Change A Pet's Life
Have you ever caught your beloved pet happily playing with some silly, inanimate object, batting it around with their paws or biting at if survival depends on it? Do you know the feeling of undeniable joy seeing them asleep in their favorite spot in the house beginning with a flutter in your chest before your countenance can’t contain itself and unabashedly melts into a smile?
At Archimedes Printing Shoppe, we live for the sublime experiences that come from deep, meaningful connections and our pets have made clear that the most cherished moments need not contain words. The souls of our pets shine through in their eyes, the wags of their tails, and the goofy antics which are easy to love.
We know we’re not alone and millions of you share our sentiments, but how many of you take the time to humbly recognize the journey you’ve led your pet along while they innocently secured their status as undeniably irreplaceable members of the family?
Today, we proudly celebrate National Change a Pet’s Life Day and our very own Kaity Lacy tells the story of her toughest critter, Rucket.
“Can you believe we got the wrong cat? I remember sarcastically exclaiming to my boyfriend as we brought the newbie upstairs to our bathroom. Equipped with a litterbox, enough space to comfortably contain a crate, and a tile floor which is the preferred type to clean considering the types of mess animals can leave on carpet or hardwood, it’s become our foster room.
As we opened the cardboard carrier attempting to funnel him straight into the crate, he didn’t make a sound and wouldn’t move at all. We were hesitant to open the box housing him, knowing he could run away or worse, attack us out of fear. We’d seen his pictures and the thought of a jet-black stranger lunging at us talons-first, helped us remain cautious.
He’d been found, along with his 30-some other siblings in the home of a Philadelphia man who had passed away and they were all brought to ACCT. Something tugged on my heart strings, thinking about all of those cats in the same house, fighting for food, water, and likely just the space to exist peacefully and sleep.
Eventually, we left his carrier and crate open, closing the bathroom door and figuring we would wake up to trouble in the morning. One of us made the weary trek to the bathroom during one of those unspeakable hours in-between going to sleep and the alarm clock jolting our consciousness to attention. He surprised us, waiting in the bathroom sink, watching closely before retreating to a storage shelf nearby.
He didn’t move much for weeks, mainly lying still on his shelf with his entire body compressed as much as possible, ready to strike or hoping to go unnoticed entirely and we couldn’t tell which. We could put food in front of him and eventually watch him eat ravenously as he kept an eye on us. He would sporadically and cautiously accept our pleas at friendship – letting us pet him carefully on his head only, enforcing his boundaries with a frightening hiss revealing sharp teeth.
It’s hard to say how long it took for change to begin. We would talk to him, quickly slide treats in front of his nose, and eventually put his food on the floor that he would jump down to eat before hiding under the bathroom cabinet or retreating to his shelf.
One day, a great idea – see if he’ll play with a toy! He took to it, chasing a feather on a string and after a day or two, we could pet him while his tail wagged, awaiting his new infatuation. Within another week, we could pet him and the first time he flopped on his stomach and purred, we almost cried. He loved the first brave four-legged soul who came to meet him, yelling at our cat Mango with a high-pitched mew which made us gush with emotion, involuntarily.
He’s now a bona fide member of our little furry family and is the best of friends with every single animal we share our home with. He’s been our foster ambassador, welcoming newbies lovingly, just hoping to make a new friend and play a game.”
Stories like Rucket’s happen every day across the country and around the world. Thanks to the tireless work of animal shelters, rescues, and the individual fosters and volunteers, animals’ lives are transformed and some are lucky enough to find forever homes and be family members holding pieces of our hearts forever. We’re grateful to acknowledge each and every one of you.
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