I think you will know when she's had enough, and you will find the strength.

And yes doing that cleanup once they are gone is one of the most heart-wrenching things. I found myself looking at a little blankie that he had urinated and bled on and wondering whether to keep it - of course I didn't but it was almost a moment of madness in my grief.

I wish you every strength for what will inevitably have to be, with love and understanding of the difficulty.

 

[Claire Louise]

Thank you so much for your kindness, Molly and Abby.

I didn't want to use her name as I have someone in my life who seems to find everything I do online and didn't want that to identify me since I don't want that person to know what we are going through. I can say that she is 15 years old, closer to 16. We got her when she was a young kitten. She was especially bonded to my daughter who was a young girl when she came to us. As hard as this is on me, my daughter is struggling so much. There were difficult issues in our home during my kids' childhoods and for my daughter, our dear girl was her rock. I can't estimate the loss this will be for her.

 

[FeebysOwner]

To C Claire Louise - and to all of you who are sharing your experiences - I can only tell you I feel for you and know what you are going through. Feeby was a trooper, much like your girl. She adapted to the changes her body was going through with grace and an understanding that I couldn't share, but very much admired her for it.

Near the end, she really didn't have the energy or mobility to get around as well, so we would carry her to bed with us at night, and in the morning when she was ready to get up she would let us know, and then we would carry her to her hangout spot on the couch. We had to take her to the litter box as well. She still ate (although not as much) when offered food, and took her meds/treatments like the 'tough old bird' she was (she was turning 20+ yo when she passed). She ate more baby food meat than anything else, so we added a supplement (EZ Complete) to make it nutritionally complete for her.

She died almost 6 months ago, and while we have been relieved of all of the added effort that we invested in her care, I would still gladly be doing it if she could still be here with me now.

There is nothing anyone here can say to you to take away the pain, suffering, frustration, and helplessness you are going through. All we can do is commiserate with you and be here for you when you need us.

 

[Molly and Abby]

Thank you so much for your kindness, Molly and Abby.

I didn't want to use her name as I have someone in my life who seems to find everything I do online and didn't want that to identify me since I don't want that person to know what we are going through. I can say that she is 15 years old, closer to 16. We got her when she was a young kitten. She was especially bonded to my daughter who was a young girl when she came to us. As hard as this is on me, my daughter is struggling so much. There were difficult issues in our home during my kids' childhoods and for my daughter, our dear girl was her rock. I can't estimate the loss this will be for her.

What a wonderful legacy of your darling girl to you and your daughter. What an awesome cat! Your darling girls grew up together - best friends forever. You truly were meant to be a family, living and loving and growing.

I am so sorry for what you and your daughter are going through. Your family is in my thoughts and prayers.