Making Arrangements For The Care Of Our Pets When We're Gone

I realized this morning that I have finally reached the age where I am probably not going to outlive my cat. I will be in my late 80s when Ella is in her late 20s, if I am still alive. Given that I have raised four cats into their twenties, which I attribute to feeding them healthy foods, and I didn't start feeding good foods to the others until they were more than ten years old, there's no reason to believe that Ella won't live into her late 20s. Lydia lived to be 26, and Cutie is still kicking at 28, and Ella has never been fed anything but healthy foods. While I am pretty sure that I'll outlive Cutie, I am unlikely to outlive Ella, seeing as I have had two cancers already. Perhaps I should have fed myself healthy foods.

My wife has had her own share of health problems, but will probably outlive me, although you never know about those things. I've known someone who cared for her sick husband for years, then died before he did. My wife would, of course, be responsible for Ella if I were to go first. I think Ella likes her better, anyhow.

Moving on, while there may be no immediate need, I have been thinking about what I could do to arrange for Ella's wellbeing if she should outlive both of us. I had a friend who adored her dog and made arrangements for someone to take her dog in after she died, which occurred after a long struggle with cancer. Given that she was not without means, I am thinking that she probably left money for the care of her dog, as well. It was an ankle-biter dog, so it wouldn't cost a fortune to feed. Yet the people who had agreed to take her dog gave it away within a week or two. They said they found a home for it, but may well have brought it to the pound.

I thought that was a pretty scumsucking thing to do. I could see it if the dog were just thrust upon them, but they had agreed to take the dog in.

Of course, I wouldn't know and would have no control over what happened after I was gone, but I know that I'd like to believe that Ella was well cared for. Maybe I'll need to make friends with someone. I don't think anyone in my family would particularly like to take in a cat. My oldest brother once had cats, but they move between Michigan and Florida now, so that wouldn't be something they'd be interested in.

I know that a lot of people die, leaving pets behind with no arrangements having been made. A few years back, there was a dog going through people's trash here which had apparently belonged to someone who died, and the dog was simply kicked out of the house when it was sold. Otherwise, I suppose the police or whoever is auctioning off the property would call the pound. I don't know, and I am pretty sure that a lot of people don't even think about what's going to happen to their pets when they are gone.

I've known people who had arranged for their pets to be euthanized if they should die, but no; that's certainly not what I would want for Ella. My cats are like family, and kids aren't generally euthanized when their parents die, although if we elect a few more people like the governor of Virginia, we might come to that.

I am thankful that both myself and my wife are almost certainly going to outlive Cutie because she would be a difficult cat for anyone else to take in. Not only would they have to deal with her deafness and her age-related medical problems, but she'd hiss them every time they came into the room.

Ella, on the other hand, is perfectly socialized. She's cautious around people outdoors but she seems to know that if we have invited someone into the house, they are safe, and she goes about the business of making friends.

Twenty years ago, I would have known people around me who would be willing to take in a cat, and who I would have trusted to do so. I don't socialize with a lot of people anymore so I can't think of anyone.