Cancer is the leading cause of death in older cats, and emerging immunotherapy approaches are transforming welfare outcomes while also advancing human oncology research.
Feline cancer welfare requires balancing treatment-related quality of life with duration of survival. The emerging immunotherapy options offer hope for improved welfare outcomes — checkpoint inhibitors can produce dramatic, durable responses without the systemic toxicity of conventional chemotherapy. Pain management throughout cancer care is a welfare priority — many cats suffer undertreated cancer pain due to owner reluctance to administer medication and veterinary underestimation of feline pain. Palliative care training for veterinary teams and owners significantly improves welfare in feline oncology.