Black Cat's Cancer Journey

Not eating meant that he hadn't been getting his medication because I hid it in his food. That wasn't a problem in the first two weeks when he bounced back and even asked for more. The alternative would have been to syringe it into his mouth but with an already sore throat from the lymphoma, I decided to try and get him back on food rather than hold him down twice a day and put him through a distressing process.

He visited Carevets for hydration and a check-up. I asked for an intravenous steroid, and by the following day, he was up and around - but still not eating.

I moved up his appointment at Island Bay Vet Clinic for an expert opinion on the progress of the chemotherapy and to get his dose in 24 hours earlier. By late that day, it was taking effort for him to inhale.

An x-ray showed patches on his lungs. The vet said it could either be the spread of lymphoma (unlikely) or bronchitis.

He was given antibiotics along with chemo, other meds, and pain relief.

Even before I met him, he'd fought through so much that I believed he'd rally again. But next day he was no better, so back to Carevets Wainuiomata.

Whatever was going on in his lungs had tipped the balance from a very positive outlook to an inevitably negative one.

I held him for the last time as the sedation took effect, assuring him that he'd been deeply loved.

Goodbye, Black Cat - a better friend to me than many people have been. There may be other cats, but there will never be another Black Cat.