Hello, Amber sponsors. It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I write this update. On Sunday, December 4th, Amber passed away. I know that you share my pain and sadness at our loss.

As you know, Amber suffered from both heart and kidney disease, two very serious ailments. During Afternoon Rounds on Sunday, our vet tech noticed that Amber was not at all herself. She seemed extremely lethargic & did not show any interest in wet food.

Steph, the vet tech, did bloodwork on her right away, and her kidney values were very, very high. This indicated that her kidneys had started deteriorating rapidly. In conjunction with her heart disease, this was a very serious development, since it is
extremely difficult to balance heart disease and kidney failure.

Steph rushed Amber to the emergency vet, just to be certain that we were not missing something treatable. The vet concurred that she was in kidney failure, and said that Amber would soon begin suffering very badly. We decided that the kindest thing we could do was to let her go gently. Steph was with her the whole time.

To say that Amber was a special cat really doesn’t do her justice. She challenged everyone at Tabby’s Place, and didn’t put up with anything or anyone that she didn’t want to! Her spunk and attitude made her unforgettable. I admire her for those things.

If you ask anyone who works at Tabby’s Place, they will have a story about Amber. As cat lovers, we all wanted to bring out the best in her, and we tried. I’ll never forget when Amber was in heat, and how friendly and lovable she was! It made me so happy to see that she had that in her. When I heard that Amber kissed Nancy’s nose, and enjoyed gentle rubbings from one of the staff members, that also gave me great joy. Just to know that she wasn’t just the mean cat that she came across as was such a wonderful feeling. There was much more to her than what first met the eye.

Personally, Amber provoked me in a way that I’ve never been provoked before by a cat. I wanted so badly to build a strong relationship with her, one in which I could pet her and rub her without being intimidated by her. When I would go visit her, I would always remark at how beautiful and serene she was. She seemed almost regal. She had that special air about her.

Amber had been at Tabby’s Place since the very beginning. She grew with Tabby’s Place, and came a long way from the mean spirited cat that wouldn’t let anyone touch her when she was first brought in. It was the love and kindness given to Amber by the staff members that really made a difference in her life. Amber was a beautiful, remarkable cat, that was loved by all at Tabby’s Place. I know you will miss her as much as we will.

As per our policy, we have transferred your monthly sponsorship to our Special Needs Fund, which helps support all of our Special Needs cats. As a supporter of the Special Needs Fund, you will receive a monthly update on a different Special Needs cat each month.

However, you may choose to do one of the following:

• Transfer your sponsorship to support another Special Needs cat. You can see all of our Special Needs cats here.
  If you wish to do this, please contact us by email and let us know your wishes.
• You may choose to discontinue your monthly sponsorships. To do so, please contact us by phone with your request.

We do hope that you decide to continue supporting our cats in need. But, whatever you do, thank you for caring about Amber.