Hey, what the vet might not have told you is the 1 year survival rates for cats with lump removal are abysmally low, like less than 50%. I just went through this with my 10 year old cat a year ago. 10 is old, but not ancient, and I had hoped by getting the surgery for her I could give her another 5-10 years. That didn't prove to be the case at all. Within 8 months of the original surgery another lump appeared elsewhere on her body, and I was looking at another $2000 procedure. I had already exhausted my emergency fund that same year on her previous surgery, and the recovery was such a pain for her both the discomfort and how long she had to wear the cone that I didn't want to put her through it again just to flip a coin a second time. I made the decision to let her live out her remaining time without the trauma of another surgery and recovery, and just to say goodbye when she became noticeably unwell. It took about 6 more months after finding the lump, but eventually the cancer moved to something internal and I had to put her down. That was 1 year ago now and I still miss her a lot, but I wish the vet had told me about the likelihood of the cancer returning in such a short timeframe before I spent so much money. It was all I had, and I ended up having to put her down within basically a year anyway (which of course cost another several hundred dollars). If you're having trouble imagining being able to afford this surgery now, just keep in mind it most likely won't be the only one, and at the end of it all you might still have a $300 euthanasia bill. I won't tell you what the right decision for you and your pet is, but at least make it knowing the full picture and not get taken advantage of by a profit seeking vet.