Meet Archie, a tiny tabby kitten that arrived at Mid Hudson Animal Aid, a no-kill shelter located in Beacon, New York, 13 years ago.
Archie grew up at the shelter, and he befriended other cats, socialised litters of kittens and watched his feline friends leave again and again as they found their forever homes.
He was a staple at the rescue, and shelter worker Jennifer Blakeslee had no idea that Archie had spent his entire life at the shelter.
Blakeslee had recently adopted one of Archie’s closest furry mates, a deaf, toothless, half-blind Siamese named Eddie, and Eddie’s departure left Archie very lonely and depressed.
Determined to find Archie a home of his own, Blakeslee helped Eddie write a letter to Santa Clause. The photo of Archie and Eddie cuddling at the shelter was shared on Instagram, and seen by people across the nation, including Chicago resident Jennifer Baird.
Baird has rescued numerous cats and was going to be Archie’s 14th rescue. Despite the fact that he was feral, Baird wasn’t phased. It took several weeks for the shelter to coordinate travel, but soon a plan was put in place.
Archie would take a road trip to Chicago, as this would be much better for the skittish senior cat. A couple of people volunteered to make the drive, and Archie passed his pre-transport vet check with no problem.
With the money raised through a YouCaring campaign and shared on Instagram with the hashtag#OperationBringArchieHome, Archie left New York and slept for most of the two-day drive to his new forever home.
Archie has been home for a few days now, and Baird says he’s making great progress in adjusting to her and her other rescue cats.
