Radon Testing?

[CatloverinFL]

Having just lost my second and most beloved, 13.5 years old cat to stomach and lung cancer three days ago, I plan to test the insides of my small home, and my back yard for radon gas. I cannot fathom why, and how, both of my two cats (who were not related) that I'd had for over 13 years suddenly came down with two different types of cancer, and both died within three weeks apart. I am dumbfounded and shattered. It's just too odd.

I always have fed my cats what I thought were fairly good, quality types of grocery store dry food, Purina Beyond/ Chicken and Oats, and all kinds of Fancy Feast wet food including Purina Beyond wets foods, and also occasionally human quality foods, like fried or roasted chicken breast, turkey breast, corned beef, ham, baby food ( Gerber pure poultry types), etc. I have never used pesticides, always use white vinegar to clean with and mop, etc. I don't smoke.

Has anyone ever tested their home for radon, and/or been unfortunate enough to have tested positive for it, and had any of their poor cat(s) die from it?

 

[duckpond]

I dont have any answers for you, but the test would not be a bad thing. I just wanted to say i am very sorry for your loss. Loosing one cat is very hard, but to loose both of them that close is beyond hard. I am very sorry for your loss. Keep us updated on how you are doing. Take care of yourself.

 

[CatloverinFL]

I dont have any answers for you, but the test would not be a bad thing. I just wanted to say i am very sorry for your loss. Loosing one cat is very hard, but to loose both of them that close is beyond hard. I am very sorry for your loss. Keep us updated on how you are doing. Take care of yourself.

Thank you so much for your kind words, duckpond. I have been, needless to say, completely bewildered and deeply saddened about these two horrible health tragedies that have come in fast secession one after the other. I feel so bad for my dear cats, as though surely, there could have been something I could have done to prevent these major and deadly health issues from happening to them.

 

[catlover73]

I am sorry for your loss. The what ifs you are feeling are part of the grieving process and many of us have been there. Sometimes all the money in the world can not fix our babies. I lost two perfectly healthy senior brothers to strokes suddenly. There was nothing at all wrong with them before this. They were fine in the morning and acting completely normal. I came home from work and they could barely move. Cats just like people can get cancer and there is not always a reason why it happens. Please know that you did everything you could for your babies. They are now at the rainbow bridge and no longer in any pain. They are now angels watching over you.

You could have your place checked for radon to give you piece of mind. I know two people in my area that had their home show higher than normal levels of radon and they had healthy pets. Both people lived in their town homes for several years. One person had two cats and one had a dog.

 

[CatloverinFL]

I am sorry for your loss. The what ifs you are feeling are part of the grieving process and many of us have been there. Sometimes all the money in the world can not fix our babies. I lost two perfectly healthy senior brothers to strokes suddenly. There was nothing at all wrong with them before this. They were fine in the morning and acting completely normal. I came home from work and they could barely move. Cats just like people can get cancer and there is not always a reason why it happens. Please know that you did everything you could for your babies. They are now at the rainbow bridge and no longer in any pain. They are now angels watching over you.

You could have your place checked for radon to give you piece of mind. I know two people in my area that had their home show higher than normal levels of radon and they had healthy pets. Both people lived in their town homes for several years. One person had two cats and one had a dog.

Catlover73: Thank you so much for your beautiful and kind words of encouragement and understanding. Your words have helped to sooth my unsettled and very sad emotions about my beloved cat, 'D's death, and I appreciate that you mentioned that sometimes there is not always a reason why it happens- (cancer). That made sense.

I must say that I have wondered out-loud recently if fast spreading cancer(s) can* be transferred to another cat, just as many other vicious diseases can be through the ingestion of an infected ones saliva, feces or blood..? I know many say adamantly that it simply can't happen, but who knows for sure? The fact that my sweet boy D slept with G for over 13 years, and both constantly licked and groomed each other, shared potty boxes, ate each others food and shared water bowls has made me wonder. 'G' died 3 weeks ago of another completely different cancer, a type of fasting spreading internal skin carcinoma, and literally right after after G was diagnosed in Dec 2017, immediately 'D' began acting very sick. It's honestly very strange and odd, IMO. But somethings we will under know, 'why'?!

 

[catlover73]

I have a friend that is currently treating one of her cats for cancer. She has many cats in her household. None of her other cats have come down with cancer of any kind. I am glad that I was able to provide you with support. Our fur kids are family. It hurts like hell when they pass away no matter what the reason. Sometimes no matter how much we want a reason for why things happen it simply is not possible to find one. There will always be what-ifs when one of our baby's pass away. This is a normal part of the grieving process. Years ago when one of my cat's Claude had a stroke when I was out of the house visiting a friend I really struggled with blaming myself. I kept thinking would If I had been home that day would I have noticed something was wrong before he had a stroke. It took me a while to stop blaming myself even though the vet told me that it is unlikely I would have noticed anything was wrong before he had a stroke even if I had been home. I lost Claude's brother Tegato to a stroke too a year later. My boys were 15 and 16 when I had to put them to sleep and had been part of my life since the day they were born. It is really hard but sometimes what-if's really have no answers. Getting caught up in the what-if's will not bring your babies back and no matter how impossible it may seem you really have to find a way to let go of them. Trapping yourself under a pile of what-if's does not and will never fix things. The only way to really move on with the grieving process is to work through the pain of the loss. If that means having days where you cry all day or yell at objects because you are just so angry about losing your babies it is a normal part of the grieving process. The process is different for each individual and so is the time frame. In time I hope you can remember the happy times with out all the tears and what-ifs. My losses were years ago but are still remembered but I have over time learned to remember the happy times we shared instead of the painful endings.