His name was Mister Miller, and he had lived in a shelter in Barbour County, W.Va., for at least four years when he arrived at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (AWLA). The large gray senior cat had a chronic cough, labored breathing, diseased teeth and an eyelid malformation causing chronic irritation. 

After two surgeries, including one on his eyelids, Mister Miller moved on to recuperate in a foster home. “Foster homes help animals in every way — mentally, physically and emotionally — and can prepare the animals for adoption,” said AWLA Veterinary & Foster Care Manager Elena Carver. 

Longtime foster volunteer Jodi Horton knew just what to do with Mister Miller, even though Carver had warned her he was not used to being a house cat. At first, she confined him to a spare room in her Springfield townhouse, apart from her pet cats. Occasional hissing would betray Mister Miller’s nervousness, but it wasn’t long before he sought out Horton’s lap. Horton worked closely with the shelter to help Mister Miller recover from his surgeries and to monitor his other health issues, including a course of steroids that helped him start to feel better. 

“After about 10 days in his own room, he was ready to explore the whole house, and it wasn’t long before he owned the place,” Horton recalled. By day he would bat a catnip toy around on the floor like a kitten and at night he took to sleeping with Horton. “He fit in wonderfully with my own cats and has been such a joy – he’s turned into a purring machine.” Horton said. “He’s a wonderful gentleman — his name fits him perfectly.” The best news of all: Mister Miller has now been adopted. 

Many of the senior animals who arrive at the AWLA come from outside rescue groups who can’t find homes for them, and most of them likely had lived in homes at some point in their lives, Carver said. “The shelter environment may be foreign to them and may cause them to stop eating and shut down emotionally, so we prioritize senior animals for foster care,” she said. “We want them to feel what they used to experience in a home.” More than 200 AWLA volunteers serve as fosters, and the food and other supplies for the animals’ foster stays are provided by the AWLA. 

Carver works to match animals with medical needs with foster volunteers who are prepared to take care of them. Carolina Leon-Duarte has hosted a total of seven senior dogs so far at the home in Arlington she shares with her mother and resident dogs, who are all seniors. There was tiny Sophie who had surgery for tumors and had lost most of her vision and 11-year-old Bella who was recovering from surgical removal of a large tumor. To prevent Bella from scratching the wound area, Leon-Duarte dressed her in a series of cones, donuts, booties and doggie “onesies.” And there was Molly, a toothless 16-year-old who could only eat moistened food and had to be carried up and down stairs. Sophie, Bella and Molly all were eventually adopted. 

“I love fostering senior dogs, and I fall in love with them the day they come,” Leon-Duarte said. “I am not a high-energy person, so I like chill dogs. And it’s an honor to give them a comfy place to stay — home-cooked meals and fireplace time.” 

Donations made to the AWLA’s Rosemary’s Fund help support the senior foster animals’ journeys to adoption. “We’re really grateful for the donations that help get these animals off on the right foot,” she said. “It’s never too late to make a difference for an animal — these senior dogs and cats can turn into puppies and kittens right in front of you.” 

You can make a difference for a senior animal at AlexandriaAnimals.org/Rosemary.

This story was originally printed in the Alexandria Gazette on December 21 (page 5).