TRUE, Positive-Outcome, Stories Needed - Cat Eye Tumor

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   Lisa HWposted 15 years ago

   My son's nine-year-old kitty will lose her eye in a few hours because she has a tumor.  The opthamologist said it looks local, rather than systemic.  Has anyone had this with their cat and had the cat live a long time after?
   
   (I need a happy-ish ending story, and don't want to see any miserable-ending stories - but I need to know any story is true.    Tall order, maybe...   )

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   1. 59

      LarasMamaposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Sorry, don't have a personal experience myself with this (only had dogs) but just wanted to wish you the best of luck and hope all goes well - I know what it's like to lose a loved pet.

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   2. 61

      Rainbow Prideposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      My uncle's cat only had one eye and lived to be 17 years old, which is a very long time for a cat. She didn't have a tumor though. She had to have her eye removed after being attacked by a raccoon.

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      1. 63

         Lisa HWposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         Rainbow Pride, thank you.  Just that much is kind of what I need right now.      I posted this thread the night before my son's almost-10 year old cat was to have her eye (and a tumor) removed.  Oh brother...   we think we have all of life in perspective (people with sick kids and serious illness, Earthquakes, etc.) - and then you find out a "kitty friend" needs to lose her eye, and all of a sudden all that perspective doesn't matter much. 
         
         She had her surgery (day surgery), and my son says she's acting ok.    I don't know - I guess I just needed to hear about another one-eyed cat.    Thank you.
         
         
         LarasMama, thank you for your kind thoughts too.  Oh, brother - losing a pet can be awful.  After I lost the last fifteen-year-old cat (after losing x many other pets before her) I didn't get another cat and don't plan to (but I'm now living with my daughter's two cats, and my son's cat is my "grand-cat" , who comes for holidays and occasional weekend visits.  )
         
         I don't know....    I just wasn't really prepared to have to deal with all the aspects of thinking about the cat losing her eye.   It's funny you mentioned the raccoon; because what has helped me over the last few days has been to tell myself that if she'd gotten into an accident/fight and lost her eye it would have been easier to accept.  The issue for me as been to know that the decision was made to remove the eye.  Then again, I had to tell myself that when it came to her keeping both her pretty eyes, that shipped sailed when she got the tumor. 
         
         Oh well, I've vented.   Thank you both.     10 years from now, if I'm still writing Hubs maybe I'll write one about "dealing with a pet's losing her eye" - not in the near future, though. 

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   3. 68

      Jennifer D.posted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Lisa HW,
      
      I want you to know that if the tumor is localized in the cat's eye ( which isn't uncommon...many older cats develop tumor in the iris) then the chances of removing all the cancer cells is good. Of course it depends on the type of cells found.
      Cats do very well having an ability to utilize their other senses. I have a blind cat who lost both his non-functional eyes when he was 5 months old.  I wrote a Hub about him because I wanted people to know that blindness does not stop a cat (or dog, or horse or any animal) from having a good quality of life.
      Please check out my Hub on Spencer, my amazing blind boy!
      Good luck to you and your family, and especially the kitty.  I'm sure she will be fine. Give her love and positive energy!
      
      -Jennifer D.

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      1. 63

         Lisa HWposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         Jennifer, thank you so much for posting this.  It will be a week tomorrow, and so far, I guess the "kitty-girl" is acting pretty much like herself.  A biopsy was taken, but we haven't heard back yet.  They believed it appeared to be a localized type of thing.  The one thing I keep thinking, though, is that I hope the same thing doesn't happen in the one good eye.
         
         I'm a little more "at peace" with it now, but - I don't know... - it was just a crummy thing to know she had to have done.

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2. 0

   Justine76posted 15 years ago

   Aww, its so unexpected the level of stress a sick pet can give. I just had the most awful expierence with my little dog. I hope things work out well, so far it sounds good. Ive known several one eyed cats, and they were all jsut fine. Didnt seem to bother them in the slightest.

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   1. 63

      Lisa HWposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Justine, thank you.      It was Wednesday that she had the surgery, and as of last night my son said she seems OK.    I just hope the biopsy comes back OK.
      
      Sorry to hear about your little dog.  The last pet I lost (a 15-year-old girl kitty who was so close to me) was 3 and a half years ago, and it was just awful.  Except for needing to hear about one-eyed cats (), I pretty much have to avoid all pet stories; because losing that last cat was so awful.  I can imagine what you're going through.

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   Whitney05posted 15 years ago

   I don't have any stories about cats, but a lady I work with has a dog that had a tumor behind the eye. The eye was removed, and the dog is doing well. The dog is a little nippy when her grandson, bc he's just a toddler and doesn't understand the dog is missing an eye. The baby likes to go up to the dog on the side without an eye, which startles the dog.
   
   Good luck with your cat.

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   1. 63

      Lisa HWposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Whitney, thanks.  Babies and pets always make an interesting and entertaining combination.      I thought about writing a Hub about the "emotional trauma" of having a pet have to lose its eye, but 1) I figure I already have enough "Big Downer" Hubs as it is () and 2) I'm still not ready to see it keep showing up in my bunch of Hubs. 
      
      Again, thanks.

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      1. 51

         scatkins70posted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Lisa HW,
         
         Researching a bit and came across this post as it's 5 years old. My cat is going for the same surgery as he will lose his left eye tomorrow.  He is acting normal as usual but his eye is very puffy and red.  Wanted to see how your little kitty is doing and if she is still with you.  Just trying to figure out the right choice for the cat.  any response would be great before tomorrow if possible.  thank you

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