This article came about after my cat got diagnosed with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC).

Receiving such diagnostic is difficult and by sharing my experience, I'm hoping to help those who are dealing with a similar situation.

Suggested treatments may differ from one veterinarian to another; This is only my own personal experience.

This website is also to honor my sweet, beautiful Billie.

On March 26th 2026, my almost 11 year old cat Billie got some dental work done after having lost two fangs. During the procedure, the veterinarian called and said he spotted something on her rostral mandible (front part of the lower jaw). He didn't think it was anything to be worried about but suggested to take a small bone sample to get it analyzed. I was wondering if she had some kind of mouth disease so I decided to go through it, wanting the best for her.

He called 4 days later, asking me how she was responding to the dentistry and the pain medication (she obviously hated the cone around her neck and having meds put into her mouth many times a day but otherwise she was doing great). The results of the bone sample weren't even on my mind; the veterinarian wasn't worried so I wasn't either. Then he said:

''I have bad news for Billie; she has cancer''.

''She has two months left to live''

It was an absolute choc... Billie was living her best life.

Eating & drinking as usual, playing, grooming herself, no change in behavior. How could this be? 

He shared everything in a genuine, compassionate way. I appreciated that, as this must be a regular occurrence to vets... After the phone call, I cried, I cuddled her, I didn't know what to do or think.

She has been by my side since she was about 5 months old. She always welcomes me home after work, telling me she missed me and making sure to put her scent on me. She sleeps with me (almost) every night... What will be life without her? It was devastating.

The next day, another clinic called and said there were options to try to save her. In a span of 24 hours, I went from "she's dying soon'' to ''maybe there's a chance?''.

Absolute rollercoaster.

The clinic was a 40 minutes drive, the longest drive she ever took. At the clinic, I was presented with 3 options;

NO TREAMENT
It is a palliative option.

The same 2 months timeline was given.

RADIOTHERAPHY
Also a palliative option, it aims to slow down the spread of the cancer.

Treatment is 1 session per week over a 3 week period.

Life could be prolonged 3 to 5 months.  

ROSTRAL MANDIBULECTOMY
This is an aggressive surgery where the lower jaw is removed.

Even with a scan, it is hard to confirm how far the cancer has spread;

Cancer could still be present after the surgery, then radiotherapy could be performed.

I drove back home with a sense of relief.  Sadness was replaced by hope. Of course I will do anything to save her! I let her out of her carrier on the way back home; she was on my lap, surprisingly calm, very curious about the outside world. It was a sweet moment.

Since SCC is an aggressive cancer, a decision had to be made in a timely manner. Surgery and therapy spots were available in a few days. To help me understand and make an informed decision, I did a lot of reading online.

What is SCC? What is the surgery? What are the case studies? What are the surviving odds? What are the long term effects?

I didn't think doing the radiotherapy was the way to go, as it was pretty intense for a temporary, palliative option. 

 I decided to do the surgery

The next day I changed my mind and decided to go for the radiotherapy. Changed my mind again and decided to not pursue any treatment. Then I circled back and decided to get the surgery done.... I must've picked every option 3 times in a span of a few days. I was going crazy. The articles were informative but didn't help me to make a decision. Every option had cons and a gamble aspect to it.

One thing that was really hard to deal with was Billie being oblivious to her situation.

There was no way to let her know what was going on with her health. I was the only one dealing with it.

She was feeling perfectly fine and I was given a burden.

Around day ten, I landed on Reddit.

There, I found actual cat parents sharing their experiences through SCC. Prior to that, I

only had read studies and veterinarian opinions; margins, percentages of recovery, nothing from cat parents who are emotionally involved with their beloved fur ball.

It may seems obvious but reading their testimonies helped me realize:

My responsibility is to do what is best for HER. 

-I live alone with Billie, if she ends up needing a feeding tube after the surgery, who is going to feed her while I am away at work? This was too much of a gamble for me.

-Her beautiful face now potentially with a crooked jaw, her tongue sticking out, struggling to eat and groom herself, drooling all over the place... This is not how I wanted her to end her life.

-She was still recovering from the dentistry, still taking meds... Am I gonna get her through radiotherapy in the very same spot, have her gums bleed so she needs more medication and who knows what else side effects?

-Am I supposed to have her go through all this pain and stress for ''just'' an extra month or two?

-Some cats have gone blind in their eye after the radiotherapy: how am I gonna feel if it happens to her? This is not what I wanted for her.

It was a lot of maybes and what ifs and I was struggling with this.

Realizing I have to be her voice since she doesn't have one helped me greatly.

I decided to have her spend the rest of her life at home in peace, in health,

where she is comfortable and where she feels safe.

So I decided to not pursue treatment.

I decided to not have her go through pain and stress ''just'' so that I can have her for a little bit longer.

We know our cats best and it is our duty to decide for them, as hard as it is.

No more carriers, car rides, getting picked by strangers, getting anesthesia, getting treatment, a cone around her neck, medications, recovery, side effects.

She would never be placed in a carrier again and the euthanasia was going to be performed at home.

I know deep down if she could talk, this is what she would've wanted and this is what she deserves.

It was a very difficult decision but once I made it, a weight was lifted off my shoulders.

I stopped crying every time I'd see her or think about what's to come:

I instead started feeling lucky to have these peaceful final moments together and eventually, ''forgot'' she had SCC for days at a time.

I was gonna deal with it when it comes but until then, I will make the most of our time together.

It has been 86 days since the diagnostic and Billie is doing absolutely great!!!

Timeline given was 60 days and she is approaching 90!

Veterinarian is amazed by what is happening.

I am aware cats can hide pain well but Billie still has her routine, eats and drinks well, still bosses me around, grooms herself, likes to play, no change in sleeping habits, does not drool (a sign that SCC has advanced). The only change is a little bump starting to form on the left side of her lower jaw :(

Having 3 healthy months together have been a blessing!

3 months of (too many) treats, cuddles, pictures and videos.

Stress free, in her home, in great health.

It is all I wanted and I am very happy of the decision I took back then.

More updates will follow....

      Billie, over 80 days since diagnostic!

I am hoping that by sharing my thoughts, you will know you are not alone and maybe this article can help you make a decision, whatever it may be.

The reasons why I discarded some of the options could help you reach a different decision for your cat;

This is only my own experience, my thought process and my decision for MY cat.

I love her to the end of world and did everything I could for her.

''Doing anything for her'' in my case was doing it as humane as possible by taking the difficult decision I took.

By reading the '' A little bit about Billie'' section, you may understand more my thought process.

Every situation is different and I respect everyone's decisions. Good luck to all.

Thank you for reading!

Feel free to comment, please be kind :)