Keeping the Stars Bright
Meet the Bestest Boy!
Buster has always been our bestest boy, and if you’ve met him, you know he holds that honor through a thousand tiny moments: his loud purrs and gentle headbutts, the way he puts his humans to bed every night like clockwork, and his legendary talent for finding the smallest sliver of sunlight to curl up in and take a nap. He also follows all his humans’ rules like no scratching the couch, stay off the kitchen table, and plays nicely with his siblings!
The Not-So-Bestest News:
Recently, our world got a little darker when Buster was diagnosed with an aggressive, fast-growing cancer. After having an unusual growth removed from his back leg, the pathology report confirmed our greatest fear. Then, just two weeks later, a new growth appeared twice the size of the first. Thankfully, additional diagnostic testing shows the cancer has not spread outside of his leg!! Even with the devastating news, Buster has recovered from the initial removal quite well and has shown his resilience returning to many of his usual behaviors!! It’s a path we never expected to walk, and we’re committed to making sure Buster’s days remain as bright and comfortable as possible. We hope you’ll join us in saving this bestest boy!
Prognosis and Treatment:
Buster’s pathology and IHC results confirm that the growth on his leg was a melanocytic tumor. This is rare in cats, and there is limited research related to prognosis and treatment. As we have continued to consult his specialists and available research, a clear path forward has finally emerged.
A Shift in the Stars: Buster’s cancer has proven to be aggressive and fast growing, so we’ve felt pressure to make a decision fast while his launch window is clear, so to speak. After multiple days of consultations, research, and most importantly, watching Buster’s light shine bright but the growth on his leg return and grow, the stars are finally aligned, and we’ve been able to make a decision. To give Buster his best chance and the highest quality of life with whatever time is left, we are going to move forward with the plan to amputate his leg. You can read more details on our latest blog and see the cost estimate for the surgery here.
The Long-Term Vision: Following his surgery, we are looking toward the future of feline medicine: immunotherapy. This advance treatment would help Buster’s own immune system guard against the cancer returning. While the initial round is a significant investment, it represents our commitment to Buster’s long-term health. You can read more details on our latest blog and see the cost estimate for these treatments here.
We started thebestestboy.com to share Buster’s journey and gather a constellation of supporters to help us through. Veterinary oncology can work wonders giving cats like Buster years of high-quality life. That comfort comes with a cost as the road to recovery can be quite expensive. From the initial appointment to check out a small, pea sized lump that appeared on his leg, through surgery, and now advanced diagnostic testing, we’re already pushing the limits of what we can do for him financially with costs around $3000 and climbing. Our goal is to raise enough to cover those costs and ensure Buster has access to every treatment that can extend his time under the sun and stars, and we ask you to join us in giving our bestest boy his bestest chance.
Our Bestest Boy’s Bestest Hope:
We’ll be posting regular updates, vet notes, and bestest of all, cute (mostly) photos of his recovery journey here as well as on his social media. Thank you for loving his as much as we do!!
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How You Can Light the Way
By joining Buster’s journey, you aren’t just a donor — you’re a star in his sky, and every donation here goes directly to his medical fund and specialized daily care. Whether it’s providing a twinkling of $10 for a week of high-quality food, a shooting star of $30 for a month of steroid treatment, or a guiding “North Star” of $100 toward his upcoming treatment(s), your kindness helps us keep the darkness at bay! Thank you for being a part of Buster’s light, and ours!!