A volunteer at Stray Rescue of St. Louis, a shelter in Missouri, was walking a dog from the rescue when something caught their eye, making their stomach drop. A sealed cardboard box had been left close to the building.
Terrified that something living might be trapped inside, the volunteer hurried over to investigate. On top of the box, they noticed a handwritten note.
After reading it, their heart broke. Without hesitation, they rushed to open the box, knowing that every second mattered.
Racing Against Time
The note revealed that two stray animals had been placed inside. The volunteer could only hope they weren’t too late.
“Found [two] strays. They are about 4-5 months old. Sorry for just dropping them off, but I can’t keep them due to my apartment not allowing pets,” the note, shared on the shelter’s Facebook, read.
Because the box was sealed tightly, panic set in.
“The box was taped up so tightly that we rushed them inside and opened it as quickly as we could, worried that whoever was inside would have suffocated,” Natalie Thomson, the shelter’s chief communications officer, told The Dodo.
When the tape was finally cut away, two cats leapt out. To everyone’s relief, they appeared healthy and eager to be free.
Finally breathing fresh air, the cats curiously looked at their rescuers. Despite the ordeal, they were calm, sweet, and affectionate from the start.
The vet team examined them and estimated their age to be about seven months old. In good health, they were given playful new names: Amazon and Prime, a nod to the cardboard box they had arrived in.
Searching For A Forever Home
Although the shelter staff wished they had never endured such fear, they were grateful the pair had been found in time.
Determined to give them a brighter future, the Missouri shelter began the search for a foster family. Before long, one stepped forward, ready to welcome them.
For Amazon and Prime, stepping into a home for the first time was an adventure in itself. They quickly embraced the warmth of family life and began adjusting to the joys of being indoor cats.
Now safe and adored, the pair are waiting for the next chapter, one filled with the promise of forever humans who will give them the love and security they deserve.