Pet less and so many mixed feelings

[Aussie_2020]

I’m sorry for your loss, it’s always hard. Hugs to you.

Fostering is a wonderful way to enjoy having an animal and to help them find a great new home. Fostering can help the cat or dog learn how to live in a house and to do things like walk on leash etc. Or it can be to get the animal relief from the shelter environment.

For those of you advocating an older person to get a kitten(s), some rescues and shelters do not adopt a young animal to an old person because many times the animal out lives the people. It’s so sad to see an older pet come into the shelter, it’s worse than sad it’s heartbreaking.

[S1969]

@KBC

We went to the city the other day, and did not have to worry about getting home. I have to go to the next city over next week, for a hospital check up, husband wanted to maybe stay overnight, well I guess now it’s possible. We are indoors looking at the Arctic weather out there, and no one is sad that we don’t have to go walk.

I don’t know how I feel about living petless, I’m in my late 60’s, DH mid 70’s, I guess we wait until spring and see what happens. I did wonder about volunteering to be a foster dog parent, might follow up on that thought.

Just feeling a bit off kilter and ungrounded and sad right now.

I’m sorry for your loss.
BUT
Enjoy being pet-less for a little while. Until something really grabs you.

My uncle and his wife are in Europe right now. He’s 80 and she’s late 60s. They do a fair amount of traveling - the kind of places I would like to go to, not just sitting on a beach or going to Disney. Fun cities, good food, some history.

I’m kind of jealous. I have 3 dogs and a cat. I can’t go anywhere.

I LOVE having pets. But sometimes I wish I didn’t so I could do some other things. And maybe it would just be for a while, and then I’d get another pet. But - if I ended up pet-less for a while I think I’d try a few new things and enjoy the opportunity to do them without the worry and hassle of getting someone to care for your animals.

[KBC]

@S1969

But - if I ended up pet-less for a while I think I’d try a few new things and enjoy the opportunity to do them without the worry and hassle of getting someone to care for your animals.

This is where DH is, he has never been a fan of pets, so he says, and he is definitely welcoming the freedom. He cleaned out the “pet” cupboard the other day, while I cried in the other room. Some stuff got binned, snacks etc will get donated, but some got put in a plastic tote and put in the basement, because “I don’t suppose we’ll be petless forever”

I don’t think I want another cat, but I didn’t intend getting the last one, just happened to be picking up meds for my horse, and saw the vet tech holding this very sorry looking kitten that had been thrown from a moving vehicle. I said if he lived I would take him on. A week later I got a call saying my cat was ready for pick up!

[Willesdon]

I don’t own any pets: my lifestyle has never allowed me to have a dog. However, every relative or friend who does have a dog or cat lends it to me when they go away. I have plenty of part time pets!!

[trubandloki]

@KBC, I am so sorry for your loss(es).

[Zevida]

I’m sorry for your loss.

Spring of last year I lost the last of my elderly cats and was petless for the first time in almost 20 years. My mom was also in the final stages of her stage 4 cancer and I was traveling a lot, so in addition to the grieving I held off on any new pets for a while for those reasons. My mom passed six months later, and after the holidays I decided I missed coming home to happy faces. I tried to foster adult cats but reached out to 3 rescues and nobody responded to me over the 2 months I tried. Finally I gave up and adopted 2 4 month old kittens in late March and I am just over the moon in love with them. They just turned a year old and are such a joy. When you are ready you will know and until then it’s ok to grieve and to enjoy the little things (like not having to go for walks, or traveling without arranging pet care).

[TWH_Girl]

@Zevida I feel like we may need to see these kitty faces who are fulfilling your soul