Stories

My name is Olivia. Momo is my 11 year old Ragdoll cat who I adopted in 2021 after my first Ragdoll cat passed away. He is my best friend and my world. On October 3, 2023, I noticed a lump on his shoulder. I immediately began crying as the worst case scenario flooded my mind. I packed him up that morning and took him to the local urgent care where they performed an FNA. The cytology revealed cells mostly consistent with a cyst, but it was still recommended we eventually remove the mass for further analysis. I opted to avoid extra anesthetic procedures and knew eventually he would get another dental or other procedure requiring anesthesia where the mass could be evaluated. On December 19, 2023, Momo went in for a dental after experiencing some tooth pain. I let them know there was a cyst I would like removed at the same time. At 8:00am I dropped him off and met the vet who would be performing the surgery. She examined him, and upon feeling the mass, suddenly became very worried. Her mind jumped directly to FISS. That day went from a routine visit to a massive surgery that I was not emotionally prepared for. A week later the pathology report confirmed my worst fear -- cancer. I canceled my holiday plans and spent nearly a week just laying in bed with Momo. It truly felt like my world was ending. In order to cope with the extreme emotional impact of his diagnosis, I dove deep into literature and research about FISS to make the most informed decision I could. It quickly became clear he would need radiation treatments for the best chance of a long, cancer-free life. This led to the next rabbit hole -- financial aid. I am in no way capable of spending $10,000 on vet bills by myself. I am so so incredibly thankful for the few organizations who have awarded my grants. Without them, I would be unable to put Momo through radiation. Momo recovered from surgery incredibly well and starts radiation treatment in early February 2024. I'm terrified, both that the cancer will come back sooner than we hope and that I'm making the wrong decision. I wish Momo could live forever and that I didn't have to make this decision, but I feel given all the information and circumstances we are faced with, I'm doing the right thing. I will continue to post updates here on how treatments are going and how Momo is doing. Much love to everyone dealing with this disease, you got this. OS.