A kitten was so thankful when a woman came to his aid. He scooted around the house and purred nonstop.
Caroline Grace, the founder of Baby Kitten Rescue (in Los Angeles), received a plea from a partner shelter about a 5-week-old kitten who had hind limb paralysis.
The kitten, Archie, was in desperate need of specialized care and lots of TLC. “We did not hesitate to respond to the plea and agreed to take on the kitten,” Caroline told us.
“When I first got Archie home with me, he was tiny and terrified. Underneath all of his fluffy fur, he was skin and bones, dehydrated, covered in fleas, and had plants and dirts matted into his fur.”
Caroline began supportive care for the kitten, and was able to remove all the pesky fleas, get him cleaned up and hydrated.
“Archie was very scared at first and hid under all his blankets. He cried for the first hour, and then started to realize he was safe. Within a few hours he was purring up a storm and loving pets and snuggles.”
The kitten finally relaxed and took a long nap in a comfy bed with a full belly. He was so grateful to be cared for and quickly filled the room with his rumbling purrs.
As Archie came out of his shell and started to play, Caroline noticed that he had some movement in his back legs. “I also noticed he was able to use the litter box independently, which I didn’t expect from a paralyzed kitty,” Caroline shared with us.
She took Archie to the vet the next day, and everyone was smitten with him. The kitten kept his purr motor on through the entire appointment. “He was such a bright light and loving soul, I started calling him Mr. Sunshine.”
“The x-rays showed that Archie has a congenital malformation of the spine, meaning he was born with a misshapen spine. It causes the weakness and lack of mobility in his back legs,” Caroline told us.
“Archie is perfect just the way he is, but I wanted to get multiple professional opinions to do everything we could for him to have every possible chance at his easiest, happiest life.”
Archie began to receive daily physical therapy and exercises at home, and weekly acupuncture sessions at a specialist.
“Through all the appointments, all the therapies, all the meds, Archie remained the sweetest, most loving little purr machine. He was always purring and basking in sun rays. He has such a feisty and sweet personality, and brings so much joy to everyone who interacts with him.”
When he played, he let nothing hold him back as he scooted around the room and chased after toys like there was no tomorrow.
Archie radiates light and joy like no other. Despite everything he has been through, he continues to purr and live everyday to the fullest. “He has no idea anything is different with him.”
Pat, a speech language pathologist, came across Archie on Instagram one day and fell head over heels for the little man. “She has a heart for special needs and she fell in love with Archie,” Caroline told us.
“I was very upfront and honest about everything the vets had told us about Archie and his treatment plan, and Pat was totally on board and said she loved him the way he was no matter what and wanted to continue his therapies to help him in anyway that she could.”
Pat turned out to be the perfect match for Archie and ended up adopting him. Now, the kitten is scooting around a place of his own, playing with his new furry siblings and climbing everything he can lay his paws on.
“I was so happy and overjoyed for Archie to find such an incredible adopter who already loved him unconditionally and would just give him the absolute best life.”
