By Uchenna C. Okeke
In the quiet homes where fosters become family, there is a special kind of beauty reserved for senior cats, especially the ones who have been waiting a little longer for someone to notice just how wonderful they are. Senior pets don’t arrive as blank slates. They arrive with stories, opinions, quirks and fully formed personalities and when they come as a pair, they bring twice the character and twice the companionship.
TWO SENIOR CATS WITH BIG PERSONALITIES
When Socks and Zoya first arrived, they had a simple strategy for dealing with their foster home: hide and reassess. Socks chose a blanket. Zoya chose under the bed. They weren’t being difficult. They were 11-year-old bonded siblings who had spent their entire lives together before suddenly finding themselves somewhere unfamiliar.
Foster mom, Emily, had recently lost her beloved cat, Rory, and wanted to adopt another adult cat. Fostering-to-adopt a bonded pair seemed like the perfect fit: two cats who already had each other for company while she was at work. Socks and Zoya, however, were not quite ready to warm up to their new situation. And this is where fostering made all the difference. Fostering gave them something they needed: time. Time to feel safe. Time to settle in. Time to trust. And, eventually, time to show who they really were.
The breakthrough wasn’t dramatic. It happened just one night when both cats climbed into bed with Emily.
“They decided I was home.”
And what emerged was really special.
“They’re both some of the sweetest natured cats I’ve ever been around,” Emily says.
SETTLING INTO THEIR FOREVER HOME
Both cats are remarkably well-behaved and tolerant. Socks is so brave now. He lets people pet him, loves playing with his fishing pole toy and cuddling up on the bed. Zoya, meanwhile, has clearly decided that a human lap is an excellent television-viewing platform. She sits facing the screen, with the focus of someone who has very strong opinions about what’s on. Socks has his own entertainment strategy: spinning in circles for treats.
Socks and Zoya don’t jump on counters or knock things off bookcases. At 11, they have little interest in redecorating. Their personalities are already developed, so there are fewer surprises. As Emily puts it, “Senior cats are usually calmer and typically well-behaved.”
Both cats are also wonderfully vocal, but they clearly did not attend the same meowing school. Zoya has a soft, high little voice. Socks has a much rougher sound. Together, they make so many sounds that Emily describes as the “cat equivalent of a husky.”
And they appear to have the most emotionally mature relationship imaginable. They rarely share the same room. The only scheduled exceptions are brushing time and bedtime. Once in a great while, one will reach out and very delicately and discreetly lick the other one. No drama. Very senior.
There is another comfort in having two. When Emily is away, she doesn’t worry quite as much about them being lonely and when she’s home, there is usually one willing to claim a spot beside her. When bedtime arrives, one will often settle on one side of her while the other takes the opposite side. For Emily, getting to know them has brought a different kind of reward:
“I feel like they truly know and appreciate that I’ve given them a home.”
Emily discovered that fostering is a two-way rescue. Socks and Zoya needed a safe place to land. In return, they have brought companionship, laughter and the simple comfort of coming home to two cats running to the door.
Sometimes, all it takes is an open door, a little patience, and a willing heart to give a pet the chance to become family. Foster-to-adopt is a great way to determine if a furbaby is right for you and your household. Cats and dogs are waiting for you. Visit our website to start your foster and/or adoption journey today!
September 16 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Join us for Yappy Hour at Spanky’s Shenanigans!
📍 Outside in the back patio area, HSLC will have a table set up to:
✔️ Answer questions about our life-saving work
✔️ Fundraise to cover timely vet care
✔️ Raise awareness for the doggies who need us
🍴 Come hungry—Spanky’s is generously donating 10% of all food sales to HSLC!
Related Events
August 22 @ 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
August is the best month to adopt. Why? Because, through our Clear the Shelters promotion, we are waiving adoption fees on ALL adult animals through August 31. Kittens are BOGO. Come meet our adoptable animals at the PetSmart in Leesburg from noon to 2pm on Saturday, August 22. Please visit the Humane Society of Loudoun County website to learn more about all available cats and dogs!
If a particular furbaby (or two) catches your eye, complete a no-obligation application today to expedite the application process.
Related Events
By Uchenna C. Okeke
Every foster journey begins with a simple act of saying “yes” and sometimes that yes lasts a few weeks. Other times, it changes a life forever.
Welcome to Fosters Who Became Family, a series celebrating the unexpected bonds that form through fostering. These are stories of pets who arrived as temporary guests but became permanent members of the family.
PART 1: BERNIE – THE 2-WEEK GUEST WHO STAYED FOREVER
Bernie was foster number two for Anne and Tom. With full-time jobs and a calendar that included HSLC board meetings and other volunteer duties, they weren’t looking to add another pet to their family. They simply wanted to help. But from the day he arrived, Bernie made his position very clear. The bathroom. Behind the toilet. For 8 hours. He wasn’t being dramatic. He was terrified.
So, Anne and Tom waited. Left food out. Talked softly to a cat that looked away and ignored them. They gave him the one thing he needed most: time. By the evening, he decided to finally venture out from the bathroom, but the first few days were slow. He watched TV from across the room. He cautiously tested the couch and gradually learned that these people would not chase or harm him. Eventually, Bernie decided the humans weren’t bad. Trust, for Bernie, came in inches. Before long, he was joining them on the couch or at their desks, quietly becoming part of their everyday routine. He particularly liked the screened-in porch, his “catio,” where he could lounge on various chairs and cushions, enjoying fresh air and garden views, while hidden from unexpected visitors.
Then something shifted. Bernie had stopped feeling like a guest. He wasn’t just learning to trust Anne and Tom. They were quietly making room for him in their lives, too. The thought of Bernie going to someone else suddenly felt wrong. He had picked their couch, their quiet evenings, and, without anyone realizing it, a place in their hearts.
The decision to adopt wasn’t part of the plan, but by then, it was the only decision that made sense.
“We decided to keep him for ourselves. HSLC gives foster caregivers the right of first refusal,” Anne says.
Today, Bernie is still very much Bernie. Doorbell rings? He’s under the bed before the chime fades. New guest? He’ll review their application and get back to them in a week. Other cats? Not in his contract. Bernie has made it abundantly clear that this is a one-cat household.
But give him access to his beloved catio, and he’s the happiest cat alive. In fact, Anne laughs, “He loves his catio more than life itself. Some nights, we have to pry him out of there!” By all accounts, Bernie is living what Anne and Thomas simply describe as “a good life.”
And that’s the thing about fostering. Fostering isn’t just about saving pets. It is about giving them the time, patience, and space to become who they’re meant to be. It is about learning that love doesn’t rush. It waits. It listens. It earns trust one small moment at a time. And sometimes, the ones who take the longest to let you in are the ones who leave the biggest paw prints on your heart.
Could your home be the place where the next foster story begins? Click here to take the first step.
August 19 @ 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Join us for Yappy Hour at Spanky’s Shenanigans!
📍 Outside in the back patio area, HSLC will have a table set up to:
✔️ Answer questions about our life-saving work
✔️ Promote our very PUP-ular “Christmas in July” auction
✔️ Raise awareness for the doggies who need us
🍴 Come hungry—Spanky’s is generously donating 10% of all food sales to HSLC!
Related Events
August 9 @ 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Find your PURR-fect match at our special Clear the Shelters adoption event! HSLC has many fur-babies hoping to find their forever families. Come meet them at the Petco in Leesburg from noon to 2pm on Sunday, August 9. For a sneak peek of our adoptable animals, please visit the Humane Society of Loudoun County website!
Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we’re excited to offer special month-long adoption incentives to help more animals find loving homes. During the entire month of August 2026:
Adoption fees for adult and teenage cats will be completely waived!
BOGO on kittens! Adopt two kittens into the same household for one adoption fee!
If a particular animal catches your eye, complete a no-obligation application today to expedite the application process.
Related Events
July 19 @ 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
HSLC has many furbabies hoping to find their forever families. Come meet them at the PetSmart in Leesburg from noon to 2pm on Sunday, July 19. For a sneak peek of our adoptable animals, please visit the Humane Society of Loudoun County website!
If a particular furbaby (or two) catches your eye, complete a no-obligation application today to expedite the application process.
Related Events
September 5 @ 10:30 am – 2:00 pm
Come watch some silly cat videos for a good cause!
CatVideoFest is a joyous, communal, theatrical experience featuring the latest and best cat videos, while raising money for cats in need through partnerships with local charities, animal welfare organizations, and shelters.
Thanks to our ongoing partnership with Alamo Drafthouse, a portion of CatVideoFest ticket proceeds from each and every show goes directly to the Humane Society of Loudoun County to help local cats in need. HSLC will also be bringing adoptable cats to Alamo’s lobby on Saturday, September 5, noon to 2.
Buy tickets: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
Related Events
July 22 @ 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Join us for our “Christmas in July” Yappy Hour at Spanky’s Shenanigans!
📍 Outside in the back patio area, HSLC will have a table set up to:
✔️ Answer questions about our life-saving work
✔️ Promote our very PUP-ular “Christmas in July” auction
✔️ Raise awareness for the doggies who need us
🍴 Come hungry—Spanky’s is generously donating 10% of all food sales to HSLC!
Related Events
June 17 @ 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Join us for the first Yappy Hour of the year at Spanky’s Shenanigans!
📍 Outside in the back patio area, HSLC will have a table set up to:
✔️ Answer questions about our life-saving work
✔️ Sell fun HSLC merchandise
✔️ Raise funds and awareness for the doggies who need us
🍴 Come hungry—Spanky’s is generously donating 10% of all food sales to HSLC!