What do you think of having a cat or a dog during retirement. Are they a help or a hindrance?

Vets, like everyone else, have to be millionaires. I'm disgusted by their gouging and lost respect for them. Animals are just money to them; it's a job like any other job. They use our love for our pets against us, even by giving false hopes for dying pets so they can charge for mri's, x rays, etc. They are helping to make having pets a luxury.

Something's very wrong here. I've had cats most of my life and have only seen this greed since this century.

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as for adopting older pets, that just means more illness to pay for.
 

I don't see this as a retirement issue. I have always loved pets, well OK, most pets. I've had dogs, cats, and dogs and cats at the same time. The last dog of my working career died just before I retired. When I retired I was without a dog for 20 years, always missing a pet. Part of the time I lived on a boat, which isn't the best life for a dog, but that was only for a short time. Finally, one year ago this month, I decided to get a dog, and I bond with him a little more each month.

It's not about retirement, although I can see that retirement may figure into the decision. But to me it's about desire. Are you willing to train them, to love them, to maintain your cool when they make mistakes, and love them, to care for them, and love them? They are living creatures with definite personalities. They have needs. Do you want to meet them half way, and love them?
 

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We will always have a dog. At the moment we have three, my old lady 3 pound chihuahua Jazz, my stepdaughter’s old man (60 pound mix) Racer, and our newest addition Remy, an 8 month old Chinese crested powderpuff.

My daughter is an animal lover and is very active in volunteering and fostering for one of our local shelters. I have a solid agreement with her that if something should happen to where we can’t care for a dog any more, she will take our dog(s) and either keep them herself or find forever homes for them.

Those of you who would like a pet but can’t afford the cost, you might want to consider fostering for your local shelter or humane association. Typically, the organization your fostering for pays all medical or other costs, and you provide a home till the animal can be adopted.

You can specialize in what you prefer too, with some shelters. Only small dogs, or just cats, or special needs animals, or tiny kittens or puppies who’ve lost their mama and need to be bottle fed….so many shelter needs so lots of choices.

My daughter because of her vet tech training, specializes in special needs/hospice fosters. Dogs who’ve been shot or Injured, dogs who are so shut down from stress/trauma that they’re almost catatonic, animals with neuro issues, parvovirus dogs, seniors who need to be evaluated because of age related issues…she’s taken them all in over time and most she’s nursed back to health or given the shelter a solid evaluation as to an animal’s demeanor. It’s very rewarding work for her.
 
Disgustedman said:
For those who want a animal companion, but cannot afford such (or don't want the cost) check with rescue or humane society and ask if they have a time you can come and pet, scritch and hug a few animals so as to give you a fur fix and them a love dosage.
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Fostering one, is another possible option, from the same places, and then, they would continue to assume responsibility for any medical care, and they would take the animal back, whenever needed for any reason, of yours or otherwise. You don't need to find the next owner, and would be giving the little one a wonderful break.
 
Could not imagine life without my Bichon, Lil'Bear .... it's like having a small furry fitness trainer around. :)

He wakes me at 6AM everyday for our morning walk. And he knows when it's time for afternoon and evening walks too.
Without his daily determination, and need for exercise, I would probably get lazy.
 
We've always had dogs/cats. Since we retired we've had one dog and one cat. We will have at least one pet as long as we are able to care for them. We are both animal lovers and our pets are out childrean and part of our little family.
 
Youngster said:
What do you think of having a cat or a dog during retirement. Are they a help or a hindrance?
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My dog is a big help, these are just a few of her essential tasks, the ones I can think of right now:

  • Pre-cleaning dishes before putting into the dishwasher.
  • Cleaning many jars (ie peanut butter) before throwing away.
  • Weighting her chair down so it will not be lost in an earthquake.
  • Running off the UPS and mailman, and protecting us from those evil Amazon delivery people.
  • Finding skunks on the property and bringing back some of the odor, maybe not so helpful...

The list could go on and on.
 
ElCastor said:
Cat and a parrot approaching 50 years old. Finding a home for the parrot should she outlive us could present a problem. A neighbor would take the cat, but caring for a parrot is a lot more complicated.
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Talk to the vet who sees the bird. They might know someone who could. Near the end of her life having worked for some who raised exotic birds my Mom become something of rescuer of them. Local vets in Ft. Myers would refer abused, abandoned birds to her.

They also sometimes called her for persistent problems owners were having that they couldn't solve. A common one was ants---especially when you have more than one bird it is crucial to clean the cages daily. Her mustache parrot had complete freedom--tho he slept and ate in his cage. and a couple of her other rescues had 'open doors'. Some of them were rehabbed from behavioral issues and found new homes. One formerly abused parrot, trusted no-one fully but her. Tho he did let me feed him and clean his cage after her death.
 
I'm fortunate, my daughter and i share a home. Our current dog and 2 of the cats are technically hers. The two youngest cats, both tabbies are mine. However, we both consider them all 'family' and she will care for them if i pass before them.

For someone like me who has a running a battle with depression pets are a must. Best medicine in the world. Yes they are a responsibility but like children they motivate me to take better care myself so i can care for them. They also give a lot of love and laughter.
 
We have two Golden Retrievers. One is over 10 and the other is 4. One or both of us should outlive both. We will not have anymore after these two pass. If we should not make it we have adult kids who would take and add them to their family. They already watch our dogs when we are traveling, so they are socialized to them and the grandkids.

We have never been without dogs in our family. We enjoy their company and have always been able to travel and see they are well taken care of. They offer so much companionship and they are always happy and smiling. Reminding us that as retired folks, we too should be happy and smiling.
 
feywon said:
Talk to the vet who sees the bird. They might know someone who could. Near the end of her life having worked for some who raised exotic birds my Mom become something of rescuer of them. Local vets in Ft. Myers would refer abused, abandoned birds to her.
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We already have talked to her vet — Dr. Rupiper, Petaluma, not because we want him to find her a new home, but we want to be prepared if due to illness or death that day ever comes. For now Fred has a good home, a cage in our bedroom where she sleeps, and a perch that I built for her in the living room where she spends the day. In case you are wondering why her name is Fred, male and female Amazons look much the same, and the guy we got her from at a very young age thought she was a male, so Fred, until Fred laid an egg 17 years later. Too late to change her name. Fred has been with us for 45 years. (-8
 
Pepper said:
Vets, like everyone else, have to be millionaires. I'm disgusted by their gouging and lost respect for them. Animals are just money to them; it's a job like any other job. They use our love for our pets against us, even by giving false hopes for dying pets so they can charge for mri's, x rays, etc. They are helping to make having pets a luxury.

Something's very wrong here. I've had cats most of my life and have only seen this greed since this century.

eta
as for adopting older pets, that just means more illness to pay for.
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@Pepper, you read my mind. When did being a vet stop being about caring for animals? When we had a golden with cancer, eventually he quit eating and drinking altogether and I had to hold him up to go potty because he was too weak to stand up. When we finally made the heart wrenching decision to put him out of his misery, the vet tech got her nose out of joint when we didn't want to do any more tests or procedures on him. Talk about taking us on a major guilt trip.

I also agree about adopting an older animal. It doesn't take long to get attached to a pet, and it would be heart breaking to lose them so quickly. And as you said, the astronomical vet bills that go along with it.
 
ElCastor said:
We already have talked to her vet — Dr. Rupiper, Petaluma, not because we want him to find her a new home, but we want to be prepared if due to illness or death that day ever comes. For now Fred has a good home, a cage in our bedroom where she sleeps, and a perch that I built for her in the living room where she spends the day. In case you are wondering why her name is Fred, male and female Amazons look much the same, and the guy we got her from at a very young age thought she was a male, so Fred, until Fred laid an egg 17 years later. Too late to change her name. Fred has been with us for 45 years. (-8
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I did know that some tropical/exotic birds hard to determine gender.

But had to chuckle, my middle name is Fredericka because Dad was Frederick, Mom wanted that to be my first name, but Dad wanted my first name to be same as hers. I was a classic tomboy so if Mom had won i likely would have been called 'Freddy' most of my life.
 
katlupe said:
I have one pet, a house rabbit. He is good for me as I have to care for him every day. When I moved here almost five years ago he came with me. Some days I feel like I don't want to do anything, but then he needs something so forces me to get up and do whatever. He is free roaming and uses a cage for a litter box so the door of it is left open. He is 9 years old this year and they say rabbits only live to 10, but he is in good health (so far). I love him so much but I want to outlive him so he doesn't have to start over in a new home or end up in a rescue.

I have had cats my whole life and can't believe I am living without one now. At my previous house, I had many different animals. Now "Rabbit" is my last pet. I saw the heartbreak of my neighbor last year when she was near the end of her fight with cancer and had to find homes for her two parrots that she had for many years. It was so hard for her as well as stressful. Not going to do that (I hope).
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My partner in the 80's was a sweet, idealistic guy who loved animals. He brought home two kittens, a hamster, a rabbit and a Cockatoo. This was all without asking me first. He was more idealistic than responsible. Our rabbit, Kokomo, was a sweet little guy, but we ended up letting him go in the woods because we were too young and stupid to take care of him. When we relocated to another city, we had to give Charlie, our Cockatoo, to his parents. Charlie didn't last long because they didn't give him the attention and care that he needed. Cockatoos are very intelligent and need lots of attention. They will start pulling their feathers out if they don't get the attention they need. This is what happened.

After we split up, I kept the two kittens, Cleo and Nike, through their adulthood and until they passed. I've always felt some guilt about Kokomo and Charlie, but then again I would have never adopted them. I do feel a sense of peace since I gave Cleo and Nike a good life.

I completely understand your attachment to your rabbit. Kokomo was adorable and if had it to do over we would have kept him.
 
feywon said:
I did know that some tropical/exotic birds hard to determine gender.
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We were led to believe that the only way to be sure was surgery. We were not about to do that, so Fred it was, and still is. The first question we are usually asked is does she talk. She does. When she was young I would walk up to her, say Hello Fred, and give her a treat. Forty years later if she is hungry and wants a treat we hear Hello Fred. If we are going out I take her upstairs to her cage where she will take a nap. As I am leaving the room I say Bye Bye and she responds with her own Bye Bye. She often says it before I do. (-8
 
Well, I thought I wouldn't get another cat for at least 10 years from now but this stray kitten camped out on my patio on Labor Day weekend. She was too small and too cute to leave her out there. So I didn't get her...she got me (us)! She brings us joy. She's a mischievous, crazy kitten that keeps us laughing (when I'm not scolding that is). I'm glad she came into my life now. But I will admit, at my age (76 next week), it is a bit tiring keeping up with an active, devilish kitten.
 
Well last eve I almost had me a cat!!! A yellow cat has been
coming by for food I leave out back porch...and I opened the door and spoke to him(?) and he walked right in....very nervous but petable and friendly...I was both surprised and excited...so he would come and go in and out, and I had set at the computer once and he started messing with my bare toes, and started nipping at me, so that was a sign for me to let him out again, I bleed to quickly to be chomped on by a excited cat....
If he keeps coming around I may call animal control and get him rescued.......but is was fun for awhile.....don
 

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seadoug said:
My partner in the 80's was a sweet, idealistic guy who loved animals. He brought home two kittens, a hamster, a rabbit and a Cockatoo. This was all without asking me first. He was more idealistic than responsible. Our rabbit, Kokomo, was a sweet little guy, but we ended up letting him go in the woods because we were too young and stupid to take care of him. When we relocated to another city, we had to give Charlie, our Cockatoo, to his parents. Charlie didn't last long because they didn't give him the attention and care that he needed. Cockatoos are very intelligent and need lots of attention. They will start pulling their feathers out if they don't get the attention they need. This is what happened.

After we split up, I kept the two kittens, Cleo and Nike, through their adulthood and until they passed. I've always felt some guilt about Kokomo and Charlie, but then again I would have never adopted them. I do feel a sense of peace since I gave Cleo and Nike a good life.

I completely understand your attachment to your rabbit. Kokomo was adorable and if had it to do over we would have kept him.
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Letting a domestic rabbit go in the woods is a death sentence. They are prey animals and won't last. Even a wild rabbit does not last very long. It is difficult when someone you are with does not realize what a responsibility each animal is. That was one of the reasons I ended up single five years ago.
 
I think having a pet during retirement is a good thing, but it depends on your circumstances. Are you in good enough physical shape to care for it? Can you walk a dog every day? If you travel while you're away, does someone you know care for it, or does it have to be boarded? Can you afford the vet bills?

My beloved elk hound died, and I've since considered getting another pet. But then COVID hit, and I'm still keeping my distance from people. My concern is that the pet is properly socialized. It's different for a pet you've had before the pandemic because they've already been socialized. These days I only allow a few people to come to my home, so my new pet wouldn't have much contact with others. I don't want a pet to be afraid of other people. So, at this time, I won't get a pet. If I do eventually get one, then my concern is that it will outlive me. No one I know would be willing to take it, so that's a serious consideration.

Bella ✌️
 
Two years ago when our old dog died , it wasn't long before we started looking for another dog.
We hoped to get a mature dog,,no such luck.

About 5 months later we bought a Boston Terrier puppy.

He's an active pet,,makes us laugh,, or grumble about him.
BUT,,, I'm the head dog walker,, which helps with my health,, gets me out of the house .

What will happen to him if we both die at once?
I would hope one of our son's would take him.
If not them, then re home him to a good home..
 
For those who want a pet but hesitate because they “might” outlive their pet may I suggest some sort of rescue. Not all shelters are “no kill”. Therefore you can feel like you are giving a life to something that may not get one any other way. If you are concerned about vet bills make decisions about what and what not you are willing to treat before younpick your animal. Most healthy vaccinated animals will need little to none healthxare after initial spay/neuter with care. Good luck with deciding…
 
I am concerned about my dog outliving me, and according to the statistics, he likely will, but he's a loving dog and I'm counting on that asset to carry him through after I'm gone. He doesn't get much socialization, and I have been concerned about that. At a year old, his idea of socializing is more like jumping all over everyone he sees, so I avoid such situations by isolating him. I do meet people on the trail, and he now stays with me when I way "No" but I have to keep saying it every 30 seconds or so, because he is always ready to break free and be a pest at any moment, and his excitement while obeying is a bit worrisome.

I am proud of his progress to date around people and other dogs, and I don't have to keep him leashed, although he wears a harness with a 1 foot short leash affixed to the top with rubber bands. He's actually harder to control on a leash than he is with commands, because he has not learned to stop straining on all the leash he is given. So far what I'm doing seems to be working, and he is more responsive to training than the other two Goldens I've had in the past, but training is a process. Dogs don't simply do what you want the first time they hear a command. It requires practice, a lot of practice, and patience.

I let him range ahead of me when hiking. My rule of thumb is that if I can't see him, he is too far away. In the woods here that usually amounts to 30 or 40 yards, and that's probably what he's most comfortable with, because he's always keeping track of me too, and if he gets too far away, he will wait for me, unless he sees a creek he can splash in. He doesn't chase deer, and I spent very little time actually teaching him that, and when I say "Come", I'm amazed at how fast he responds, and he comes running at full speed with a smile on his face. It's almost like he never wanted to be that far away in the first place. I laugh at his enthusiasm.

But after all this bragging, I have to admit that as a retriever he positively sucks. He just doesn't get it. I never had to train my other Goldens to do that. From the time they were pups, the whole lives revolved around bringing things back to me. This guy just doesn't have it in his genes. I dare not command him with "Fetch" or "Bring it here" because that just distracts him, and he drops whatever he's got and that could be 100 yards away. Fortunately, this is not a big concern of mine, while manners around others has been my first order of business. But Gee Wizz. He's a retriever, and he doesn't have a clue what that means.
 

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