I found out today for sure that my 8 year old cat has squamous cell carcinoma and will probably need to be put down fairly soon. Since January her weight has dropped from 8.5 to 4.5 pounds. She hadn't been eating so I took her to the vet three weeks ago. Her balance also started to be off and she would fall down the stairs. They said it was an ear infection and gave me antibiotics. I switched to wet food and she started eating a little of that, but wasn't improving that much. I took her back to a different vet last week who said that she most likely has cancer. Her left eye is bulging and there's a hard mass behind her left ear. The vet said to consider her in a hospice state now. She's not in pain, but probably won't last more than a few months. The vet said we'll know it's time to euthanize her when she stops eating completely and starts hiding.

I'm not sure why I'm posting this, I'm just sad because I expected nearly another decade with my beloved cat. She's so sweet and usually energetic and full of personality. It's heartbreaking to see her in such a state. If anyone else's pet has had experience with this cancer, I'd love to hear your stories.