My family and I have had pets for over 30 years: two dogs and a cat. If you are a pet owner, you know what they mean to you. You love and care for them as much as you can. You worry about them when they are sick and miss them when you are away. It seems that when you are older, pets are worth their weight in gold. Seniors and their pets: the advantage to being a pet owner. It can be part of reinventing yourself in your later years.
Is getting a pet a good idea when you are older?
Of course! If you can take care of them. It also depends on what pet you are thinking about getting. Dogs and cats are the first ones to come to mind. You also must make sure you don’t have any allergies.
Dogs or cats
We have had both dogs and a cat over the years, and they are certainly different, as you probably know. Dogs love all the attention you can give them and are a little more needy than cats. But cats want their attention, too, and then they find a place to be solitary.
Dogs
We love our dog, Scout, but he can sometimes be a handful. He seems to need constant attention. He had an aversion to letting workers in the house to fix something. Stray cats in the neighborhood that annoy him greatly when they wander off the other side of our fence. Squirrels don’t have to worry about him because, at age ten, he isn’t much of a threat to them. We are lucky because we have a big backyard for him to run around. This means we don’t have to take him on walks much. Our other dog was a larger Jack Russell. We would take him to the park. We also went to National Civil War trails by our house. He lived for that. Both dogs kept an eye on the neighborhood and would alert us if someone came to the front door. Which was good.
Cats
Our cat Pearl wandered to our doorstep one day, looking old and emaciated. She had been in a fight with another cat, and we took her to the vet. Next thing you know, we have a cat. She was something else. Our dog, Tater, didn’t get along with her, mostly because she tormented him. We only had her for a few years until she passed. It was a very sad day for us.
You outlive your pets
The biggest problem with pets is that you will probably outlive them. This is heartbreaking, especially for seniors and their pets.
Then, you are left wondering if you want another dog or cat. Pets need a lot of work when they are young. If you are older, it be more than you can handle. That all depends on your health.
Best Pets for seniors: What you need to know I Health and Nutrition
Besides Dogs or Cats
There are other choices besides dogs and cats. You can set up an aquarium. It’s very calming to watch them swim around. Or you could be a bird fan. They are very popular as well.
What dog should I get?
In our experience, we have always chosen terriers. I don’t know if that was a good decision or not. They can be feisty but generally live longer, which is a definite advantage. Of course, you will probably spoil them with treats and toys. But what are you going to do?
Larger dogs seem to have a better demeanor—they are more friendly and chill. I have friends with bigger dogs, and they are very easygoing. The problem is that their life expectancy is shorter than that of small dogs.
Go to the dog shelter or buy one from a breeder?
We have always taken our dogs to breeders, which can be a little expensive, but it has worked out.
If we get another dog, we can go to the dog shelter. There, we can find an older dog that needs a home.
Cats
If you want a cat, why not pick one out at the animal shelter? There are plenty of dogs and cats that need a forever home. Cats are special animals who can be quite the characters. Some believe that they are standoffish, but I don’t believe that. They need attention just like dogs.
Advantages to seniors
The most obvious advantage to seniors is companionship. If you are alone, their love and affection can mean the world to you. Isolation can be a significant problem for senior citizens.
It lifts your spirit and keeps you mentally on track to keep up with them. Pets are always happy to see you and they depend on you. You really fall in love with them.
So here is a picture of our little troublemaker, Scout guarding the backyard.
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