Seniors and Pets

Animals Can Enrich Lives and Boost Wellbeing

Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash

When Dan was a kid, he had a dog, Ginger, but having a pet was never even considered at my house. When we were twelve, he gave me a hamster —as a Christmas present—and that was my introduction to animals.

It should have been no surprise that he wanted a pet after we got married, but I was not happy when he let the first stray dog into the house. Over the years, though, I adjusted. We had dogs, cats, hamsters, gerbils, fish, and birds. Cats were my favorite, and we had more than I could count.

First, there was Sammie and Cookie, then two Kacis, Missy, and others. They were always a part of our family. When we moved to California, we had to find someone to adopt Cookie, but when we moved to Washington State for a while, Missy came along.

After we had to have her put to sleep, we found Bella (on the left) and Bailey (on the right) at a rescue shelter and adopted them. They’ve been the authors of several past newsletter articles. They sat on Dan’s lap; he would brush and play with them for hours.

But as the dementia increased, his mind played games. He thought they were evil and wanted to get rid of them. At one point, I told him if the cats went, so did I. He didn’t mention it again.

Since Dan’s death, those two have kept me company. They seem to sense my moods and comfort me. Bella was traumatized as a kitten and was closer to him, so she regressed for a while, but she sleeps with me every night—as close as possible, and now sleeps on the bed during the day instead of under it. Bailey is a lovebug—in every way. If anything happened to them, I’d immediately look for another one. They are that important.

I’ve also introduced you to my six grand pets—five dogs and a cat. Two of them live close by, and I see them regularly. Fallon is my little buddy. He’s 16 1/2 years old, doesn’t hear or see well, and has arthritis, but he still climbs in my lap and regularly gives me kisses. This picture shows him lounging at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, B.C. He didn’t do as well on the last trip to Utah, so maybe his traveling days are over - but he’s taken many trips over the years.

Fallon’s sister, Lily, is a small chihuahua mix. One afternoon, my daughter and I were walking them in the park when another dog attacked. Lily spooked, pulled out of her collar, and ran for her life, using the street instincts she developed as a puppy. Four hours later, she returned to the car safe and sound. Seeing how many people stopped everything to help find her was heartwarming.

Having pets has pros and cons. It’s true - training, socializing, and caring for them is a lot of work, but the rewards can also be significant.

A pet gives older adults a reason to leave the house, exercise, meet new people, and more. For people who live alone or in group facilities, pets can help reduce stress, lower blood pressure, increase social interaction and physical activity, and help them learn.

The staff at the memory care facility where Dan stayed brought their pets to work regularly, and he made friends with a couple of them.

There are many articles written about the power of pets for older adults.

Pollyanna author Eleanor Porter foreshadowed what many of our nation’s leading long-term care facilities have only recently learned: that animals hold the key to graceful aging.

Animals’ love and companionship have enriched my life in many ways. I’ve gone from thinking one would ruin it to knowing firsthand that having a furry friend or family member can be significant—not only for seniors.

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Janice Walton is a psychologist, widow, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and writer. Her book Aging Well: 30 Lessons for Making the Most of Your Later Years is available on Amazon, and she has written articles for Substack for four years.

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