Cancer is the leading cause of death in cats over ten years. Understanding treatment options, pain management, and quality-of-life assessment helps owners provide compassionate end-of-life care.
Cancer in companion cats causes welfare harms both from the disease itself and, potentially, from treatment. Pain from tumour growth, invasion of surrounding tissue, and paraneoplastic effects can be severe and prolonged if inadequately managed. Feline stoicism means that pain is frequently underestimated by both owners and veterinarians, leading to under-treatment. Treatment decisions involve weighing quality of life during treatment against potential survival benefit — a complex assessment that veterinary oncologists and palliative care specialists can help navigate. Advances in feline oncology have made treatment more effective and better tolerated, but palliative care focused on comfort rather than cure is an equally valid and compassionate choice. Quality-of-life monitoring tools help owners assess when euthanasia may be the kindest option, preventing prolonged suffering.