I haven't posted in a week or so. This weekend, my cat, Thomas, started losing weight rapidly. I called the vet on Monday, and they said to bring him in Tuesday morning. X-rays showed a softball-sized mass on one of his kidneys. I took him back to the vet on Wednesday, and they did an ultrasound and an aspiration (drained some stuff out of the tumor). They wanted to see how to go about removing it, where it was attached, etc. They called me and told me that it is cancer, it's in both his kidneys and his intestines and is spreading elsewhere. They can't operate to remove it (can't take out both kidneys, of course, and all of that other stuff-it's too aggressive). They gave him a shot for the discomfort.
They sent him home with some pills. They should help fight the cancer a bit, but they are mostly for pain. If they work, he may have a week or two. If not, then it'll be in the next couple of days when I have to decide to take him in to be euthanized.
I have him and his two brothers in addition to Sadie and Riley. Thomas and his brothers, like Sadie, were some of my rescues. They have a fourth brother who I adopted out, and I originally meant to adopt out Turbo, too. But he stayed with Thomas and Bevo. They're made-up birthday is January 4th. If he makes it, he will be 5.
It's so hard to see him like this, and it kills me that there's nothing I can do to fix it. He is uncomfortable (trying to lie down with a mass that size is difficult) and lethargic, but he is alert, his eyes are clear, he purrs... He got into bed with me this morning and waited for me outside of the shower to meow at me when I got out, but for the most part, he doesn't move much. He spent all evening on the kitchen counter, which is where I put him when I got home. I brought him to bed with me and he stayed there for a while before going into my bathroom to lay on the counter and drink some water. He's only eating a few treats here and there. He's never wanted canned food, so that's all I can think to give him to entice him to eat. He even turns his nose up at tuna (I tried again last night, just in case his taste buds have changed, but he didn't want it).
My foster, Drama/Kora(?) may go back with my friend who was taking care of her before. She is very hyper and I don't want Thomas to have to deal with telling her to back off. Aussie rescue here hasn't responded to my friend's emails. Sadie and Riley know he's the boss, so they don't bug him. In fact, they were angels when I brought him home yesterday-very concerned about me b/c I was crying, but keeping their distance from us for the most part... just laying on the bed watching me.