Cat Chat Feline Forum

Hi,

been a while since I have been on here, just looking for anyone that has had similar experience. my 10 year old tortie girl has been off it recently. She has lost weight and been quite withdrawn, she also managed to lick and bite all her fur off her belly, so thought it was stress

We took her to the vets for senior health check and bloods and x-rays looking for lumps or masses in her belly. Everything came back fine, no masses, except for this enlarged lymph node. Now the first thought is cancer, which would explains everything.

How ever it it a bit more complicated, we have 5 cats, and recently the other cats have started to pick on her, in such a way that she has become stressed. I do not know if she had lost weight because she has been stressed and not eaten through that. I have started to feed her white fish, which she wolfs down when it is just me and her. The vet has prescribed amatriptaline, to see if it will help her.

The have also suggested that they do a biopsy on the lymph node, i wish they would have done this the first time she was asleep for x-rays..

We also have the option of taking her to my mum and dads, where she would be the only cat and not have the stress of the others getting at her.. it is really sad as she is still withdrawn and just likes to hang about in the loft room..

Really struggling to know what to do next...

anyone had any experiences like this?

Hi Steve

My only experience with expanded lymph nodes is the dreaded lymphoma. Fingers crossed this is not the case.

In my experience I would waste no time getting the biopsy done. What about taking yr girl to your mums as well to see how both ideas go?

Fingers crossed it's stress

Hi

thanks for your reply,
I was a super cat chatter on the other forum, I take it my old post count for nothing on here then!!

I really hope it isn't cancer, I think you are right in that we should get the biopsy done, I just cant understand why they didn't do it when she was under for x-rays..

If it was cancer, I do not think we would put her through all the stress of chemo, just manage as best we can, with steroids and pain relief.. sad times if so..

Hi Steve

I was also on the old forum

My cat Luna was diagnosed with lymphoma

We decided to give chemo a chance. Feline advisory bureau website said something like 1/3.cats get a reasonable remission and they tolerate chemo well.

We have a vet who specialises in chemo so taking her in was straightforward.

We always spoke to vet before hand about how Luna was, as well as the blood tests etc before administering meds. We never just ploughed on regardless.

We had a brief remission. Probably no more than 3 weeks. What we did have was the satisfaction that we gave her the best opportunity of the maximum quality of life.

It was the hardest and most emotional time of my life.

Let's hope your cat doesn't have this truly awful condition

HI,

Thanks for sharing your story,

Everything I have read about Chemo and cats doesn't sit well with me, I know that we desperately want her to be well, however I also know I can't put her through something that will stress her even more, she has always been highly strung, and moans form the second she is in the cat carrier all the way and back from the vet..

I will see how this plays out,hopefully she is just stressed, but I fear the worst..

I appreciate what you are saying. If it was other cats I have I don't know if I would have put them through it but she really did tolerate it very well. We definitely had a couple if quality months with her

Fusses to your cat

So just an update,

we had her in today for an ultrasound and the inflammation and lymph node have gone down, The vet thinks that she is stressed and or in pain with old age or the stress is making her ill so she has had an anti inflammation jab and pain killers.. She seems brighter and she has put on a little bit of weight since last week.. which is good

So think she will go to my mums to live for a bit and see if that helps, think she will quite like being an only cat and not have 4 others around!

Great news. Hopefully she will have a long and happy retirement

That is good news. And fingers crossed she is lots happier livining with your mum

I missed your original post but your comment about the other 4 picking on your girl - I wonder if that is such a natural animal instinct to do. If this was a group out in the wild she'd probably be pushed out the group because she's ill and weak and therefore a 'liability' to the group.

I always find it quite fascinating, as much as animals have been domesticated some 'wild' (for want of a better word) instincts and behaviour will always be there

I have had a similar experience with raised lymph nodes and weight loss with Hector but he had stomach upsets too, like you the vet thought Lymphoma and did a biopsy and it came back negative, Hector's problems turned out to be IBD which symptoms are very similar. His is managed with medication and a careful diet and 5 years on he's doing well. It does sound like a spell with your folks might benefit her.

Hi All,

thanks for sharing your story's, she is scheduled to go to my folks when later this week, we have to take her back to the vets for a check up.. we plan to see how she goes and if she improves she may live there forever.. its a heartbreaking choice, but she needs her peace and quiet..

Hopefully with quiet and her own space she can become happy again, we lived at my folks for a while when we moved house years ago. She loved the gas fire and spent hours and hours in front of it...

So , We finally took her to my folks home and we felt like we were abandoning her, we both felt awful, however it seems she has settled in and been sitting with my folks in their front room and chilling out. She has not done that in our house for a few months because she was too fearful of the other cats.

As rubbish as we feel, it seems already she is coming round which is great news, hopefully over the next few days she will chill out even more and get back to eating properly, she has been eating bits and pieces at my folks house.

It maybe a retirement home is the best place for her...

Must have been a hard decision to make, but sounds as though it might have been the right one for her. Hope she continues to improve.

As a responsible pet owner this is probably the last thing you wanted, but sometimes the hardest decisions are in the best interests of the puss, time will tell if this is the right decision but it's looking positive. At least you'll still be able to see her

Bless her! I am sure that in the long run you have totally made the right decision!

Long and happy retirement to her and long and happy years of slavery to your parents

We have had her 10 years, and love her very much, she has continued to share her time with the humans, sitting in my folks front room, on my mums paper and looking out of the window!! which is amazing as few days ago her existence was hiding under our bed for 14 hours a day, then stealthy going out..

Hard as it it, it looks like it could be a lot better for her to not be in a stressful environment with other cats.. and yes we can still see her which is great!!

thanks for your comments,