What "present" did an owner give their beloved cat on its last birthday after it was diagnosed with a terminal illness?

For pet owners, their beloved cat’s birthday or “Gotcha Day” is a special occasion. Many cat owners have likely experienced birthdays filled with unforgettable memories.

For me, the most unforgettable was my beloved cat Jiji’s last birthday. I will never forget that day when we celebrated after he successfully overcame surgery to remove a malignant tumor.

A birthday celebrated after overcoming angiosarcoma, a rare disease in cats

My beloved cat Jiji was born on February 13th, the day before Valentine's Day.

I'm often forgetful about my own or my family's birthdays, and I sometimes forget my cat's birthday or "Gotcha Day." It's not uncommon for me to apologize later with "…Sorry! It was your birthday!" and then spoil them with toys, scratching posts, and treats.

Even I, with my forgetful nature, strongly felt "This time, I want to celebrate with all my might!" for Jiji's 11th birthday. About a month and a half before his birthday, Jiji was diagnosed with angiosarcoma, a malignant tumor rare in cats, and underwent surgical removal.

Angiosarcoma is a disease where cells that form blood vessels become cancerous and proliferate. It is a nasty cancer that progresses quickly and has a high probability of metastasis.

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In Jiji's case, the angiosarcoma was located around his intestines. Although the tumor was surgically removed, blood had leaked from the tumor before the operation, so the vet told me that "there's a possibility that cancer cells have spread throughout his body via the bloodstream."

Also, I was told that "metastasis often occurs in about 2 to 3 months." While I was deeply shocked, I was truly happy that Jiji came home.

If our time together wasn't going to be long, I decided to make every day one where Jiji felt "glad to have been born." With that in mind, I started living an even more Jiji-first life.

Struggling with how to celebrate his "final birthday"...

Amidst all this, Jiji's birthday approached. After the surgery, I kept telling myself, "We can surely make a miracle happen," while monitoring his progress, but honestly, I was worried, "Will we be able to celebrate his birthday together next year...?"

Perhaps this year would be Jiji’s last birthday. If so, I wanted to make it a birthday where he’d think, “Today is the best!” With that in mind, I began to consider how to celebrate in a way that would truly make Jiji happy.

However, the more I wanted to do something special, the more I became unsure of what to do. Even when I searched online for "cat birthday gift," the products that came up made me think, "This is just for the owner's self-satisfaction."

Jiji wasn't very interested in toys, so I hesitated to buy new cat toys, feeling it was highly likely they'd end up as gifts for his housemates. The more I wanted to celebrate what might be his last birthday to the fullest, the more difficult gift selection became.

You don't need special gifts for the "best birthday"

At that moment, a question popped into my head: "What does Jiji truly enjoy...?" Thinking back on our daily life, Jiji was always excited when he was about to get treats.

Perhaps if it was something Jiji liked, it didn't have to be special. Once I allowed myself that thought, the gift decision came surprisingly easily. 

That year, I gave him a tower of his favorite cat treats, "Churu," and an LED light toy, the only toy he had never tired of since he was a kitten. Seeing Jiji's happy face, I realized the preciousness of the years we had spent together, thinking, "Perhaps only an owner who has spent a long time with them can truly know what makes their cat happy..."

On this day, besides giving him presents, I spent the entire day prioritizing Jiji even more than usual. I believed that not only "giving him his undeniable favorite treats" but also "affectionate petting that makes him purr with delight" were gifts only an owner could provide.

Jiji would drool with joy just from a touch of his fluffy fur, or rub his head against me with all his might. His happy expression at that time is still etched in my memory.

"Thank you for coming home again. I'm happy to hold you again. I love you from the bottom of my heart." Jiji looked directly at me as I spoke. His eyes seemed to see through my unspoken feelings of "I don't want you to die" and "Please stay with me forever," which I had resolved not to express on his birthday.

HAPPY Birthday🍰
11歳の誕生日おめでとう、ジジ。
今年は、どこかひとつでも治療のタイミングやが合わなかったら、今日を迎えられなかった可能性が高かったので、この日を迎えられて、余計に嬉しい。

10年以上も家族でいてくれて、ありがとう。これからも、あなたらしいニャン生を。 pic.twitter.com/rgVRZkKx6e

— ゆあ ｜ ライター🖊 (@yunc24291) February 13, 2025

I didn't want him to try too hard because he knew my true feelings. So, even though I smiled and said, "Let's celebrate your birthday together again next year," I'm sure Jiji saw right through my clumsy act. That's why he clung to life until the very end and stayed by my side, I believe.

This past February, we couldn't celebrate his 12th birthday together. But Jiji's last birthday was, I believe, the day I thought most deeply about "what truly makes my beloved cat happy."

Jiji, who passed away to heaven at the eternal age of 11. If you ever change your clothes and come back to me, then I'll celebrate your birthday to the fullest.

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