EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - The Vanderburgh Humane Society shared some sad news Tuesday night.

VHS officials say Ty, also known by many online as Thicken Nugget, unexpectedly passed away.

14 News reported on Ty when he started taking swimming classes in an effort to lose weight, and his story was even featured on national media outlet The Dodo.

[RELATED: Fat cat makes a splash and takes a swim in Evansville]

“To our staff and his adoptive family, he was simply “Ty”- a sweet, gentle giant with an affinity for shoes and a ride in his stroller. He made us smile every single day," said VHS officials on Facebook.

The humane society says they are heartbroken that Ty didn’t get the long life they worked so hard for him to have, but are extremely grateful for the time they got with him.

“We ar

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