Aging In Place Directory

#34 - Pets and Aging: Finding Joy in Four-Legged Companionship

• Esther C Kane CAPS, C.D.S. • Season 2 • Episode 8

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Products To Make Pet Ownership Easier For Seniors

Automatic Pet Feeders

No Pull Dog Harnesses

Pet Stairs and Ramps

Pet Camers & Treat Dispensers

Pets provide unconditional love and numerous benefits for older adults, though pet ownership comes with challenges that can be overcome with the right solutions and adaptive approaches.

• Pets offer companionship, emotional support, and reduce feelings of loneliness and depression
• Physical health benefits include lower blood pressure, reduced stress, and better heart health
• Daily pet care encourages activity, maintains mobility, and can improve balance
• Pets create structure and purpose in daily life
• Dogs especially create opportunities for social interaction during walks and outings
• Personal experience highlights how pets provide comfort after loss of a spouse
• Physical limitations can make cleaning litter boxes, lifting pet food, or walking dogs difficult
• Veterinary costs, medications, and routine care can become financial burdens
• Solutions include elevated feeding stations, pet stairs, and adaptive tools
• Cost management through pet insurance, wellness plans, and low-cost vet clinics
• Pet assistance services like Rover, Wag, and Meowtel provide walking and sitting services
• Creating backup pet care plans for travel or medical emergencies is essential
• Helpful products include automatic feeders, no-pull harnesses, and pet cameras

Subscribe to our podcast, visit our website at aginginplacedirectory.com, and share what solutions or products have made pet care easier for you.


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Speaker 1:

Hello and welcome back to the Aging in Place podcast, where we talk about everything related to aging well and living independently. I'm your host, esther Kane, and today we'll be discussing a topic that brings me so much joy, and I'm sure it does for many of you as well, and that is about the companionship of pets, the joys and challenges of pet ownership for older adults. Whether you already have a pet or if you're thinking about getting a pet, we'll explore the many ways that pets obviously, I think if you've ever owned one enhance our lives, but some of the challenges that come with them and the solutions for these challenges that can help to make pet ownership easier for you. I mean, I'm also going to share my personal experience with my two pets and how much comfort they've given me, especially after my husband passed away. All right, so let's get to it. So why do I think and why do so many studies show that pets are wonderful companions for older adults? Well, there's a reason so many of us consider pets actual family, and here are some of the key benefits of having a pet as we grow older.

Speaker 1:

Number one companionship and emotional support. Pets provide unconditional love, most of them, I know some can be more rambunctious than others. They can help to reduce loneliness and ease depression and anxiety. Number two the physical health benefits. Many studies show that pet owners tend to have lower blood pressure, reduce stress and even better heart health. Number three they encourage daily activity. Walking a dog or playing with a cat or your bird or your rabbit keeps you moving and helps to maintain mobility, and it also can help to increase your balance, which, of course, helps to prevent falls. Number four is routine and purpose. Having a pet to care for adds structure to your day and adds purpose to your day, which can be beneficial for mental as well as physical well-being. And finally, number five a social connection. Pets help to create opportunities for conversation and social interaction, especially dogs. Because you have to walk them, you meet other people. Because you have to walk them, you meet other people, other people, especially with dogs. I can go to a dog park and in some parts of the country there are. They are very the towns that you live in or can be very pet friendly. I know mine is here in Georgia and you can take your pet almost you know, anywhere, outdoor seating at restaurants and I see all the beautiful parks that are here. It's very common to see people walking with their pets well, dogs, sometimes a cat.

Speaker 1:

So my own personal story is the comfort of my two cats. After my husband passed away, obviously my home felt quite empty. The silence was very difficult. I often felt quite lonely. But my two cats, they became my greatest source of comfort. They seemed to know when I needed them, curling up beside me, offering their quiet companionship sometimes not so quiet companionship. Their purring, their playful moments, their daily routines gave me something to look forward to each day and some purpose to my days. I know I'm not alone in this experience. Obviously Many older adults find that a pet can fill a space in their hearts and in their homes in ways that nothing else really can, because the love they give you is so unconditional.

Speaker 1:

But there are challenges of pet ownership for older adults. So and of course, responsibilities. So here are some of the common challenges that seniors face. Physical limitations is number one. You know, things like bending down to clean the litter box, lifting heavy pet food, walking a strong dog can really become difficult.

Speaker 1:

Veterinary and health care costs are nothing to be shy about. Routine checkups, vaccinations, emergency medical care can definitely become a financial burden. You know I've had a total of, I think five or six dogs, nine cats, you know, in my lifetime, or six dogs, nine cats, you know, in my lifetime. And yes, all of these can definitely add up as far as health care and vet costs. Finding care when traveling or if you're feeling unwell and unable to care for your pet, you know, arranging pet care if you're in the hospital or you're away on vacation. It can be difficult if you don't have a backup plan already in place. And just the energy and time commitment you know even a low maintenance pet requires daily feeding, attention, grooming, bathing, all of those things. I don't really see them as a burden, but they can be a challenge depending on you know your physical capabilities.

Speaker 1:

So we're going to talk about some solutions for these. So the first one is I want to talk about solutions for managing veterinary and health care costs. These expenses can add up quickly, as some of you may know, if you already have a pet, and here are some ways to make it a bit more affordable. Look into pet insurance or wellness plans. You know it can help to cover unexpected vet bills and many vet clinics offer monthly wellness plans that cover things like checkups, vaccinations. Look for low-cost vet clinics and assistance programs in your local area. A lot of animal shelters, nonprofits, veterinary schools provide discounted service for older adults and use. Talk to your vet about generic medications and home remedies. You know if they're safe when they can be safe. You know some pet medications you can get a cheaper version. Sometimes you may even be able to get a sample from the vet, and many human pharmacies offer pet prescriptions at lower costs. So check out that and there are some places, especially animal shelters, that may offer, you know, once a year very low cost spade and neutering services and perhaps other vet services as well. So you know, keep an eye out for those. Let your vet know that you are always looking for that.

Speaker 1:

Solutions for seniors with physical limitations I myself have lower back issues from the days of lifting older adults when I was an occupational therapist and as a result of that there are times that I have a very difficult time getting things from the floor level. So what I did with my cats is the room that the litter box is in. I had a carpenter, build some steps and an elevated shelf and I put the litter box on that shelf and then my cats can walk up the steps to the shelf. The reason I had the steps is because I had a 19 year old cat and she couldn't jump up to the shelf, which most cats can, but she wasn't able to. So that's why I incorporated the steps. But it does make it a lot easier for them, as the two cats I have now are only seven years old, but at some point, if they live to 19, they may need those steps quite easily. But that's one thing that I did to make it a little easier. And if, for whatever reason, I cannot reach their food bowls down although I do have elevated food food bowls, which makes a little easier, but if there are times then I use a grabber, one of those extended grabbers, to grab the bowl and put it up on the counter. So there are tools that you can use and there are ways that you can change it. But there are three things I can talk about is to use adaptive pet care products. You like, like, like what I said elevated food bowls, rolling pet. You know food dispensers that well, they don't actually roll, they just let out the food at certain times.

Speaker 1:

Some people talk about the self-cleaning litter boxes. I am not a big fan of the self-cleaning litter boxes. Yes, they'll clean the litter for the time, but every now and then you do have to go in and clean the entire box and taking it apart and cleaning those separate components is not an easy task. So for older adults I would not recommend a self-cleaning litter box. Just I would recommend something that's much easier to empty and clean.

Speaker 1:

You can also hire pet assistance services services like Rover or Wag. They offer dog walking. Some companies provide in-home pet care. The company I use is called Meowtel the sitter. The pet sitter that I found through Meowtel is absolutely excellent. I've used her several times and she's wonderful. She comes in and she can even stay overnight. So look for any of these types of services in your area and, of course, ask your friends you know, family, anybody nearby, people in your clubs, your church, for anyone that you can trust to come into your home and take care of your pet.

Speaker 1:

You want to train pets for easier handling. A no-pull harness can make dog walking safer, especially if you happen to have a larger dog, and training pets to use an indoor potty area can even reduce the need for frequent, frequent walks. If that's an issue for you, definitely looking for a school nearby, in your area, for training your pet can be a wonderful thing that you would need to look for or should look for if you're planning to adopt a pet, especially a dog, all right, so what about finding pet care when traveling or if you're unwell, have to go to a hospital or just need time to recoup One? You know finding a trusted pet sitter or a boarding service in advance? You want to have them in your Rolodex to call. Actually, I would recommend two or three, in case you know one is simply unable to accommodate your time. You want to have that already, you know available. You know already to call.

Speaker 1:

Websites like Rover, carecom, local animal shelters, can connect you with reliable pet sitters and consider a pet boarding facility that specializes in pet care. I have several family members who have dogs and their dogs love going to the boarding facilities because they get to play with all the other dogs. Now, not every single dog is going to love that. Of course it has to be. Not all dogs get along with other dogs, but if your dog is very friendly with other dogs, they may actually end up loving a pet boarding situation.

Speaker 1:

You can also set up a backup pet care plan with friends, family, neighbors. You know I have my pet sitter from Meowtel but I also have a friend and I also have a neighbor. So I have three people in my Rolodex that I can call to take care of my pets. You know, when I'm away or if anything were to happen to me, you can obviously always have a pet care instruction sheet, feeding schedules, medications. You know the vet information contacts. You know for the meow tell pet sitter I have all the information for my neighbors and the vet and little habits that the cats my cats like to do and little habits that my cats like to do, what times they like to eat, that kind of thing. It's always good to have that out on the counter for when you're away.

Speaker 1:

Some animal shelters and rescue centers offer short-term foster programs for pet owners who are in the hospital or recovering from surgery. Organizations like Pets for Life and PACT, p-a-c-t for animals also provide temporary foster care. But if you travel frequently you definitely want to look into a pet share kind of program where multiple owners co-care for pets when one person in the group is away. That's an excellent way to do it because then the pets become very familiar with the other house and the other person caring for them. So what about some products? There's some wonderful products these days to make pet ownership easier for older adults Automatic pet feeders those are wonderful and I'm going to have links to these products in the show notes below.

Speaker 1:

But automatic pet feeders can be excellent, especially if you tend to be away from home. You know work during the day. You want to have something there for them. No, pull dog harnesses, as I mentioned before, helps to control dogs without the strain on them, on you. Pet stairs and ramps, so that you don't have to pick up your animal you know for them to get up on the sofa or onto your bed. Pet cameras are a great way for you to keep an eye on your pet, to see what they're doing during the day hopefully not tearing apart the sofa or anything like that and, of course, treat dispensers, which is very similar to the automatic pet feeders.

Speaker 1:

The closing thoughts on this entire topic of pet ownership is that owning a pet, of course, is a personal decision. As someone who's almost always owned a pet, I can't imagine a household without one, although there are times that I wonder if it would be better to just get a robotic. Pet would be easier, less expensive, but at the same time, the love and affection that they give you, the comfort that they give you at least for me is just invaluable. At most times I'm sitting right here doing my podcast and I've got one cat on one side and one on the other side, so I can't imagine being without them. But if a full-time pet doesn't necessarily fit your lifestyle, consider other ways. Consider volunteering at a shelter, considering fostering an animal or just spending time with a friend's pet, you know, becoming a friend's sitter, a sitter for their pet. I think that if you are a pet lover, if you whether you have a dog, a cat, a bird, a turtle, a rabbit fish, anything at all I just think caring for another living thing is such a wonderful way to spend time, especially if you're retired and you have that extra time.

Speaker 1:

All right, if you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to subscribe to our podcast. Visit our website, aginginplacedirectorycom. Give us your thoughts, your comments. If you have a pet that brings you joy, what solutions or products have you found that help to make pet care easier for you? I'd love to hear what your experiences are and what your comments are. Thanks for listening and remember Aging in Place is all about creating a life that works for you. Until next time, take care.

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Esther C. Kane, CAPS, C.D.S.

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