Feline Meningioma

Feline meningioma, the most common type of brain tumor in cats, develops in the outer layer of the cat's brain. Middle-aged and older cats are most susceptible. Although classified as benign, meningiomas can be life-threatening if allowed to continue growing.

  1. Symptoms

    • The earliest symptoms of a meningioma in your cat may be subtle: reduced purring, listlessness or staring off into space. As the tumor grows larger, your cat may exhibit a "drunken gait," circling (walking in circles), weakness in one or more limbs, blindness or seizures.

    Diagnosis

    • A thorough physical exam and blood testing will not detect the meningioma, which is not technically a cancer. You'll need to consult a veterinary neurologist, who will order an MRI or CT scan to diagnose the tumor and determine if it is operable.

    Surgery

    • Surgical removal is usually the best option to restore neurological functioning, but the feasibility of such an operation depends on the location and spread of the tumor. While most menigiomas grow from the skull inward, are relatively close to the surface and are easily removed, a small percentage grow deeply into the brain, making surgery complicated and risky.

    Other Treatments

    • Radiation is a treatment option, but since surgery alone tends to be successful and cats don't tolerate radiation well, it is usually not recommended. Several chemotherapy drugs are under development, but none have shown impressive results so far. Corticosteroids, which reduces swelling in the brain, offers temporary symptom and pain relief.

    Prognosis

    • In many cases, surgical removal offers a positive outcome, adding one or more years of good-quality life.