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Yes, and animals suffer because humans can't feel "upset."
The ALTERNATIVE is being responsible. If you're old yourself, DON'T adopt (or, worse, buy) a young pet. You won't live long enough to see it through. Focus on the senior and elderly shelter animals. Consider instead fostering, volunteering in a shelter, or even pet-sitting to get your pet fix. If you choose to trust a friend or relative to keep your pet, build some guarantee into the deal (have another friend or relative check on the animal at intervals; bequeath money in a trust fund to the carer to cover the cost of food and vet care, etc.).
Think of the animal instead of yourself.
What?? Do you have any idea how many people die in auto accidents every year? How about deaths from cancer and other diseases? Guess what, life ends, sometimes when you least expect it! Are you telling everyone else younger than “old( whatever that may be)” dont own a pet because tomorrow may not come? Stop the discrimination. Its BS.
Yeah, I need to stop reading this thread now because it's becoming rather upsetting. I can understand not wanting your pet to linger in a shelter but there are alternatives. To make plans to have your pet killed because you won't be around to take care of it borders on barbaric to me. It's not a piece of old furniture. It's an individual life that at least deserves a chance of finding another home.
I find the whole retirement forum depressing at times in addition to this thread. The attitude of life is ending, its almost over, lets not take on any responsibility, kill your pet, dont take on any other, woe is me. Then I think of the 70yr old guy that just won the Mongol Derby, one of the toughest longest horse races in the world. I dont think he was thinking Oh Im too old, or other examples of “old” people who pay no attention to this stereotyping.
I find the whole retirement forum depressing at times in addition to this thread. The attitude of life is ending, its almost over, lets not take on any responsibility, kill your pet, dont take on any other, woe is me. Then I think of the 70yr old guy that just won the Mongol Derby, one of the toughest longest horse races in the world. I dont think he was thinking Oh Im too old, or other examples of “old” people who pay no attention to this stereotyping.
I don't find realism "depressing," but that's just me.
I never thought I'd be without a dog. I love them more than people but they can be a hindrance. We hope to move to Alabama but due to having a 60 lb pit mix and a 49 lb terrier - our housing options are limited. Not sure how many would rent an apt or house with the two dogs and I know we won't be able to buy in most HOAs because of the weight restrictions and they may have breed restrictions.
I really don't want another house to take care of but due to the dogs - we don't have a choice. I'm dreading the 2 day move with both of them as it is. The other thing is that I had hoped to travel just a bit in retirement but with the dogs - that will be conditional on whether my son will dog sit and the trips will only have to be weekend trips as he's on the road M-F.
After these 2 pass - I thought about fostering dogs who are older or who have been in the lbs for a long period of time - I still may do this but I always think what would happen if something happens to me and no one finds out for days - the animals would be distraught, they'd probably be put into the shelter ect.. And I don't want to see that happen to them.
I haven't had a dog in around a decade, but I've had up to five cats at times, and just the nastiness of it all is getting old. You can vacuum the whole house, then two days later, be vacuuming it all again because of cat hair. Fur is everywhere. Even if you make up the bed, they often sleep under the bed covers, causing you need to wash the sheets more frequently.
It gets very, very old. I'll probably always have one, maybe two, cats, but the days of me feeling like I'm running a cat house are over.
I haven't had a dog in around a decade, but I've had up to five cats at times, and just the nastiness of it all is getting old. You can vacuum the whole house, then two days later, be vacuuming it all again because of cat hair. Fur is everywhere. Even if you make up the bed, they often sleep under the bed covers, causing you need to wash the sheets more frequently.
It gets very, very old. I'll probably always have one, maybe two, cats, but the days of me feeling like I'm running a cat house are over.
You're lucky it's just fur. I've always had pets and currently have an elderly cat who's always been sickly, a rescued runt of the litter, with lately more than his fair share of hairballs, litterbox accidents, barfs, etc. I figure I'll give the house a deep-cleaning when he's gone to his reward! Because I have retirement coming up and ambitions to travel (I don't while I have pets), I'd like to think I would go pet-free for a period of several years while I get all that out of my system as well as finally relocate to wherever I decide that will be; moving is easier without pets. However, I know how hard it will be to go without any pet at all. I've given some thought to a bird, rabbit, guinea pig, or hamster who wouldn't really suffer if left with a petsitter or re-homed, unlike the more sentient and intelligent "higher-order" animals. A shorter lifespan than that of dogs and cats is another plus for aging retirees. I'm thinking outside the box.
I had dogs as pets when I was a boy, but I became too attached to them, and when they eventually died it hurt too much and I missed them terribly. I'd rather not go through that again. And at this point in my life there's also the possibility of me dying before they would, and where would that leave them? So, no pets.
I now, since I am so old, adopt from NM doberman rescue. The contract is that if i should drop dead, before my beloved dobermans do, they go back to doberman rescue. So ..... That gives me the assurance, they will be much loved and cared for. My WILL provides for that also. So don't be alone. You can still adopt.
I now, since I am so old, adopt from NM doberman rescue. The contract is that if i should drop dead, before my beloved dobermans do, they go back to doberman rescue. So ..... That gives me the assurance, they will be much loved and cared for. My WILL provides for that also. So don't be alone. You can still adopt.
Excellent! In most (if not all) breed-specific rescues, the adoption candidates are housed in a home with a foster family and well loved; not warehoused in shelters or pounds, where they would suffer. Now that I think about it, our local Dachshund rescue also offers this solution; in fact, if for any reason you can't keep them, they are to be returned to the organization. Another good one is Greyhound rescue; retired racing dogs who desperately need homes. You can actually search by breed (age, size, location, etc.) on www.petfinder.com; just be sure to select from a rescue and inquire about their policies.
I now, since I am so old, adopt from NM doberman rescue. The contract is that if i should drop dead, before my beloved dobermans do, they go back to doberman rescue. So ..... That gives me the assurance, they will be much loved and cared for. My WILL provides for that also. So don't be alone. You can still adopt.
I've never had a pet- I'm animal-friendly but don't want to be responsible for one. I travel a lot so would have to pay for kennels and have seen too many horror stories including brain surgery for a cat, a $5,000 GoFundMe for a doggie that chewed up part of a rug and had to have long strands of yarn surgically removed from her innards (she survived), cataract surgery for dogs, dialysis for cats. Where do you draw the line?
My SIL used to foster kittens but now maintains a feral colony near the house. There are 3 of them, all have been trapped, neutered, given whatever shots they needed, and released. They keep other feral cats out of their "territory" and they keep the mouse population down. The area behind the house is wooded so they have a good place to hide. She feeds them and they'll let her pick them up but no one else. They don't travel much so it's not a major task to feed them.
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