Pet Considerations: Think Before You Adopt
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Perhaps you spotted a cute kitten in a shelter ad. Or maybe you’d like a puppy similar to one you had as a kid.
Before you let soft fur and sweet expressions get the best of you, consider how a pet would fit into your changing lifestyle.
At this stage, you have more going on than you may think.
Many 55-plussers plan to travel in retirement. Bob Minchella, owner of Dogs at Play doggie daycare and Bob Minchella’s Dog Owner Counseling, cautions people on the cusp of retirement to consider how they plan to spend their time.
“Do you plan to have someone take care of the dog?” he said. “They don’t do as well in kennels, especially dogs who came from shelters. They often have abandonment issues. They think that you’ve dumped them off there and they’ll never see you again.”
Some cats and dogs travel well, especially if they have early exposure, but many places of lodging do not accept pets. Most cats would rather stay at home than at someone else’s place. It’s easier to have a pet sitter care for felines.
Choosing the right pet matters for its compatibility. Most dog and cat breeds have a baseline of energy expenditure. For example, the Maine Coon cat remains playful and kitten-like for years. Greyhounds are said to be couch potatoes with lower exercise needs. Australian shepherds are energetic dogs that enjoy plenty of activity.
“Look out for a mismatched breed,” Minchella said. Although he’s almost 70, he walks for more than three miles a day regularly — a feat not shared by many of his contemporaries.
“The backyard is not exercise,” he said. “You can’t turn out a dog into the yard and think they’re going to run around for exercise.”
The size of the dog also matters. A tiny dog may be a tripping hazard to someone prone to falls. A large dog can knock down or pull down its owner. However, proper training can mitigate this effect. Lighter color fur may help make your pet more visible in dim lighting, although a reflective collar can help also.
Mark Forrest Patrick owns Tuxedo’s K9 Training Camp in Rochester and is also a certified dog trainer, veterinary assistant and certified canine massage therapist and family dog mediator. He can assess a home and family to ensure their lifestyle will mesh
with that of a dog.
“It’s a social circle of longevity, energy and the group stimulation of the environment,” Patrick said. “It’s very interesting how many people when getting a dog don’t take that into consideration. It’s amazing how different every dog is. Even though your last dogs were black dogs, this dog could be totally different. I get people commenting all the time that ‘this dog isn’t the same as my last dog.’ The dogs we had five years ago and the ones we have today are totally different.”
He believes that the animals’ breeding and nutrition have changed significantly. These factors influence animal behavior.
Planning for a pet means considering one’s mortality.
“The big thing is we encourage people to make sure that they have a plan in case their pet outlives them,” Patrick said.
Planning who will take your pets when you pass — preferably someone your pets know and trust — can ensure that the animals won’t go to a
shelter and suffer.
If your teens at home now help with pet care, they’ll leave home eventually and it will all be up to you. As you age, will you be capable of keeping up with Fido and Fluffy if you need surgery or become less physically robust? Walking a dog is tougher than changing cat litter but in either case, a little help and the right products make a difference.
A fenced yard, clean-up service and for exercise, a dog walker can make caring for a pooch simpler. For cats, lightweight cat litter takes the heavy lifting out of cat care (some cats dislike this type of litter, so introduce it slowly).
Patrick also stressed the expense of pet ownership.
“If someone’s on a fixed income, having a pet can be costly to their monthly budget,” he said.
Planning for unexpected pet health expenses, along with fixed expenses like grooming, food and litter can help pet care stay within the budget.