This is Four, our sweet, strong fighter and MIRACLE boy! He is 14 years old and in January of 2025, he was diagnosed with a nasal tumor (squamous cell carcinoma).

We noticed a sneeze from him that produced the faintest red tinge in his mucus. We took him immediately to the emergency vet, and from there his story grows more complicated and inspiring!

His only symptom was this sneeze and the slightly red-tinted mucus we saw. Thinking maybe it could be a viral infection of some kind, they did a panel test. While waiting for the results, we were concerned that this could be something more serious, knowing how quickly nasal tumors become deadly in cats, as our other cat died in less than a month from a nasal tumor. We advocated hard to get him into an oncologist's care, just in case. At the time, it seemed a bit extreme considering he had no other symptoms, and in all other ways, he was a healthy, happy cat.

At his intake appointment, Four did the most important thing he could have... sneezed! He sneezed out a sample that was sent immediately for biopsy. A few days later, the oncologist officially diagnosed his squamous cell carcinoma, and we got him on the schedule for a CT scan. He wasn’t happy about how many trips he was having in the car, and he was not pleased to be going under anesthesia for his scan, but being the brave boy that he is, we got his CT scan off to be analyzed!

Now, here is where the story takes a turn we couldn’t have ever expected. His scan came back and there was no tumor... instead, there was a clear space in his nasal cavity where there should be small bones. Unsure of what to make of this information, the doctor then tells us that Four SNEEZED OUT THE MAIN TUMOR! You could see where it had been, as it had destroyed the small bones in his nasal cavity, but now the main mass was gone! His oncologist had never seen anything like it before!

He truly is our little superhero! Four had done the majority of the work, and it was up to us to honor that work and treat the residual cancer cells that might be remaining (which if left untreated would eventually grow into a new tumor). He went under 3 sessions of radiation treatment, specifically SRT (Stereotactic Radiotherapy). He did very well with the treatment, and just like before, he was happy, in all other ways healthy, and you would have never known he was battling cancer! The only sign is now his face has a white patch of fur where it used to all be black because of the radiation. It looks like his superhero mask!

He was put on chemotherapy to help fight any potential micro disease that could be left over after the radiation treatments.

Six months later, he went for his first checkup CT scan. The same area with the tumor was showing up thicker than before his treatment. The oncologist said it could be just an effect of the radiation or it could be tumor regrowth. They wanted to see him again for another full-body CT scan in 3 months. In October, he went in again for his scan and the area had gotten a bit thicker. It was not what we were hoping to see. Had it stayed at that initial thickness, it would more likely be a result of the radiation treatments, but with its growth, we still are not sure. They want to see him back for another CT scan to further determine what rate it might be growing at and what is the cause.

Now, it is December and we just learned that his oncologist's treatment facility is being closed. It is the only pet oncology clinic near Jacksonville, and if Four needs further radiation treatment, we will have to travel to Gainesville to receive it. His initial treatment cost was approximately $14,000 including the radiation and his first full-body CT scan. His pet insurance covered about half of his treatment costs (not including his biopsies or chemotherapy medicine).

We are incredibly grateful for that. However, when his coverage re-upped at the end of July, his insurer increased the monthly cost for his policy while also decreasing the coverage they will provide. At most, they will cover 70% of medical bills up to $5,000 in total. His full-body CT scans are anywhere from $2,100 - $2,600 alone per scan, so if further radiation treatment was needed, his insurance wouldn’t cover it, and we would be adding the additional cost of travel to Gainesville (plus boarding) because his current oncology treatment facility (about 30 minutes away) is closing.

So far, since July 2025:

* His insurance premium has gone up to $244.09/month

* He had his 6-month checkup CT scan (out of pocket $2,131) where they discovered the thickening

* He had his follow-up CT scan to check the thickening for growth in October ($2,650 with some insurance coverage)

He goes back for his next CT scan in January, and that will max out his insurance coverage. Of which we still pay 30 percent. If they decide he needs radiation again, his coverage is already maxed out and the full 14k will be paid by us.

His chemotherapy is $116/month out of pocket. Every 2 months he has to go in for blood work which is (on the low end) $300/visit out of pocket. And his insurance premium is $244.09/month.

We are hopeful that further radiation treatments won’t be necessary, but even his monthly maintenance costs are overwhelming. Any help with the expenses would be greatly appreciated!

He is worth it all and more. His quality of life is phenomenal for a distinguished gentleman of his age (going on 15)! He loves to play with his stuffed cardinal toy, watch birds and lizards from our screened patio, snuggle up on the couch with his dad every night, and sit lovingly in his mom’s lap while she drinks her coffee every morning! And he loves to give gentle hugs

Despite all of the vet visits, radiation treatments, blood work, and chemotherapy over the last 12 months, Four has continued to defy all odds. He’s continued to thrive, with his incredibly sweet disposition, and all of the love he has to give (it’s A LOT of love)!

Any help you can give our little superhero would be appreciated tremendously!