Gigi lost her battle with IMHA

Early this morning, we rushed Gigi to the emergency vet, where bloodwork showed that IMHA had eaten away at her red blood cells, depriving her vital organs of oxygen and causing a sudden deterioration. Despite the severity of her condition, Gigi fought until the very end—even the vet was amazed that she was still standing given how critical she was. With broken hearts, we helped our sweet girl cross the Rainbow Bridge, surrounded and wrapped in nothing but love.

Losing her is devastating—especially at Christmas time—while caring for two new rescues and so many other sick cats due to a cat flu outbreak in Catroom 1. But this is the promise we make as rescuers: to love them, fight for them, and stay with them until the very end, no matter what.

Nothing is more painful than returning to the sanctuary with an empty carrier. Tonight, Catroom 2 feels so empty without her. Gigi was one of our originals—she was always there from the very beginning—and we simply cannot imagine our small cat sanctuary without her.

Our hearts are also heavy with worry for Angel, who has been Gigi’s best friend for the past 12 years. He has never known life without her, and we fear her absence may take a toll on his already fragile health.