Woman given breast cancer alert by cat
MY EARLY DIAGNOSIS IS DUE TO HER, SAYS OWNER
A NEWCASTLE woman went to the doctor’s after her cat started to paw her breast and was diagnosed with cancer.
Angela Tinning, of Lemington, decided to go to the doctor after her beloved cat, Missy, who is normally quite feisty, started acting differently and lying on her chest.
When Angela noticed that it was quite painful, it made her head to the doctors.
It was then that pre-cancerous cells were found and Angela underwent an operation to have them removed.
But two years later, Missy started acting differently again and Angela headed back to the doctors.
She was given the devastating news she had breast cancer and had to undergo a mastectomy.
Angela, 45, said: “I had heard of dogs having an instinct that their owner was poorly but never heard of cats, but something was just not right.
“My cat is not loving and is quite feisty so it was quite strange behaviour. She was lying on my chest and was touching the same area as before.
“I thought, ‘I’m not leaving this at all.’ I went to the doctor’s and they carried out a biopsy.”
Angela, a school finance officer, was told she had breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. The cancer was caught early, but had it not of been for Missy it could have been months before there were any signs it.
Angela, who nominated Missy for the Hero Cat award at the National Cat Awards, said: “There was nothing there at all. When Missy jumped on my chest that was my indication.
“If I had waited it would probably have been a tumour that you could feel and probably would be over a very, very large area.
“I would have gone [without treatment] for a long, long time if it hadn’t been for her.”
Now she is calling on people to fundraise for the charity that supported her during her treatment, Breast Cancer Care, by holding a ‘Big Pink’ party this month.
She said: “The care, support and information Breast Cancer Care gave me was invaluable. Big or small, the money Big Pink parties raise will help Breast Cancer Care to transform the lives of people affected by the disease.”