Pet Acquisition Post-60: 4 Thoughts to Sniff Out in Advance
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?
I am 67 and my husband is 70. We have one very mellow dog who is 9 years old. We just adopted a one year old 21 pound dog (griffin-mix) from the SPCA. They told us she had never had a home before. She walks great, and is perfectly quiet in our bedroom at night. It has only been one day since the adoption, but she is extremely timid and a loner. She likes being petted, but you have to go to her. Just wondering if our love will be enough.
I encourage all to get Pet Insurance. My 5yo Samoyed just tore her ACL & I am now facing a $6500+ surgery for her.
I adopted 2 rat terrier Chihuahua from a coworker and they keep me busy and on my toes the dad is 2 years old and his daughter is a year old, still puppies. I take them traveling with me when I found out what it would cost to board them and they are good company but limit what I can do/see on the road. Yes they are work but also a lot of joy..
My yoga instructor volunteers at a cat adoption/rescue center. She said for seniors sometimes the best choice is to foster-the center takes care of medical bills, food etc.
Thank you so much for this article. As an animal lover, it is very upsetting to me when seniors think a dog or cat is the answer to their loneliness and after getting a pet…realize that this new living creature requires ongoing daily attention, love, exercise, feeding, and careful financial planning. Everything you said in your article is so true. I have two dogs and they are a huge Blessing. They are also very expensive on a fixed retirement income. My two dogs are budgeted into my monthly expenses and I have made plans for them should I die before they do. In addition, my Will includes money for the person who has already agreed to care for them. Veterinary bills are very expensive as is their food and future potential medical needs. Fostering an animal from a shelter is a terrific way to help an animal and receive the love and attention the foster parent may be looking for.