07.29.2025

My essentials for Gemma’s 15th birthday (and her cancer treatment)

If you follow me on Instagram, then you know my cat Gemma recently turned 15! As happy as I am that my girl is celebrating another birthday, you may have also seen that Gemma was recently diagnosed with small cell lymphoma. It’s been…hard. To say the least. The oncologist is optimistic that we can get Gemma into remission (we caught it presumably early! And she’s still eating and doing well!), but obviously cancer treatment is a new beast that we’re both navigating. There’s clearly a ton of information out there – from the vet, to Google, to ChatGPT, to your friends, etc., but today I partnered with Chewy, because I wanted to share a few tips I’ve learned so far that might help you/someone you know if they’re dealing with a cat or dog undergoing cancer treatment.

Check Chewy for generic meds

My vet prescribed a steroid and Cerenia (to help with nausea) from their pharmacy and the prices were OUTRAGEOUS. Like $75 for a week’s worth of Cerenia? Um. No. I checked Chewy and they have a generic version for a fraction of the price. My regular vet approved the prescription and I saved a ton of money.

Use pet pillers

Gemma has always been really good about taking pills but, of course, now that she needs to take 2-4 pills a day, things have changed a bit. The vet techs at my regular vet (shoutout Let’s MoVet – love them) recommended these pet pillers and they have been a total game changer. I no longer get accidentally scratched and it also prevents Gemma from hiding the pill in the side of her mouth (to spit out later) – yes, she did that for a bit at the beginning! 

Keep them hydrated and on a healthy food plan

A healthy diet and adequate hydration is also key. My vet was happy with the food I’ve been feeding Gemma, and I’ve been making sure to also add in extra Purina Hydra Care Hydration Packs so that Gemma is fully hydrated.

Create a calming environment

One of the hardest parts of this has been the fact that Gemma is now super anxious around me, constantly thinking that I’m about to try to give her medicine. It’s been really hard on me (and, yes, of course also for her!) to see this personality change. Gemma is the most affectionate, loving cat I’ve ever had and right now I’m trying to just make my home a calm space for her. She especially loves being brushed (this brush is the best). 

Celebrate them

Treating your cat or dog while they have cancer is HARD. Like really, really hard. But I do think it’s important to also treat them “normal” and make sure to celebrate them as well. I got Gemma this cutie catnip birthday cupcake toy, as well as this birthday cat tracks toy and she loves them both <3

On a personal note, I have to say…I’m genuinely obsessed with Chewy (if that’s not already clear). There are so many reasons to love them, but it really comes down to a few key things: their competitive pricing, the convenience of features like auto-ship and fast 1–2 day delivery, their outstanding customer service, and most of all, their commitment to giving back. Through their Shelters and Rescues program, Chewy has donated over $183 million in products to pets in need, including more than 86 million pounds of food, which translates to over 130 million meals across 11,000 shelters nationwide. You really can’t ask for more from a company. It’s clear that Chewy loves animals just as much as we love ours.

SHOP

Thank you to Chewy for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own, as per usual.