Cancer is increasingly diagnosed in cats and treatment decisions require careful welfare assessment balancing treatment benefit against side effect burden.
Feline cancer welfare requires nuanced decision-making that balances treatment benefit against treatment burden. Chemotherapy for lymphoma can achieve remission and extend quality life. However, treatment must be assessed against welfare rather than purely medical goals. Cats unable to eat or groom, or showing persistent distress from treatment side effects, have their welfare served better by palliative or comfort care. Quality of life scales applied regularly throughout treatment enable objective assessment of whether treatment benefit exceeds burden. End-of-life decisions should be guided by welfare evidence rather than owner desire for additional time.