If You Don't Want To Lose A Pet Get A Tortoise, Parrot or Koi. No More Pets For Me.

[SheilaT]

8. While it is sad to out live your furry companions,

to me it is well worth the pain to have them for however long they live.

And if you to have pets you expect to outlive you, make absolutely certain you have someone who really will take them in if you pass on before them.

When I did volunteer work at an animal shelter, the saddest cases we got in were dogs or cats whose human had died or moved into a nursing home, and there was no one able or willing to take them in. Sometimes the pets were in poor shape because the owner hadn't been able to take good care of them in the last months. Sometimes there were two, who were so tightly bonded they were going to be needed to be adopted out together. And that never happened with older animals.

Right now I don't have any cats -- my preferred pet. I'm doing too much travelling to be a responsible owner right now, although at one point not too long ago I had three. Someday, when I'm ready to have cats again, I'll go to the animal shelter and adopt the oldest one they have. Or taken in a pair whose previous owner had to give them up.

And I've told my sons that if someday I need to be put in some sort of home, please try to get me in one that has cats. No dogs for me, but cats.

Actually, more places like that should have resident cats or dogs.