If you can’t imagine not sharing your home and your life with a pet, then you’ll likely enter your senior years as a pet parent.
Pet parenthood offers so many benefits to people in their fifties and up. There are obvious pluses like love and companionship, as well as some lesser-known perks.
Such as the fact that caring for a pet can provide a sense of purpose and bring structure to our lives, encourage us to be more physically active, and help lower our levels of stress and anxiety.
As we age, it’s important to choose animal companions that line up with our ability to care for them, but we should also be willing to ask for help and support if pet parenting circumstances change.
Making careful, well-informed choices about pet parenthood in our senior years and putting a plan into place that prioritizes our pet’s well-being and happiness is so important, both for us and for the pets we love.
Here are some things to consider if you’re a pet parent (or planning to become one) in the golden years of your life.
Intuitively, pet parents just know that having an animal in the house is good for them. For instance, it feels good to be in the presence of a pet. Scientific research backs this up, proving that pet parenthood can actually benefit our mental and physical health.
On the physical side of health and wellness, living with a dog encourages us to get outdoors and be more physically active. Our canine companions require walks multiple times a day, urging us to get off of our sofa and take a stroll around the block or get some sun in the park.
A study from the University of Lincoln in England showed that walking a dog resulted in an increased heart rate and ranks it as “exercise at a moderate intensity” according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The benefits of this type of regular exercise are endless, including a reduction in the risk of diseases like diabetes or elevated blood pressure, stronger bones and muscles, weight management, increased heart health, and even improved brain health.
Another study (this one from the journal Social Indicators Research) found that among pet parents in Australia and Germany, “people who continuously own a pet are the healthiest group” when compared to people who don’t have pets or those who cease to have pets.
This longitudinal research found that pet parents require approximately 15% fewer annual doctor visits than people without pets.
The benefits of pet parenthood extend beyond the physical, too. Pets, say researchers, can actually lower our levels of stress and anxiety.
Dogs produce what researchers have dubbed “the pet effect” finding that they have the ability to give rise to a “psychologically calming effect” in humans. This effect is even more powerful in people who experience higher levels of anxiety.
Loneliness is another challenge that we can face at any age, but certainly in the later years of life. As we leave work routines behind us or become empty nesters, pets are able to provide us with both companionship and emotional fulfilment.
The journal Aging and Mental Health published a study showing that pet parents were 36% less likely to say that they were experiencing feelings of loneliness than people who did not have pets. This is significant because, as the study reports, seniors who feel lonely are “at increased risk for a range of negative physical and mental health outcomes, including early mortality.”
Additionally, pets can act as “social mediums” that support us in creating connections with other people (just think back to the dozens of spontaneous, pet-inspired conversations you’ve had with strangers on a walk or in the park).
Pet parents, reports a survey conducted in part by Harvard, were 60% more likely than people without pets to form connections to people in their neighbourhood who they hadn’t met previously. The study also showed that other types of pets (like cats, rabbits, and birds) also presented opportunities for building friendships and supportive connections with others.
Having a pet in the home provides company, but it also creates a routine that’s often accompanied by increased feelings of purpose. Why get out of bed this morning? Because your cat insists that you do!
Pets love a routine. Even if it’s subconscious on their part, our pets set us up for rituals throughout the day. They tell us when it’s feeding time, when it’s time for a walk or to change the litter, when it’s time for a treat and when they need to cuddle.
A study from the University of Michigan found that 75% of pet parents in their senior years feel that their pets give them a sense of purpose. The survey also found that over 70% of older adults said that coping with physical or emotional symptoms is eased by the presence of a pet and that 46% of pet parents say their pet helps to distract them from feeling physical pain.
It’s truly remarkable to see all the ways in which our pets improve our health. Your pup isn’t just a pretty face — he or she is a bonafide lifesaver.
Knowing the mental and physical benefits that having a pet can provide, ageing pet parents must also consider that different kinds (and breeds) of animals will require different levels of care, with some being more physically demanding than others.
Perhaps you’re still running marathons. A more active animal may suit your current lifestyle perfectly. The question is: will their need for intense activity outlast yours? The type of pet you choose isn’t dictated by your age but by your ability to provide for their needs, whether you’re doing it yourself or enlisting outside help.
Making educated and informed choices and having a plan in place for future pet care will simplify pet parenthood as you (and your pet) age, keeping you both happy and healthy.
Start by doing some research on the type of pet that will be the best fit for your physical abilities and the amount of time you can invest in their care.
If you’re considering a dog or cat, think about whether or not adopting an older pet would be a good choice. Senior pets may require less strenuous physical activity and are less likely to be adopted from shelters or rescue organizations. Adopting a senior pet as a senior human is what could be described as a win-win.
In addition to the age of the animal you want to adopt, size, breed, and species should be considered.
Cats tend to be independent, making them well-suited for pet parents who experience mobility issues and who may have a harder time providing a pet with the level of physical activity they want. Small animals such as birds or rabbits can still provide the companionship pet parents seek, but don’t need to be taken for long walks and are often a more affordable option if you’re on a budget.
At Pet Valu, pet parents over the age of 60 can shop on the last Thursday of every month, when we celebrate Seniors Day, and get a 10% discount on all regularly priced items. We also offer free shipping on orders over $49, which is a great option for senior pet parents who don’t want to deal with large or heavy items like bags of kibble.
Talk to a Pet Valu Animal Care Expert in store who can suggest products that make pet parenthood in your older years easier, such as automatic feeders, self-cleaning litter boxes, and electronic toys that keep your pet engaged and entertained — but require less effort than a game of fetch.
Perhaps the most important consideration for pet parents over 50 is the establishment of a care plan for their pet if they become unable (either permanently or temporarily) to meet the needs of their beloved bestie.
If you have a will, it’s a good idea to make your wishes for your pet known there, but for other unforeseen circumstances, talking to friends and family about how to care for your pet during, for example, a hospital stay.
Make a list of your pet’s needs, including when to feed them and how much, when to walk them, what their bathroom routine looks like, and information about any medications they require. Post it on your fridge or give it to your designated pet care back-up person so they have access to it should the need arise.
The people who love you will understand how much you love your pet. Asking them for help shouldn’t be a burden, but an opportunity for them to demonstrate that they care about you and your animal.
Ensuring that older pet parents and their pets can stay together is important. The bond between them is a healthy and beneficial one and there are many options for older people whose ability to fully care for their pets has decreased.
The simplest strategy is to seek out and hire qualified and caring professionals to pick up some of the slack. Dog walkers can step in if an ageing pet parent’s mobility has become an issue.
At-home groomers and vets who make house calls are options for seniors who no longer drive or for those who find it difficult to get their pet into a car or onto public transit.
A professional pet sitter or a trusted pet boarding home can be on call in case of an emergency that takes a pet parent away from home.
If hiring outside support is a financial burden, perhaps you can ask family and friends to take turns handling vet visits or helping with grooming.
Having a conversation about pet care and showcasing a genuine willingness to help out may make it easier for an older pet parent to accept the support they need, whether that’s simple reminders about appointments or stopping by to help administer a pet’s medication.
If you’re a pet parent yourself, there are also ways to combine caring for your pet with supporting an ageing parent’s relationship with theirs.
Registering both of your pets with the same veterinarian makes it easy to double up on vet visits for regular treatments like flea and tick management or vaccinations. Grooming appointments can also be booked together and shopping trips to pick up food, litter, and other supplies that need to be regularly restocked can be done all at once.
When you give your pet their flea and tick treatment, call your parent to remind them to give it to their pet, too.
If a pet parent becomes unable to live alone, hiring in-home care that will also look after a pet or finding an assisted living facility that allows animals, will guarantee the pet love and companionship an older pet parent is used to remains consistent.
Health and wellness benefits for pet parents over 50
In addition to the love and joy they bring to our lives, there are actually proven health benefits benefits to loving and caring for a dog, cat or other beloved animal
What to ask if you’re over the age of 50 and getting a pet
As people get older, sometimes the type of pet that’s right for them evolves. From different dog breeds, to cats and other small animals, consider these options as an older pet parent.
How to support parents as they age with pets
Pets can enrich your parents lives as they get older, but they may also require extra help from you to care for the animal now and in the future
