Worked example: Biscuit's first year
A dog named Biscuit, adopted one year ago. Two lines are honest arithmetic: one treat a day is
x365, weekly zoomies at 3am is x52. One line is a real number you
can count on one hand — SHOES DESTROYED: 3 — and typing it as the bare number
3 makes it the entire numeric total:
GOOD BOY RECEIPT ISSUED TO: BISCUIT -------------------------------- TREATS EARNED x365 3AM ZOOMIES x52 SHOES DESTROYED 3 VET BILLS do not ask UNCONDITIONAL LOVE priceless -------------------------------- TOTAL 3 + x365 + x52 + do not ask + priceless
A total of 3 + x365 + x52 + do not ask + priceless is Biscuit's first year, audited —
39 characters, so it wraps under TOTAL with priceless landing on its own last line.
Because the stripe pattern is generated from the recipient name, Biscuit's card bottom is
deterministically Biscuit's — regenerate the card next year and the stripes match.
Dog lines vs cat lines
| Category | Dog receipt line | Cat receipt line |
|---|---|---|
| Daily service | TREATS EARNED — x365 | BREAKFASTS DEMANDED AT 5AM — x365 |
| Property damage | SHOES DESTROYED — 3 | GLASSES PUSHED OFF TABLES — x28 |
| Night activity | 3AM ZOOMIES — x52 | 3AM PARKOUR — x104 |
| Affection | FACE LICKS — x1,000 | LAP TIME (THEIR TERMS) — x89 |
| The bill nobody reads | VET BILLS — do not ask | VET BILLS — do not ask |
| The last line | UNCONDITIONAL LOVE — priceless | CONDITIONAL LOVE — priceless |
Title ideas beyond GOOD BOY RECEIPT: GOOD GIRL RECEIPT, CAT TAX INVOICE (it
is not an invoice, but the cat does not care), GOTCHA DAY RECEIPT, or the pet's name
straight up — BISCUIT: YEAR ONE.
Related receipts
The human who co-parents the pet with you probably deserves a friendship receipt — or a love receipt if it is that kind of co-parenting. The receipt card maker home page has all six presets, including graduation and Mother's Day.