I love my dogs. Tootsie is 15 years old & Snickers is probably 13 years old. We don't really know for sure because he is a rescue. They are really part of our family and have been for years. We have been fortunate that they have lived decently long healthy lives. When we got them our children were young and excited to have them around. Now that our kids have left the nest the dogs are mainly our responsibility. Truth be told they were always mostly our responsibility. I hope that they live many more healthy years. But after they are gone Michael and I have decided we will not be having any new pets.
This is a hard decision for me because I always had some sort of a pet. I have had birds, hamsters, turtles, goldfish, cats and dogs. I love animals. But with my travel schedule and hectic work life it would not be fair to the pet. This decision is a big one for many who are approaching retirement. My mother in law got a dog about 13 years ago but after a few years her living situation changed. Fortunately she was able to give the dog to Michael's brother & wife. They were thrilled. This is a great example of why it's important to think long and hard about adding a new pet to your family as you consider your retirement plan and dreams.
Pets require love, time & energy. If your retirement plan includes dreams that will not jive with those 3 important things it may be best to reconsider getting a new addition to the family. On the other hand there are many people who make animals an integral part of their retirement dream. Betty White comes to mind. She can't get enough animals even in her 90's. Animals are her priority. In fact, she is leaving more money to her pets than she is to her people. Rumor has it she has at least a dozen muts. She is also continuously fostering animals. Either way it all requires some thought and planning.
Just like anything else we need to consider how devoted we can be to our pets at any point in life. I will miss having furry friends around. But I am hoping that I will have Grandpets, as one of our clients called it the other day. I can visit, pamper & leave...Do you have a pet you absolutely love? Send us a picture. We would love to see it.