Living with Seniors: Life with Aging Pets

Rosie the dog

Living with seniors can be a challenge. I’m not talking about high school seniors, though that is tough enough (especially when they cut the apron springs with a vengeance). Nor am I referring to senior citizens (aka “old people” and my future self). I’m talking about pets, animal companions, otherwise known as my four-legged kids. I live with two seniors: Rosie the dog and Zac the cat. We adopted Rosie when she was a youngster, all of 1 ½ years old. At the same time, we adopted Buddy, a pup of six months but already bigger than his new sister.

I had never had dogs before —I consider myself mostly a cat person—but my kids, especially my daughter, longed for a dog. She often talked about getting a dog when she was older and had her own place. Then I experienced one of those poignant moments that all parents get and considered how sad it would be if she did not have a dog growing up. Within a couple of months, two dogs had joined our family of two teens and two cats.

Despite having six pets over the last decade, I have never lived with a really old one. Mittens the cat had a heart attack in the middle of the night when he was about 6 (the vet said it was congenital and nothing could have been done, but I had nightmares for weeks after that traumatic event). Socks, brother of Mittens, had diabetes for his last 5 years. We all learned to give him insulin twice daily, which he stoically accepted, and I rushed him to the vet once or twice when he crashed. He was a huge affectionate ball of gray fur, and we loved him dearly. He got very sick when he was 11, so we had to say goodbye. Puff, our healthiest cat, got pancreatic cancer and within a few weeks crossed over the rainbow bridge at age 9.

Then there was Buddy – a big lovable mix of shepherd and lab, a large, goofy dog with floppy ears. Like many rescue animals, he had had a rough start in his early months but was fortunately rescued and nursed back to health. He needed further medical treatment his first year, but he rebounded and was a healthy, happy-go-lucky dog. When he was 7, his liver decided to quit. That was hard on all of us, no less on Zac, who had become Buddy’s best friend in the six months they had together. Rosie also mourned her brother canine and lost weight. It’s rough on all of us when we lose one of the four-legged members of the family.

Zac and Rosie have survived and are now in their golden years. I often joke that they got to retire in Florida. Zac was already a senior cat when I met him. He was at that hard-to-adopt age of 10 1/2, but I fell in love with him, especially as he was a dog lover. Buddy was ecstatic that we finally had a cat who would love him back as the previous ones never had. Zac sometimes thinks he’s still a kitten and has crazy moments in the day when he attacks a rug or chases a lizard. He’s needed some dental work, which cost a pretty penny, but overall he seems to defy his years.

Rosie, though, is definitely feeling her age. She has mobility problems, her fur is getting grayer, and now she’s developed some bladder issues. I’ve tried numerous medicines with limited success and now am trying Chinese herbal medicine, which the vet and the vet techs have used with some good results. It’s going to take some time, though, and it’s not cheap. I’m mopping the floors often. I’ve even started putting diapers on her during the most frequent accident times. She looks at me somewhat reproachfully, so I apologize and praise her, tell her she’s a good dog and that I know she can’t help it as I thread her tail through the hole and tape on the diaper.

The thought crosses my mind that someday I’ll be old, experience mobility problems, have gray hair, and suffer embarrassing bladder issues. Old age happens to all of us, if we’re lucky. So while I may complain about the expense and the mopping, I just put down a rag to absorb the latest accident as I head out to the vet’s to pick up this month’s medicines, giving Rosie a loving pat before I go.

Suggestions

Consider adopting rescued animals. Many are in dire need of good homes and they’ll love you forever.
Consider adopting senior animals. You’ll get more information on their personalities than you would on a pup or kitten.