Pets sustain us and keep us healthier, happier and more hopeful as we age – no bones about it. A recent story in Harvard Magazine cited an American Heart Association finding that pets reduce our mortality rate by 24 percent and Mayo Clinic confirms pets keep us in much better shape, both physically and mentally.
But new challenges to pet ownership emerge as we age, including medical diagnoses that can keep us away from our furry, feathered friends or make it impossible to care for them, as well as unforeseen financial issues and living arrangements that reframe our capacity to keep them. These are tough scenarios to imagine, but it is a reality we should all expect and plan for during our second half.
Let’s sniff out a few ways to mitigate pet ownership challenges in advance so our glorious Golden Years don’t go to the dogs.
Plan Ahead
Have candid, real-talk conversations with your friends, loved ones and caregivers about how your pet will be cared for should you be unable to do it and how much it will cost.
Before you get a pet, make sure your friends and family are in on your planning. If you expect to offload an animal on another person should you become infirm or unable to care for it, communicate your wishes to your loved ones long in advance of the crisis. Make sure you have saved or budgeted enough money to cover vet, food and maintenance bills for at least a 10-year stretch.
Establish a relationship with a vet who makes on-site calls, so you can keep up with vet visits if you become incapacitated or unable to drive. Plan for all contingencies and communicate these plans with the people in your sphere. Aligning plans with the expectations of others, particularly the ones who will be supporting you during your Golden Years, is a must when it comes to pet ownership.
Choose Your Pet Thoughtfully
Consider carefully the breed or type of pet that best suits your lifestyle as you age.
Before you bring a pet into your home, think about the kind of animal that best fits the environment in which you live. How big is your house and yard? Does your HOA allow pets? What is your budget? What are the physical requirements for owning this pet or that?
Once you’ve answered those basic questions of environment and affordability, start thinking about the kind of breed that would flourish in this space. Is it a dog, cat, bird, rodent? Forbes recently published a list of good dogs for seniors, so start here if a dog is in your sights. Dog and cat breeds have very different strengths, so make sure you’re aware of them before bringing them into your home.
Pet and Travel Considerations
If travel is a big part of your second-half vision, do not get a pet. And if you must, implement a concrete plan for care and cost coverage.
Not much else to say here except that pets are a huge and expensive anchor point if you want to travel or be gone for long stretches. Doggy daycare can cost anywhere between $40 and $280 per day, according to a recent story in Rover.com. Pet sitters, dog walkers and generous friends are other options, but all must be investigated thoroughly prior to having a pet on the scene.
Adopting vs. Buying
Consider adopting a senior, rescue or feral pet, or foster one.
When reviewing options of pet ownership, it is generous, loving and wise to think about senior, rescue and feral contenders. Senior dogs and cats are desperate for a loving home. They are usually housebroken, slower moving, gentler and happily into their third act – meaning there is a more reasonable timeframe in play for managing them.
Rescue pets are a good thought because they generally must be returned to the rescue organization if you can no longer care for them. And feral pets require as little or as much attention as you give them – no binding arrangement is at stake here.
As we age, it is important to be open, communicative and realistic about pet ownership, its expense and associated logistics. While having a pet is beneficial to our health in many proven ways, it opens the door to problems that can change the scope of our senior experience.
Let’s Have a Conversation:
Do you have a pet? How do you plan to manage potential challenges on the horizon? What factors did you consider before acquiring your pet?
