My 11 year old maine coon, Rimsky, has just been diagnosed with cancer - the vet has said he has weeks, not months. The tumour is in his jaw and to remove it would mean removing his entire lower jaw. We are feeding him fish every day and are going to try homeopathic remedies - does anyone have any other suggestions.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 1999

Answers

Dear Karen,

First, my deepest sympathies on your beautiful pet's serious illness. I nursed a sweet pet of my own through FIV, and here I will try to give you what came from my urgent researches into severe illness in cats.

I beg of you, please do not waste money, time, and energy on homeopathic remedies for cancer - they are not going to help. I won't waste your time explaining, but it is simply not going to help.

Unfortunately, the situation is so grave that what you probably suspect is true: you must decide very quickly whether your cat would be better off having the surgery to remove the tumor or being put to sleep when the cancer advances. Please do not try to keep your cat hanging on if he is in pain to the extent where he cannot be happy. This may seem horribly cruel of me to say, but there it is.

You may want to get a second vet's opinion, not because another vet could fix this serious, serious problem, but to ask about the chances that the cancer has already spread too far - if there is cancer elsewhere, the surgery may be inadequate.

Cats are *very adaptable*, and Maine Coons unusually so. If you decide to have the surgery, Rimsky (Korsachov?) has a good chance of adapting to life with a handicap. It is for you to decide if you can adapt as well.

This is probably not what you wanted to hear, but this is the best I can give you in all honesty and with all the research I did on alternative medicine. PLEASE let me know what you decide to do - my thoughts are with you and Rimsky.

-- Anonymous, June 11, 1999

Karen, I am so sorry to hear your news. That is terrible. I agree completely with Jennifer's comments to you. However, the most important - ONLY - consideration is whether your cat is in any pain at this point. If he is, then please don't delay but have him put gently to sleep as quickly as possible. If the disease is as serious as your vet feels, there is no point in keeping the cat alive for a few more weeks if he is in any pain. Thank goodness we have the ability to let our cats go peacefully and painfree when necessary. Homeopathic remedies are not going to beat such a serious condition. I do not know about the surgery but it sounds like your cat would have some serious difficulties in eating after it....how would he manage? I think it must be said that letting him go is the best thing for the cat. My deepest sympathies.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 1999

Karen, I recently lost my Maine of 14 yrs to a cancerous tumor as well. Initially, I was going to have surgery perfomred...just once...but then realized...who was I trying to kid? Did I really want to put my cat through all of that? So after a great deal of thought, I made the appt, drove him down to my vet's and he was euthanized, very gently. At that time there was an infection bad enough to have penetrated through his cheek (he had also just had gum surgery...my vet did a biopsy and found the cancer) and he sprayed blood as he shook his head. He now rests in a small canister on my bookshelf next to a canister containing my 17 yrs old white, his lifelong companion.

In about one month I pick up my new Maine Coon kitten. My sympathy goes out to you...I've been there. Monica

-- Anonymous, June 19, 1999