Happy Friday, Charles fans.

This is another special update on our orange sweetheart.

We started Charles on a steroid. After a difficult start to the week, he has responded modestly well. His weight has increased after dropping, he’s eating OK, and he’s fairly perky. His fever is intermittent rather than constant.

Now, such a response to steroids is consistent with lymphoma, and we are increasingly convinced that Charles is dealing with lymphoma in addition to FIP and FeLV. His prognosis is, frankly, poor, but we are all hoping for the best.

It is of the utmost importance that we minimize stress during FIP treatment. We will not be pursuing the lymphoma aggressively, because we want to keep Charles as comfortable as possible for as long as possible.

We are regarding every good day Charles has as a gift, and we are delighted that he continues to enjoy his food and attention from our staff and volunteers. He was happy to have a stroller ride last Sunday, and it’s wonderful to see occasional mischievous behavior from him, such as his slipping through his suite door into the Quinn’s Corner lobby.

Please keep Charles in your thoughts, and we’ll update again when there’s more news.