What do you think about pets for seniors?

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

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Location
The Sticks, Northeast PA.
I wound up with 3 cats. After about 15 years, they all passed. That was extremely traumatic for me. Considering my health, and who would want a houseful of cats, I decided not to get any more pets. What do you think about pets for seniors? Yeah, they are comforting bundles of furs, but can you take care of them? And what happens to them, if you can't?
After my cats passed, I was hospitalized for months, it would not have been easy finding a home for 3 cats.
 

I'm going very crazy without cats, so I'm not the right one to reply. When I unlock my apt. door I say out loud (not too loud!) "No cats. No reason to be careful with the door. No cats." Then I open the door much wider than I would have and enter sadly. No cats. No reason to come home. No cats.
 
I think pets for seniors is a fabulous idea but just one pet.

The reason I say one pet is that itā€™s a good idea even before you get a pet to talk to someone in your family or a friend first to discuss the idea of caring for the pet in the evident that you die and one pet for someone to adopt isnt too unreasonable.

Also going into a long term nursing home or a retirement home are often than not willing to accept one pet per resident.
 
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The litter box was getting hard for me when there were two of them; even when there was one of them. I'll try not to complain about it, but the bending & digging was starting to get tough. Also, with the NYC ban on plastic bags it's harder for actual disposal.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
I wound up with 3 cats. After about 15 years, they all passed. That was extremely traumatic for me. Considering my health, and who would want a houseful of cats, I decided not to get any more pets. What do you think about pets for seniors? Yeah, they are comforting bundles of furs, but can you take care of them? And what happens to them, if you can't?
After my cats passed, I was hospitalized for months, it would not have been easy finding a home for 3 cats.
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Obviously the secret is to have someone or someone (s) you know who would agree to take the cats.
 
RadishRose said:
Pets are wonderful for seniors but logic and common sense must prevail.
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Which is why I don't have any , anymore... I still want to travel.. I still want to go to bed late and not have to get up early...to toilet and feed an animal... I want to go out in the daytime and not feel stressed that my pet is stressed because I'm not home..

..and I just don't want the heartbreak of the death of another pet. Every time one died I;d say no more.. but I really mean it this time.

My grandfurkids are my precious pets Vicariously through my daughter.. they love me as much as I love them.. but they're hard work. One had dementia.. another is deaf, and still bounces around like a 2 year old altho' he's 15..... I couldn't cope with that for long periods , unlike my daughter....
 
fuzzybuddy said:
I wound up with 3 cats. After about 15 years, they all passed. That was extremely traumatic for me. Considering my health, and who would want a houseful of cats, I decided not to get any more pets. What do you think about pets for seniors? Yeah, they are comforting bundles of furs, but can you take care of them? And what happens to them, if you can't?
After my cats passed, I was hospitalized for months, it would not have been easy finding a home for 3 cats.
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Pets are extremely beneficial for seniors, my wife and I always will have 2 dogs. Our friend that runs the small dog rescue where we got Rusty has agreed to be the god-mother for our dogs, we had her name and business included on the dogs ID chips.
 
A senior in the US said he was told he couldnā€™t adopt a cat because he was too old. Heā€™s really fit and always out hiking and I donā€™t think too much older than I am. Heā€™s been on the fence about getting another in the event he doesnā€™t have a future care giver. He knows he can go to other shelters. Weā€™ll see.
 
I have two cats. Both are seniors but one is very old. He is still in good health except for some senility. When he passes I don't plan to replace him unless the younger one is just too lonely without him. If I did replace him it would be with a needy senior cat who wouldn't have a full life ahead.

There is a shelter here that only accepts pets that are survivors of senior citizens. Perhaps that will be the answer if I don't outlive my kitties. My daughters will see them placed but have pets of their own so I don't expect them to provide a permanent home.

I miss having a dog but accepted there wouldn't be more dogs about a decade ago.
 
Jules said:
A senior in the US said he was told he couldnā€™t adopt a cat because he was too old. Heā€™s really fit and always out hiking and I donā€™t think too much older than I am. Heā€™s been on the fence about getting another in the event he doesnā€™t have a future care giver. He knows he can go to other shelters. Weā€™ll see.
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My son is coming with me; otherwise I think I'd be told that. I'm sure I'd be told that.
 
I can agree with OP ... having pets is great but when you reach either a certain health or age where it is hard to care for them ...... it may be a situation where when the pet passes not replacing it....
i think my kids would take our small dog (dog is 14) if it was to out live us but when the dog passes we will NOT get a new (to us) one
 
Pepper said:
I don't want an older cat, that's when they start costing big bucks for the vet and I wouldn't be as in love with it like I would if I knew it longer. Nope, no senior cat unless they grow old with me. Not cost effective; don't have thousands to spend on some old stranger.
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That's a point to consider, Pepper. Truth be told, I'm not sure how much I will miss the senile cat. I am determined that he will get to live out his life as a pampered pet but I have to admit in some ways it will be a relief when he goes. He has become very demanding. Still, I will cry. I've had him over 16 years and he was 2 or 3 years old when he came to me. So, he is very old now and he's been part of the family a long time.
 

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