Frankie’s Cancer Journey: Living With and Caring for a Cat With Cancer
- felidaebehavior
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Before adopting my cat Frankie, she had already lived a hard life. She was found out in the country struggling to give birth, and it was discovered she had skin cancer in her ears. She was given an emergency C-section, and once she had recovered, her ears were amputated to remove the cancer.
Life After Adoption
Now living with me, I try to do everything I can to give her the life she deserves. In return, she is the best companion. It has been wonderful watching her blossom over the last two years.
A Cancer Recurrence Diagnosis
At a recent check-up, the vet informed me that her cancer had come back. We ran tests
and found that while it had appeared in her nose and under her eye, it hadn’t spread to her ears or lungs, which was good news.
The vet was confident that with a course of electrochemotherapy, we would be able to control the cancer and prevent it from spreading. It was expensive, but I was grateful that it was available and that I could actively do something to help Frankie live longer.
Treatment and the Overwhelm of Aftercare
The procedure went well, but afterward I felt overwhelmed—not only with the aftercare, but also with the changes we were going to have to make to her diet and our daily routine.
In that moment, I thought about my clients. When they come to me, they are usually already at the end of their rope, and then they have to process a long list of recommendations that often include changes to environment, routine, and sometimes diet. It can be a lot.
What I usually tell them is: start with one thing at a time, and build from there when you can. I know that if they tried to implement everything all at once, they’d flame out and fail.
Thinking about that helped me apply the same approach to Frankie.
Step One: Getting Medication Into Our Routine
The first thing I focused on was getting her medications under control and integrating
them into our schedule. We had done a lot of pill training work beforehand, and I was incredibly grateful for that preparation—it has made this part much easier.
Step Two: Adjusting Our Daily Routine
Next, I looked at our routine.
When the weather is nice, I usually leave the door open so Frankie can come and go into the yard as she pleases. Now, she can no longer go out into the sun, which means we’ve had to change that completely.
We’ve worked on replacing what she gets from outdoor access by increasing enrichment and activities indoors. I also have to remember to keep the door shut so she no longer has free access outside.
This change affects me as well—I work from home and enjoy eating meals outside, having fresh air, and moving freely between indoors and the yard throughout the day.
Now, we adjust. Once the sun goes down or it’s very cloudy, I open the door so we can both still enjoy the outdoors safely.
Step Three: Changing Her Diet
The last major change has been her diet.
She can’t eat wheat or any preservatives. That means no canned food, no Churu (!!!), and no treats. Only ultra-premium kibble and fresh food.
I’m vegetarian, so while I fully understand and respect that she is a carnivore, I wasn’t going to start buying and cooking meat for her. Fortunately, I found someone who is willing to shop for and prepare the food Frankie needs. I’m happy to handle feeding her—as long as I don’t have to buy or cook it.
Taking It One Step at a Time
We’re still at the beginning of this journey and still figuring things out. But taking it one
step at a time makes big changes feel manageable.
And if there’s one thing this experience has reinforced, it’s what I already know from working with my clients: when everything feels overwhelming, you don’t fix it all at once. You start with one piece, get that stable, and then build from there. Whether you are caring for a cat with cancer or need guidance on how to implement routine changes, I'm here to help! We can work one-on-one to make these changes manageable for you and your cat.
