Pets: Things to Consider Before Getting Your Elderly Loved One a Pet

Pets: Are you thinking about getting a pet for your elderly loved one?

If you are, first, you should make sure your elderly loved one wants pets. If they aren’t comfortable with having a pet in their house or they aren’t feeling up to taking care of a pet, this isn’t a good idea. However, if they do want a pet, there are some other things to consider before actually getting them a pet.

 

Home Care in Glenolden PA: Getting a Pet

Home Care in Glenolden PA: Getting a Pet

 

Disabilities

One of the things that you should consider before getting your elderly loved one a pet is any disabilities they have. For example, if your elderly loved one needs to use a cane to move around, it may not be a good idea to get them a smaller dog that could easily walk under their feet. This could cause injuries for the dog and for your elderly loved one. In addition, if these disabilities prevent your elderly loved one from taking a dog out to use the bathroom or from emptying a cat’s litter box, hopefully, you or one of the caregivers can help a bit.

 

Getting an Emotional Support Animal

Another thing that you may want to consider with your elderly loved one is whether you should get them an emotional support animal. If your elderly loved one rents their house, they may not be allowed to have a pet. However, if they qualify for an emotional support animal, the landlord can’t turn down their request to have a pet. If your elderly loved one has any mental health issues or even chronic pain, these may qualify them for an emotional support animal.

 

Temperament of the Pet

Before you get a pet for your elderly loved one, you may want to consider the temperament of that pet. For example, if your elderly loved one doesn’t like hearing dogs barking, you may want to get them a dog breed that doesn’t bark much. If they don’t like the way that dogs act, they may prefer a cat instead.

 

Pets: Conclusion

These are some of the things that you may want to consider before getting your elderly loved one a pet. If you think about these things and your elderly loved one does want to get a pet, you can better decide what type of pet to get them. If you still aren’t sure, you may want to talk to breeders or a pet shop worker to see if they can help to pick out a pet.

 

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Care in Glenolden, PA, please contact the friendly staff at Suma Home Care.

 

Sources

https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/health-benefits/index.html

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/5-reasons-seniors-should-consider-getting-a-pet-2019-04-03

Ibrahim & Mariama Suma-Keita