Foster Cats Are So Attached They Hold Each Other's Paws

They need a family to adopt them both 💕

It's already hard enough for the millions of homeless cats in U.S. shelters alone to find the loving homes they deserve — and when two homeless cats are inseparable, the search for a forever home can be even more difficult.

But two cats in a Florida foster home have made one thing perfectly clear: They will not let each other go. 

Bonded homeless cats at foster home
Andrea Christian

They even hold each other's paws. 

Bonded foster cats holding paws
Andrea Christian

From the beginning, it seemed that Lily, the Siamese mix, and Rosa, the sleek black kitten, were destined for each other. 

Bonded foster cats in Florida
Andrea Christian

"Rosa came to me ... seriously underweight and sad," Andrea Christian, a foster for St. Francis Society Animal Rescue, told The Dodo.

Stray black cat
Andrea Christian

"A couple days later I got a call to take another very ill kitten that had been in ICU for about a week," Christian said. "Lily [had been] found on the side of the road in Tampa ... she looked like a skeleton."

Christian, a seasoned foster for needy kitties, began the hard work of helping both new residents feel safe and at home.

After Lily finished a course of antibiotics, Christian decided to introduce her to Rosa. 

"It was love at first sniff!" Christian said.

Bonded cats at Florida foster home
Andrea Christian

The little black cat was very good luck for Lily, who was still quite weak and having difficulty walking. "She was suffering from toxoplasmosis," Christian explained.

But Rosa — along with a course of hydrotherapy — seemed to help Lily gain her strength. 

Over the past several weeks, the pair has been inseparable. When one starts exploring their foster home, the other is close behind. When one lies down for a nap, the other does too. When one goes for the food bowl, the other goes for the exact same food bowl — occasionally usurping the meal.

Bonded foster cats at Florida foster home
Andrea Christian

"They are shy still," Christian said, but she has observed the best friends helping each other learn to be brave. "They are coming out into the general population with the other fosters during the day now which is huge." 

Now the pair is facing a new challenge: finding a forever home where they can continue to stay together. Hopefully, their love for each other will inspire a loving family to adopt them.

If you live in the Tampa Bay area and think you can give Lily and Rosa the forever home they deserve, you can contact St. Francis Society Animal Rescue. You can also help them in their search for a home by spreading the word or by making a donation to the rescue