Whitney, I am so sorry for your loss. I know it has been a few years, but I am just reading your post and I am going through the exact same thing. I noticed for about 3 weeks that something was bothering the left side of his mouth in the middle of his jaw. I, too, thought it might have been a tooth. I had tried to look inside his mouth and cats are not fond of that at all. It was when I noticed a slight hard bulge in that area that I thought, it’s impacted, and took him to the vet. She took one look and saw the mass between his tongue and teeth. It is aggressive and I am faced with that decision as I sit her writing this. I feel guilty for not taking him right away, but my vet said oral cancers don’t have a good prognosis and the end result is the same. Cancer sucks.

We had to put our cat Sophie down yesterday because she had oral cancer. She had signs and symptoms for many months. We finally decided to take her in. Thankfully she lived 17 loving years and was loved beyond words. She is missed! Oral cancer sucks!

That’s a tough situation, Sally. Sorry to hear your cat isn’t feeling well! Have you considered getting a second opinion from another vet, just to be sure its the only/best option? I can’t speak to your cat’s specific situation, but I’ve had multiple teeth removed (in one go) for two of my cats and they both recovered well. Cats don’t tend to chew their food much anyway, so a soft canned food like pate or even finely shredded fish might work.

Hello Joan, I’m so sorry you and Hydrox are going through this—I know it must be a sad and challenging time. Unfortunately, I am not a vet and our vet advisors cannot advise you on this without being able to evaluate her physically. However, I would recommend reading our vet-written guide to knowing when it’s time to euthanize a cat. You may also want to consult with your own veterinarian, as they will have a stronger understanding of her condition. Wishing you all the best.

Sallie, the cancer is not contagious. Wishing you and your kitty all the best.

Ugh, I am so sorry you’re going through this nightmare. I hope you’re able to connect with some sort of community around you—it seems that some sort of support from other people would help you get through this time. I hope you can lean on friends, support groups, a therapist, or even acquaintances or other random people in the world. Meditation, prayer, or some other sort of spiritual practice, whatever that means to you, may also help.