I am losing my cat friend - how to?

[RavVid]

My cat and I are very bonded. He had a tooth extracted and was losing weight so I was having him weighed weekly and had him booked for a check up on Saturday. He had lost 0.1 KG in a week and it was the earliest.

On Friday evening I noticed that his torso looked swollen and there was more rib movement in his breathing. That doesn't look good I thought and was glad he had a vet visit the next day. The vet found a mass and was able to do an ultrasound which confirmed it. Biopsies have been taken but they will take a few days to come back. The vet is pretty sure it is a malignant tumor. He had an ultrasound six months ago - no sign back then.

He was up 0.1 Kg which would have been pleasing but I'm thinking it is the tumor which has gained 0.1 Kg. I don't want for him to have a bad death. He hates the vet of course. I'm hoping for a home visit. I'm am thinking if I dose him up with valium he will be blissfully unaware of what is happening to him.

My question is, would you have any suggestions on how to help him go quietly into the night untraumatized? Any suggestions appreciated.

[Sevenpointfive]

some animals as they get older grow these malignant fatty cells. they look like tumors and we notice them as growths when we pet them. depending on the age of the animal, if it is cancerous, there is nothing to be done. the animal isn't in pain (usually, but i'd ask them to test for that), so they really can't operate on an old animal because that can kill them.

it's like saying you have cancer with 1 year until you die naturally. if we remove the cancer you get 1 year to live. there's no difference. i don't know how old your cat is.

[RavVid]

He is 14.5 approx, about the average life of a cat. It has gone from a tooth extraction to something more serious quite quickly.

Thanks for that information on fatty tumors. Oddly just as I was typing that I had a call from the vet and the biopsies confirm malignant cancer. He could have chemo but that is brutal; people can steel themselves and at least consciously know it is for their long benefit but it would just be cruel to do this with a cat. His bloods are indicating a high inflammatory response and kidney function is very impaired.

So it will be palliative care with cortisone at this point. He is still enjoying turkey slices and hand feeding treat tubes and he never got much of that for health reasons. Now he can have all he bloody wants. The vet will do an at home service as well.

Thanks for your support and guidance. I do appreciate. He has been a very good friend, very talkative and social. Whenever he heard one of his human friends foot steps, he would run downstairs to greet them at the door. I won't be the only one to miss him.

[Sevenpointfive]

i'm so sorry. animals will definitely indicate when enough is enough. they have such a high pain threshold because they don't know what's going on. they just deal with it. but give him the meds and all the turkey he wants until it's time to say goodbye. it sounds like y'all had a nice life together.

[RavVid]

We did have a nice life together. He is still enjoying life at this moment; turkey and sunning himself on the balcony. I'll make his life good while it lasts.

[RedInnocent69]

I’m sorry. A home visit is probably the best thing you can do 😢🤗🤗

[RavVid]

Thanks

[Daniela1982]

Don't you think you should get the results of the tests first? It might simply be a benign growth. Or maybe it has something to do with the extracted tooth, such as too much pain to eat?

[RavVid]

Will wait for results off course and even then till he struggles. I'm planning rather than winging it as it will be last thing I can do for him. Sometimes things degrade rapidly.

[MK1997]

Give him a toy