This is a Sad Cat Post

We all know the phrase “You have cancer,” is among the most dreaded phrases in existence.  So, when you hear this phrase being referred to one of your critters, it is equally dreaded.  Perhaps because you’re 100% responsible for the care and feeding and protection of your critters, and they  count on us to protect them.
Our lovely Smoke was just diagnosed on Tuesday with a cancerous tumour of the heart. 

On Sunday morning he was coughing and then seemed to collapse on the floor just breathing very heavily.  He slept most of the day and when he did stand up he seemed totally dozed and extremely lethargic.  I kept him indoors until Tuesday when he had a vet appointment.  On first examination all seemed normal except his lungs sounded congested.  A sequence of diagnostic tests found a tumour on the heart,  pressing right against one lung, causing some seepage into one of his lungs.  To quote the vet:   "Smoke has a heart tumor.  The tumor is causing inflammation and the inflammation is resulting in the lung fluid noted. The prednisone is very effective in controlling the inflammation. It will improve comfort, appetite and reduce the tumor size slightly. It buys time and quality of life".   The vet also said it's only the 2nd heart tumour she's seen in a cat in 6 years.  Other types of cancer are far more common in cats.   

 Kidneys and liver etc are all fine and he is bright to look at, eys and gums all good, he just is lethargic because of the pressure on his lung.  The prednisone is on day 4 and I do not notice any more energy nor is his appetite improving.  He is certainly better than he was on Sunday, but he is still so lethargic.  Spends his days sleeping, but still purring loudly.  Here he is in the ensuite yesterday morning.

It's funny how quickly it came on.  2 days before he collapsed he was running around the house, and I snapped this shot of him and Ajax.

Both Chris and I do not want him to be in any pain.  Right now the vet says he is not.  We also do not want him to have no quality of life, so we will not prolong anything.  If his breathing becomes laboured it means the fluid is increasing and we will have to put him down, not try to have it drained or give more meds.

 Sadly, Mr. Boy's future does not look good or long. Who would have thought.  It is a sad cat day.