In the words of my partner Ashley Ollie:

"My beloved cat Matilda, who I rescued from the dangerous streets over 10 years ago, has been diagnosed with a malignant tumour in her jaw. I am completely devastated. I am beyond heartbroken for my little girl.

Feline oral squamous cell carcinoma is an aggressive invasive cancer that progressively eats away at the jaw bone until the cat can no longer eat and has to be euthanized. In this photo you see the bulge of the horrifying tumour on the left side of my dear Matilda's face:

I feel so much pain when I look at what's happened to the love of my life.

I have taken Matilda to be examined and assessed by a veterinary oncologist, surgeon, internal medicine specialist and general vet. The consensus is to do palliative care, in order to reduce Matilda's pain and inflammation, and hopefully enable her to continue eating for as long as possible. I am also following the medical advice to administer chemotherapy medication, in the hope of slowing the progression of the tumor.

I am told that, with the prescribed medication, cats in Matilda's condition can live anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, and in rare cases a year or more.

I'm keeping Matilda with us so long as she is not suffering unbearably and has some enjoyment in life. As of today Matilda cuddles with me all the time and still chases around the laser that Len likes to shine for her.

The initial cost for veterinary services and medications is so far in excess of $3000:

There will be additional veterinary bills in the form of more medications and a follow-up assessment that will include bloodwork. All that will exceed $1000.

I'm told my total vet bills could run into the tens of thousands of dollars if Matilda survives well into this year. I will spare no expense for Matilda so long as she is not suffering unacceptably.

Below are the medications I've administered at home to Matilda. It's a very difficult process, trying to administer by hand and syringe. But I am managing to administer every medication successfully and Matilda is eating better.

Gabapentin- pain med

Buprenorphine - pain med

Antirobe- antibiotic

Prednisolone - steroid/anti inflammatory

Metacam - anti-inflammatory/pain med

Palladia - chemo drug

L-lysine - supplement

The oncologist administered the following:

Zoledronate - to slow the bone deterioration

Solensia - anti-pain injection

Over a decade ago, I rescued a litter of kittens including Matilda and her brother Bob, and their father Crybaby, from busy hazardous streets in a rough part of town:

They were feral, and terrified of me. After a year of patience and love, Matilda and Bob came to trust me. I am their mother. They are my children.

Anything you can do to help me offset the enormous costs would be profoundly appreciated. I don't even have the words to express my gratitude for any help that is given during this terrible time. Thank you kindly."