Steve’s Mom Mary was not planning on not making it out of the hospital when she checked in for a minor issue.   Mary lived alone with a very shy white cat named Cala and they lived together for over five years.   Cala is a very skittish cat and hides from people unless they feed her.  As a matter of fact you would not know there was a cat in the house when you visited Mary because Cala always hides from visitors.

The only instructions that Mary left with her family was “Do not send Cala to a shelter.”  Now it is up to Mary’s family to find another home for Cala.   Exactly how long do you think your family will spend finding your pet another good home?    You know your family, would they care for your pet while trying to find a forever home for your pet?  Or just drop your pet off at a shelter or post on Craig’s list and hand over your pet to the first person who answered their ad?

This is why you need to come up with a short term plan for your pet.  It is your pet you need to care for them even after you are no longer able to.  Short term plans take care of your pet’s immediate needs.  Do you have a friend that would be willing to take care of your pet for a short term until some other arrangements can be made for long term?  Get this information written down and where your family can find see it in case.

Of course, Cala could go live with her son but would have to live in the basement because he has a large dog and Cala doesn’t like dogs.   Plus would this be the best place for Cala?    Would Cala like to spend the rest of her life in a basement?   If you have lived with a pet for any length of time you know what they like and what they don’t.  Where do you think they want to spend the rest of their lives?

I know Steve and know he will take care of Cala because he feels it is his responsibility to his mother’s memory.  Cala is a very lucky cat because she has Steve in her life and Steve has a temporary place he can keep her for a short period of time.  Steve will work on finding Cala a forever home because Mary did not make this plan while she could.

If you are the main pet owner it is your responsibility to have a short term plan and a long term plan in place just in case.  These plans need to be written down and left for your family, in case you are no longer in the picture.   These plans would make it easier for your family but more importantly It will be your Pet’s Future!

Are you the actual Cat’s owner in your home?  You take care of the cat?  You say hi to the cat when you walk in the door and bye when you leave the house?

Even if you and your spouse live with the cat – are you the real care giver?  Does the cat depend on you more than your spouse?  Cat follows you around?  Communicates with you more or just likes to be in the same room you are in at that time?

Let’s look forward to a maybe one day if you are not in the picture.  Sure the cat would be okay for a while.  But if the person you are living with is not a true cat person what will happen to your little friend?

Maybe just maybe you know someone else that would be able to meet your cat’s needs better?  If so have you told the person you living with and the person who you want to have your cat?  Don’t surprise them on this subject – let them know your feelings and get them written down.

We are never guaranteed how many days we have and we need to have plans for our animals.  After all we are our pets’ Whole World!  We need to make sure people we live with know our feelings on this subject while we can still leave this information.

You need to write out where you want your pet to end up when your chapter in your cat’s live if over.  You are selective on what you feed your cat, don’t you think you should be just as selective on your cat’s future life?

Write out your cat’s future life before it is too late.  And just telling someone is not enough.  You need to write your instructions out so if this time comes up YOUR ideas will be clearly expressed.  Your Cat’s future depends on your taking a few minutes to put this in writing.

#PetsLifeAfterU

I meet a lot of people who say – yes they have plans for their pets.  Their sister in another state would be happy to take them if they can’t continue to keep them.  However, no actual plans have been developed to get their pet from their current state to a new state.  So this plan is not complete.

Plans for your pet needs to be thought out and complete.  Who gets your pet and how do they get to their new home.  You need to have a plan on getting your 100# dog from Indiana to Minnesota.  This is the information that you have to think through and document.   (Just Googled moving pets and there are companies that will move pets from one state to another state).  Do your homework and make sure you have proper paperwork for this stage so there will be no hold ups on actually having your pet delivered to the future forever homes.

Well thought out plans take time – but you are talking about your pets future life.  You are selective on what food your pet eats you should be just as selective on where your pet will spend their future life with.  Do your homework!

Do you have a pet in your home where you are the pet owner?  An animal that is yours.  A pet that follows you from room to room and meets you at the door every time you return home.  A pet that shows you unconditional love.

You might live with others but that pet is actually yours?  That cat sleeps with you at night and not others?  That dog sits with you watching tv in the evening and not with other people in different rooms.  In other words you are the world to that pet?  Others live in the house with you but to that pet – you are their person.

If you never return to your home – where would the best place for that pet be to live?  Would living with the people you live with right now be the actual best place for the pet to stay?  Or do you know somewhere else that would be a better choice?

It is your responsibility  as that pet’s owner to make sure your wishes are known and documented while you can.  We do not know how long each of us will have and if you do not make your wishes know it will effect your pet’s future life.  You owe that pet who hangs on your every move to make sure their future is taken care of to the best of your ability.

Those where the words that stopped me in my tracks.  I was not expecting them and then had to rethink what would happen to my parrots when I could no longer take care of them.

So I have started checking looking around to find new homes for my birds when I could no longer take care of them.

Best solution would be if I could find actual people that would be willing to take my parrots.   Move them from one home to a new home.

If you can’t find an actual home – how about a pet club in your area?  A lot of clubs have a form of rescue in their bylaws.  I believe a parrot club would have a better placement on my pets than people that do not know anything about them.

Checking with your veterinarian to see if they have any suggestions on who might be able to help you make these future plans?

If you have another pet owner you could make a deal with each other to accept each others pets in case of the event that you could no longer take care of them.

You need to do some homework ahead of time.  This is not an easy thing to do BUT all pet owners need to think about it before it is needed.

Do you have plans for your pets when you can no longer take care of them?

Everyone needs to do their homework for the future of their pets.  Do your pets have other people they like?  Would they be willing to adopt your pet?  If so just put it in writing (like your will) and your pet’s future is secure.

There needs to be more people like Kathleen Zuidema.  Who helps find homes for her pets after she can no longer care for them.

Do you have a plan to help your family decide what to do with your pets if you don’t make in home again?

Especially if you live alone?  Could you pet survive a day? a week? or would there be a problem immediately?  You need to make a plan to help your pet.  After all you are the world to your pet.

What happens if you never walk back into the house?  Do you have a plan in place?  Your pet’s life depends on you putting something in place.

You need to have something written down so if you never return home your hopes for your pet’s future are known.  Don’t leave this at a conversation over a kitchen table last year – because if this is needed your plans need to be written down.

Do something now – even if it just a written note put on your refrigerator.  What are your plans for your pet’s life after U?x`