One of my cats Sylvester had two operations to remove what we believed were polyps in his ears last year, but he was then diagnosed with cancer in October 2024. Not even a year later, on May 8, 2025, I took my dog Hazel to the vet to get a lump checked out and found out it was a mast cell malignant tumor.

I first adopted Sylvester in 2018. He's the sweetest boy who loves sitting and purring in your lap for cuddles and will never scratch or bite. He has had a chronic and persisting ear infection since the day I picked him up from the shelter, and we have been trying to battle it with multiple vets and several rounds of antibiotics to combat a chronic ear infection he had. Finally, in July 2024, a new vet we went to gave us the opinion that there was likely a polyp in each of his ears, I would need to schedule surgeries to have them removed. I scheduled two surgeries to have the polyps removed separately, each costing over $6,000. After the first surgery, the biopsy revealed it was adenocarcinoma, a rare cancer of the ear in cats. I have since had multiple CT scans, MRIs, and follow up visits with testing on top of the two surgeries. The total costs for Sylvester's treatment and diagnoses has already amounted to over $20,000, which I have already paid out of pocket. We are continuing to monitor his situation after surgical removal, and there is the possibility that we will pursue a total ear canal ablation, chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination. The bright side is that, since his surgeries, Sylvester has been much more active and playful, and he has been feeling better than ever. I recently had another CT done for him, and I am bringing him in for a biopsy and mass removal procedure on May 21.

Hazel is a foster-fail who I officially adopted in 2020. She's a sweet, cuddly, wiggly girl who had a rough past but quickly warms up to people despite it. A few weeks ago, I noticed a bump on her that wouldn't go away, so I scheduled a vet visit. Last week, a cytology showed that it was a mast cell tumor, a type of cancer that is very common in bully breeds such as herself. She will require surgery on May 22 to remove the mass, after which it will be sent in for a full biopsy. They also need to have x-rays for her chest and aspirates for her spleen and liver to check for any other masses or cancer cells. She has already had an ultrasound for her stomach. Thankfully, they didn't find anything in the ultrasound, but we will continue to do a thorough examination. We won't know her prognosis or full treatment plan until after the biopsy, x-rays, and aspirates.

Getting these diagnoses, especially so close together, has been devastating news to me. I have always worked hard to give them the best care that I can. I have been able to pay for the vast majority of the consultations, surgeries, tests, and vet visits out of pocket, but I'm not able to continue doing that on my own. Sylvester's biopsy is estimated to be around $3,000, and Hazel's surgery is estimated to be around $2,500. The biopsy, x-rays, and aspirates for Hazel will be an additonal cost, the amount of which I don't know at this time. Sylvester may need further treatment as well. Since the prognoses for both Sylvester and Hazel could still be good, I want to keep seeking treatment. I always joke that they're my children, but they really are in the way they bring so much joy and meaning to my life.