Thimble Thursday with Another Update on Trapper

Hello, friends! I again want to thank you all so, so much for the purrs and prayers for my parents' kitty Trapper. As I've mentioned before, he's my girl Thimble's littermate. He's 12 years old and was diagnosed with cancer last week.

That there was Trapper a few years ago, even before he was diagnosed with diabetes back in 2023. This tough boy has been through a lot over the past few years.

Trapper had his oncology appointment yesterday, and it's pretty much certain now that he has pancreatic carcinoma. This is a very rare and also very aggressive cancer, and because of both of those things, the oncologist indicated that there is really no known treatment that would truly extend Trapper's life. The only potential option might give him an extra couple of weeks at most, in the rare event it worked at all, but it would very likely complicate his diabetes, lead to pancreatitis, and take away his current continued willingness to eat, among other side effects.

That said, my parents have chosen to make Trapper as comfortable as possible with palliative care. I would have made the same choice in their shoes. For now, though Trapper continues to lose weight and muscle, he is still interested in food, water, and some of his other usual things. I've been helping my parents give him fluids every day at their house to combat his dehydration, and they also have on hand pain meds and other treatments for various symptoms until Trapper lets them know he's ready.

I know I don't have to tell any of you fellow animal lovers how difficult and heartbreaking this is. The truth is that Trapper does not have much time, but he has already surpassed the median survival time of this cancer. Said median survival time is 7 days, which is just downright awful and makes me hate cancer even more than I already do. That said, the oncologist commented how good he currently looks, given his diagnosis and prognosis. I think her exact words were, "He ticks all the marks for having pancreatic carcinoma, except for how good he's doing."

For a bit of levity to the situation, Trapper has always been a very personable cat who doesn't mind getting in a carrier and going to the vet. After a bit of time at the oncology department yesterday, Trapper turned to his old habit of coming out of his carrier and prancing around. The vet and her student (our local veterinary oncology department is at a teaching hospital) were getting a real kick out of him, not to mention they couldn't believe how good he looked as he paraded around the room, all things considered. They also took him over to their dermatology department, as he does have paraneoplastic dermatitis as a result of his cancer, and they wanted the dermatologist's input on what would best alleviate those symptoms. When the oncologist and the student returned with Trapper, they informed us that he not only had at least 15 people oohing and awwing over him, but that he taught a lot of students about paraneoplastic dermatitis while winning all of their hearts. That's sweet and handsome Trapper for you.

So, for now, Trapper is still with us, and my parents and myself will of course be giving him so, so, so much love.

As I mentioned above, Trapper is my girl Thimble's littermate. Though photos don't always do this fact justice, they've always looked quite a bit alike. So, here's my little Thimble, that being Trapper's twin. I tried to pick a photo with same sort of look as Trapper's above, but photos just never do justice to how twin-like these two really look.

I'm again sorry for all the rambling above. I'm not much of a talker in person, but I do get a lot of comfort from typing out all of my thoughts.

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Now, of course, we have the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. _________ is the strangest thing I ever researched online.

2. My wi-fi network is named _________.

3. _________ is both a blessing and a curse.

4. I _________ when life gets tough.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Spooky Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Today's Halloween tip relates to Halloween parties or other festivities of that nature. There are a number of potential dangers that such gatherings can pose. First, parties mean that guests are arriving, which means the door will be a busy place. When guests are arriving, keep your kitty or pup away from the door, such as by secluding them to a safe area away from the door, so that there is no chance of them escaping the house. Sometimes it might also be best to keep your furbaby secluded to a safe area during Halloween or other similar parties, for their continued safety. There will be extra foot traffic in the house when there are guests, which could potentially lead to your furbaby getting stepped on or otherwise injured.

In addition, there could be toxic foods present at a Halloween party, such as alcohol or chocolate. If your furbaby steals a taste of such foods, or if unwitting guests feed your kitty or pup treats of chocolate or other foods, there could be dangerous side effects. There is a variety of dangers to your cat or dog that can be present at festivities. Therefore, always do what you must to ensure your furbaby's safety during Halloween or other parties. Even if your kitty or pup is friendly and enjoys the company of others, there are still many dangers for a kitty or pup when gatherings are hosted at their home. If there is any doubt for their safety, or simply to prevent any accidental dangers, keep your kitty or pup confined to a safe area of the home during festive gatherings.