Update on Willow

Last edited Tue Dec 9, 2025, 12:21 PM - Edit history (1)

Some of you may recall that our tortie Willow was diagnosed with mammary cancer back in May 2024. I made several posts here at the time, about the diagnosis and subsequent surgery to remove the 2 mammary glands that had masses growing in them. When they were sent to their lab for analysis, only one was ruled malignant, but that was one too many.

She came through the surgery just fine, but we were told that recurrence was virtually inevitable, due to the way these cancers progress in cats. In other words, it was eventually going to be fatal, and there was no way to protect exactly how long it would be. We decided to just give her the best life possible for as long as we could, and that's what we've been doing ever since.

She seemed fine for about a year or so, eating, sleeping, and pooping normally and showing no signs of distress. But one day we noticed a new lump, and another one popped up shortly thereafter. We were pretty sure what was happening, but took her the vet to find out for sure. Our suspicions were confirme, and our choices were either more surgery or just continue to spoil her rotten while waiting for nature to take its course. We chose the latter. She was pretty traumatize by the first surgery, and decided it wasn't woth the additional trauma or expense to put her through more surgery just to buy a little more time.

She continued to seem basically fine for months after that. Her lumps continued to grow but she seemed unbothered by them and was still her normal self in most ways. Her appetite gradually got a little more fussy, but not to an alarming extent. But this past weekend, the largest lump started to bleed a little bit, so we called the vet first thing o Monday and got an appointment for 2 pm on Tuesday. We're not sure what we're going to fine out, it seems clear that she's running out of time.

The only thing we're sure of right now is that her comfort is our highest priority. My husband and I are agreed that we are not going to try to prolong her life past the point where it's no longer enjoyable for her. I'll post an update when we get back from the vet.