Hey Cats – CFO Noodle here!
Me-wow can you believe it’s already October? The days are flying by faster than a cat chasing a mouse in a barn!
October is a busy month for a lot of reasons – the return of naps in front of the fireplace, watching the leaves turn, supervising Staff carving pumpkins for Meowlloween and that very special day for us kitties – National Cat Day on October 29th!
October is important for another reason you may not have thought about – it’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Now, you may be thinking, “Noodle, what does breast cancer have to do with me?” Well, Cats, you may not know this, but cats can get breast cancer.
As the CFO, I take responsibility for keeping you informed about anything that can affect your nine lives. So, I woke up my purrsonal assistant Ivan and asked him to do some research on this topic and here’s what he found.
The not so good news is that feline mammary cancer is the third most common cancer in cats. It most often affects females, but male cats can also get breast cancer and it is aggressive with a high malignancy rate of 80%.
Now for some better news, there is something our Staff can do to lower the possibility of a kitty getting breast cancer. Cats that have been spayed and neutered, especially earlier in life, are at a much lower risk of developing mammary tumors. Studies show that spaying a cat before her first heat reduces the likelihood of her getting mammary cancer by as much as 90%.
Now Cats, remember this – with any cancer, early detection is a critical factor for survival. So, check-ups are very important. In addition to a regular exam here at the clinic at least once a year, your Staff needs to give you an overall nose to tail exam once a month. This includes petting the underside of your fur and feeling the loose tissue around your nipples. If your Staff feels any unusual lumps of bumps anywhere, they need to give us a call so you can get checked out by our Staff right away.
That’s it for now Cats! Gotta scamper and get my monthly nose to tail. Then I need to pick out Staff’s pumpkin and take a nap in front of the fire. Yep, October is a busy month for all of us, especially your CFO!
Stay Cool Cats!
Noodle
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