My cat Tinkerbell has skin cancer. She is just a few months shy of being 5 years old. I adopted her after she was found wandering around a parking lot in 2003. She’s a good cat, and by that I mean that she is very loving, but like any cat, she can annoy the crap out of you…
Dana first noticed a lump on Tinkerbell’s side a while back, and I finally got around to calling a vet and asking about it. We took her in to have it removed, and after it was tested, they revealed that she had skin cancer. So right now, we need to watch her, and see if she develops any more lumps. They said she could within a few months, or years, and if it gets bad, we could get chemotherapy for her.
If money was no object, I’d consider it, but as it is, we can’t even afford to have the humans in the house see a doctor, so sadly, Tinkerbell is not going to be getting chemotherapy, and if she needs surgery in the future to remove another lump, that might not happen either. It’s a sad state of affairs, but it’s the reality we live in.
I’m hoping she pulls some “miracle cat” magic on us (nine lives and all that) and lives for many years with no more problems, but I’m not counting on it.
Just to add some fun into the mix, she managed to remove all her stitches on her own. We had the vet check it, and she didn’t manage to infect it. (That’s the “miracle cat” magic I’m talking about!) So now she has to wear the cone, which is always funny on TV, but it real life it’s just sort of sad.
When I was a kid, my family had a cat name Licorice, and that cat lived to be over 20 years old. I grew up with Licorice, and I honestly thought my kids would grow up with Tinkerbell, but like so much that is planned in life, things go awry and you just deal with it the best you can.
Note: Just a quick update, it’s January 2017, and she’s still alive.
5 replies on “Tinkerbell has skin cancer”
I was hoping not to find something like this when I clicked. Glad to hear it’s not “dire” yet though. But just knowing those bad cells might be flowing around in there waiting to mess her up is hard. Surround her with positive energy and thoughts and think the best. Positive light! (hokey, yep, I know)
Glad she’s doing alright now though, keep us posted, and love on her hard core. This is every pet owners worst fear, and we all feel for you guys and are sending our thoughts and love.
Thanks Julie, we appreciate your kind thoughts…
I’m so sorry to hear about Tinkerbell. It’s hard to get the courage to say “Even though you are part of the family, we will not be able to treat you.” I hope things turn out as best as possible, and I’m sure Tink will get just as much love as ever.
Btw, Amy and I have always called those cones, “Happy Hats.” Any kitty with a happy hat, even my own always seems to bring a sympathetic, yet fun smile to faces.
Ah, no! I’m really sorry, Pete.
Pete,
Hang in there, man.
My wife and I just dealt with a unsuccessful bout of cancer early this year, with our Boston Terrier, Otto. We caught it as quickly as we could, and did all that we could to keep the little guy around as long as he was comfortable. You’ve already done the best thing you possibly could – taking her in ASAP to get what you found taken care of.
It’s amazing to me how we bond to these animals, and how much they become a part of the family. Best of luck with this – and keep us all posted.