Published Feb 20, 2025
Many people with senior pets worry before adopting younger animals. Younger siblings can be annoying, and sometimes the senior pet can’t keep up with their energy! It’s true that these introductions can go astray. However, the older pet can also find joy in caretaking and energy in the younger pet’s spryness.
This happened for Darby, the senior dog who came to life after meeting her soulmate, a cat named Simon.
An unplanned adoption
Simon and Darby’s mom didn’t plan to adopt a cat at first. She’d just been through the devastating loss of her previous cat and was waiting to meet up with a friend.
Before their appointment, she stopped in at a PetSmart and decided to look at the cats who were up for adoption from Last Chance Rescue.
Simon, only ten weeks old at the time, was there with two siblings. He was tiny and sleepy, but crawled right over to her–and she fell in love.
In the end, she cancelled her plans and brought Simon home. Her family was surprised by the new addition. Her husband asked, “You didn’t bring home a cat, did you?” and she plopped Simon on the couch in reply!
Winning Darby over
During their first meeting, Simon hid beneath the kitchen table before pouncing playfully at Darby. He seemed to know immediately that he wanted to be best friends.
Later, he crawled right into Darby’s bed with her, mimicking her posture.
However, Darby didn’t take to him right away. She was still mourning the loss of her previous cat sibling and it took her a long time to engage with Simon, despite his persistence.
Their mom describes Simon as a “dog in a cat body” with a fearless personality. He’s a rambunctious cat who enjoys rough play and hunting.
He’s also curious, loyal, and snuggly. He reminds his mom of a human and seems to easily comprehend both dog and human language, making him the perfect companion.
Darby, on the other hand, has strong motherly instincts. She’s always looked out for both her human and fur siblings, and her parents had wondered what she’d be like with a litter of puppies.
Instead, she took Simon under her wing, and she’s never been happier. He helped her heal during a difficult time, and now her tail is always wagging so hard that she knocks things over.
A true bonded pair
Darby’s mom says that she didn’t realize how much dogs and cats can crave companionship. She didn’t realize what having a bonded pair of animals meant until she saw the ways that Simon and Darby interacted and grew attached to one another.
After all, bonded pairs of pets don’t just get along well. They form a close bond and are distressed when separated.
She says that their budding relationship was “unbelievable to watch.” Darby had four other pet siblings before Simon, but none of them cared for each other in the same way. Yet, this cat who was 11 years younger than Darby absolutely stole her heart!
The two animals seemed to change each other for the better. As their mom says, “Darby raised Simon and he’s so dog-like.” She’s also seen an extra pep in Darby’s step since bringing Simon home.
Darby just celebrated her 14th birthday, and her mom thinks she’s still as agile and happy as she is at her age because Simon keeps her young.
You can see more of Simon and Darby’s story on their TikTok.
