Terminally Ill cat

Question
My Patty Cake is 14 years old and has been diagnosed with Large tumor in the nasal cavity pushing on her left eye.  I have chosen to keep her with me as long as I feel she is not suffering.  I need to know the best way to keep her comfortable. The only alternative was surgery to remove mass, remove eye and chemotherapy.  I chose not to subject her to this.  I hope I am making the right decision for her.  She is small tabby, very loving .  She is eating about half of what she usually eats.  Sleeping a lot and sometimes has trouble breathing but seems to be able to re-position herself to breathe better.  Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated.  

Answer
Hi Mary.  I'm so sorry to hear about this.

First and foremost, watch her eating.  The fact that she's not eating her full ration of food is not a good sign.  If her appetite tapers more, it's an indication she's really feeling poorly, and it's probably time to consider putting her to sleep.

Has the type of tumor been determined?  If it's lymphoma, it may respond to a steroid such as prednisone.  It is used to reduce inflammation and may also slow the growth of tumors.  Used alone, this medication typically increases a comfortable life span by 2 months.  It rarely has any side effects.  When side effects do arise, it is usually in the form of mild immune suppression, so you should make sure to pay close attention to her health.  A sniffle may warrant an antibiotic.

Since she's having trouble breathing, you may want to ask the vet about a nose drop.  Those with dexamethasone or another steroid might help to shrink nasal tissues and allow her to breathe more freely.