To continue our celebration of senior pets this National Adopt a Senior Pet Month, we’d like to dive deeper into the benefits of adopting seniors. To encourage suitable families to consider senior cats and dogs, we also think it’s important to discuss the best homes for senior pets.
Senior Pets for Retirees
Because humans over 65+ years old benefit immensely from gentle daily exercise, adopting a senior dog in this life stage makes perfect sense. Senior dogs can be dogs over 7 years old, depending on their breed. Because many of them statistically have lots of years left in them, seniors make excellent companions for active retirees, their spouses, and even their older children.
Puppies can be very demanding – both physically and in terms of time commitment. For this reason, retirees that are looking to slow down after decades of working demanding careers don’t want to take on unnecessary strains. In addition, puppies of certain breeds require more attention and exercise than older dogs because their energy levels are so high. Senior humans are a great match for senior dogs because their energy levels match, they are both still active but have to be gentle on bones and joints, and can benefit immensely from each other’s company during walks and travel.
Senior Pets for Empty Nesters
After 18+ years of raising their children, many parents find themselves lonely and unsettled when their kids go off to college or get their own place. Empty nesters often find that adopting a senior pet, one with lowkey needs specifically, can be a great way of continuing to nurture and raise another being without the commitment that comes with human children, puppies, or kittens.
Some empty nesters, on the other hand, may miss the activity they were used to when their kids were home. These parents may be great candidates for high-needs senior pets because they have the knowledge and wisdom that comes with parenting children, the patience they have learned over years of parenting, and the level of responsibility necessary to properly care for special-needs pets. Whether blind, deaf, or disabled, senior pets deserve loving care in their final years and the right family to support them as they age.
Senior Pets for Families with Older Children
While many senior pets prefer to be around mellow energies, not screaming toddlers, many enjoy the company of older children. Older children that desire to bring a pet into their home may learn more about pets by helping raise a senior pet than by dealing with the overwhelm that may come with young kittens and puppies. Plus, older pets will likely be much less of a distraction for teens as they focus on their schoolwork and extracurricular activities. In addition, because senior pets are a shorter-term commitment, they can be a great addition to a family that isn’t sure what their life will be like once the kids graduate from high school.
Finally, adopting a senior pet with older children in the home is a wonderful way to honor seniors and allow younger generations to develop a love and respect for the elderly. Understanding their pets’ changing bodies, supporting them as their needs change, and recognizing when it’s time to say goodbye is an invaluable experience that prepares teenagers and college-aged kids for inevitable loss in the future.
At Shoreline Happy Paws, we love senior and special-needs pets. To learn more about our services and design a visit schedule that best suits your senior, please contact us at info@cthappypaws.com or 860-964-0464.
