Coal the Parliament Hill cat has cancer. His human is fighting for the legend’s life

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The prognosis for Coal, the last surviving former resident of the now-shuttered Parliament Hill cat sanctuary, is not good.

The 16-year-old feline had salivary gland cancer, which went on to metastasize in his lungs. But Coal’s human, Danny Taurozzi, is willing to travel anywhere in Canada or the U.S. if the trip means that Coal can receive advanced treatment that will meaningfully extend his life.

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“If things go well and the cancer is slowed down, he could have a couple of years,” says Taurozzi, who lives in Ottawa’s east end.

So far, Coal’s caregivers have inquired at Taurozzi’s request with veterinary schools at Cornell University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison about possible treatment options for Coal, according to emails that Taurozzi shared with Postmedia.

The response from a veterinary oncologist at Cornell read: “We do not have any clinical trials for cats with salivary adenocarcinoma. It sounded like from the message that the kitty was receiving Palladia (an anti-cancer medication for animals) and experiencing some improvement. We are glad to hear that! We don’t have any other anti-cancer therapies that we would recommend instituting at this time.”

A cat person of epic proportions, Taurozzi volunteered at the Hill sanctuary before he took in Coal after the sanctuary closed in 2013. Taurozzi has had a cat at home for more than two decades and has said of his preferred pets: “There’s something mysterious about them and they’re quite affectionate. If you’re not feeling well, they will be right beside you.”

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Of the thousands of dollars he spent in recent months to treat Coal’s cancer and manage his health, Taurozzi says: “That’s fine. We make choices. He’s my little buddy.”

Many kind donors have helped support Taurozzi’s efforts to care for Coal, who last spring underwent cancer surgery to remove a malignant tumour behind his left ear. Taurozzi started a GoFundMe campaign in the middle of last year, which raised funds that supplemented his pet insurance.

The campaign, which has a target of almost $20,000, has raised almost $13,000, including a $1,100 donation just last week. Taurozzi says he shares medical documentation with any potential donor who wants to be assured that the campaign isn’t a scam.

Money has been spent on everything from medicine to physical rehabilitation to ongoing monitoring to food supplements to acupuncture, says Taurozzi. Thanks to Coal’s extensive health-care team at several hospitals, the cancer is reducing slightly, says Taurozzi.

“He has a very good quality of life,” Taurozzi adds. “He’s not in any pain, not in any discomfort. He likes to go walk in hallways, he jumps, he likes to play. He doesn’t know that he has something at all. I know, but he doesn’t.”

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Taurozzi says he’s been asked why he doesn’t just let Coal pass away peacefully.

The GoFundMe page says: “only if a grievous and irremediable medical condition substantially diminishes Coal’s quality of life beyond the point that management therapies can help will veterinary assistance in dying (humane euthanasia) become an option.”

“We’re very far from there,” says Taurozzi.

The storied Parliament Hill cat sanctuary that Coal used to call home had its roots in the acquisition of cats in 1924 or earlier to deal with rats and mice in the basement of the Centre Block. Over the years, the sanctuary saw countless cats kept and fed in small houses that architecturally complemented the Parliament Buildings, just a few dozen metres west of the Centre Block. The cat colony attracted thousands of visitors each year, from tourists to media to MPs and Hill staff.

After leaving the sanctuary, Coal’s profile grew.

In the 2015 federal election campaign, posters urging voters to cast their ballots for Coal appeared in Centretown (although he was not on the ballot). In recent years, Coal was a certified therapy cat who visited such places as Perley Health and the Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre.

The black cat also has a Facebook page, advocating for animal rights issues and other social causes, which has 5,600 followers.

One commenter wrote last week: “Love you Coal. Happy New Years! I’m fighting two cancers. You got this.”

phum@postmedia.com

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