Dear Friend and Sponsor,  It is with great sympathy that we relay this latest news about our tiny Sponsor kitty, Bean. When a loved one passes, it is often very difficult to make sense of it all. We are left to grieve in their absence, and sometimes we feel compelled to ponder if we could have prevented their untimely passing in any way or what we could have done better. Bean joined the Animal League’s Sponsor Program in 2008. Sweet little Bean was a tiny domestic shorthair cat who weighed only 1 3/4 lbs. She was 8 months old when she came to North Shore Animal League America with her littermate, Jelly. Jelly was a full-sized kitten and did not have any medical conditions, so she was able to be placed for adoption right away. Bean, on the other hand, needed special care. Bean’s growth had been stunted, though we were unsure as to exactly why. In addition to being teeny, Bean had elevated liver valves. She required regular monitoring and regular examinations to further research her condition. Bean was medicated and on a special diet to get her weight up, and to aid in liver function. Sadly, in her last weeks, Bean’s condition worsened. Bean was not acting like herself and started showing signs of neurological disorder. She was more wobbly than usual and began having problems navigating her food bowl. While her appetite was ravenous, Bean was not able to eat enough to maintain her weight. Her health declined rapidly. Bean passed away before her first birthday. Our heart goes out to her wonderful foster mother and to all of her caring sponsors. Though Bean’s days were few, they were full – full of love and full of life. Sincerely,

The Sponsor Team

Little Bean was brought to an Internal Medicine veterinarian where a Porto systemic shunt has been ruled out. Her recent blood tests, symptoms and failure to grow still point toward a shunt. Bean has been referred to a specialist at Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine who specializes in liver disease. At Cornell, they will be able to perform specific tests to diagnose exactly where the abnormal blood vessel in her liver may be. Once it is found, a surgeon will hopefully be able to ligate it (tie it off) and return the blood flow to her liver to a more normal pattern. This will be tricky since she is only 2 pounds. The goal is to keep her on medications to help prevent neurologic signs associated with liver shunts. She was started on a second prescription to help with this 3 times a day. Bean continues on a low protein diet to keep her liver functioning well.