# Care for our pets after we pass on...



## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

I wanted to start a new thread so we don't hijack the other.



MowMow said:


> I'm going to leave it all to my cats and then let everyone fight over who gets to keep them.





NebraskaCat said:


> I love this concept and I wonder if you are serious. If you are, have you designated some sort of person or group of persons who makes the decision determining who is worthy of being the new servant to MM and SB? (I only ask because I've considered this.)


I was speaking half in jest. As it stands I have very specific instructions laid out for the boys. Should something happen to me the apartment complex has the petsitters as well as the vet's phone number on file. THey will contact the pet sitter I use and she knows to take the cats to my vet. If they cannot reach her they agreed to drive the boys to the vets. The vet will board them until my mother arrives to fetch them.

They will go live with her and my life insurance has a $$ amount high enough to cover them for the rest of their lives (as well as cover my burial costs of course) so they aren't a burden... since I"d rather their quality food/life in general not decrease.

In my safe (my mom has the numbers to get into it) along with my will, insurance policies, etc, is an envelope with very specific feeding instructions for both of them. 

Of course, it's likely (a year ago that wasn't the case) my contigency person will pass first ... when that happens it becomes more difficult. To be perfectly honest when my mom passes I will probably change my will to read that MowMOw will be put down and his ashes scattered with mine. I have a letter for my SIL to request the same if I go before my mom and MowMOw is still alive after mom passes.

Before anyone freaks out, I'm thinking that by the time my mom passes and I have to worry about who to send them to live with MOwMOw will be quite old and imo it would be for the best. I don't think he'd handle bouncing homes that well now.. much less as he ages.

Book is a MUCH easier cat to deal with. He's got no physical limitations and would probably be quite happy living on fancy feast or purina cat chow. I would probably send him to my SIL with a much more modest $$ amount and he'd just blend in with her 4 or 5 cats. My brother would have a BLAST playing with him. Their cats are all distant fraidy cats who don't like to interact. My mom's cat Zoe is super friendly and playful and my brother dotes on her.


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

Wow, you've really got it planned out Krissy.

I don't have any plans in place, I'm still young... of course I know anything can happen. I do have a few problems but they'll not likely, in my case at least -- very lucky there, affect my health in a serious way. I have a father and aunt that would certainly take care of the pets, and beyond them (long down the road I suppose) I would have to leave my pets to friends, and they all love animals.

By that point the animals would not even be the same ones as now, so who is really to say what will happen. I think if I get a few decades older this will become more of a concern to me but as it stands Blaze doesn't have a year left realistically at closer to 18 -- he's slowly been going downhill, Blacky is getting up there ~15? and Jasper is 6-9 by a few vet estimates. I really don't see myself going anywhere in the next decade.


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## robert4301 (Aug 27, 2011)

I'm 60 and have three rescues adopted from Austin Pets Alive age 2 to 2 1/2. I have no conditions now known that should keep me from outliving them. Should I not outlive them or become incapacitated, I have two sisters, cat lovers both, who would help. APA also will take back cats under these conditions. I'm not overly worried about these cats well being. 

What concerns me though, is outliving these cats and being maybe 80 years old. What would I do about adopting a cat then?


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## CharlesD (Jun 12, 2013)

robert4301 said:


> What concerns me though, is outliving these cats and being maybe 80 years old. What would I do about adopting a cat then?


Adopt an old cat?


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## jadis (Jul 9, 2011)

My family outside of my husband and kids are not animal lovers, so I would not count on them to do right by my pets, at least not all 8 of them. If something happened to me now, my husband would keep them and continue to care for them, though he might return the fosters. If something happened to both of us now, while my kids are still minors, I would expect my mom to take at least one cat, my ex (my son's father) to take a dog, and the rest would go to the rescue I work for to be rehomed through them. If something happened to me and my husband in a few years though, my kids would no longer be minors and I would expect them to split the animals between them. They each have their favorites anyway.


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## LakotaWolf (Aug 10, 2012)

I don't plan on dying anytime soon, but if I do, I plan on making sure I will my 15-year-old cat to my boyfriend, along with a chunk of money for her care, since she has kidney failure and various other conditions. 

He already knows my wishes in regards to her care - if at any point he feels she is unhappy/suffering, he is to have her euthanized. I do not want her suffering.

My family is unfit to care for my cat, as they think her kidney failure is "contagious" and that they will "catch" it if they pet her. I would not leave her to them under any circumstances.


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

One of my friends has a $100, 000 trust fund for her 4 cats! 

One of my rescue / TNR friends is older and in very bad health. She has kept 13 cats over the coarse of the years doing rescue. Several of them are extremely shy. My friends and I worry how we are going to handle this if she has to go into a nursing home or passes. I asked her to write out background and temperments of each one so we know what were dealing with but she didn't get around to it. Well be in a dilemma when handling this cuz their indoor only and most people don't want shy cats.

I haven't asked anyone to take my cat if something should happen. Most likely my youngest son would take him since my son is an animal lover and got me into cats! Its all his fault!!! LOL.


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## CatsAndMe (Jul 23, 2013)

I have a owner for strawberry already and one for Garfield too! I got the two cats from family when they were kittens! 


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## katdad (Jun 13, 2013)

A very serious subject that we all need to take care of. I've got a dear friend and his wife, and they both like my big old cat "RJ" so they were all happy to adopt him.

Now, in the past year, my girlfriend and I are now living together, and she (being lots younger than I am) has agreed to adopt RJ. He loves her and she loves him too. So I'm lucky (and so is RJ) in that regard.

Same if I end up on the hospital or something... my girlfriend will be there for both of us.


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## Blakeney Green (Jan 15, 2013)

If anything happens to me, my cats will go to my parents. My parents are the beneficiaries of my life insurance, so that will defray the cost of cat care.



robert4301 said:


> What concerns me though, is outliving these cats and being maybe 80 years old. What would I do about adopting a cat then?


We had an elderly lady adopt a senior cat from the shelter. It was a great match in terms of both energy level and potential lifespan, and both the cat and the new owner seemed happy. You could consider that.


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## NOLAKitties (May 30, 2013)

This reminds me that I probably have to write a will for this. Just in case. 

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## RV-Kitty (Jul 31, 2013)

robert4301 said:


> .....
> 
> What concerns me though, is outliving these cats and being maybe 80 years old. What would I do about adopting a cat then?


Then you adopt an older cat who's age is comparable to yours. An older cat everyone else passes by. That's what we plan to do should we outlive our 4 cats. We're in our late 60s, still in good health so may outlive ours. Both my husband and I come from long lived families. Our cat's ages are 1 yr to 4.5 yrs old.


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## RV-Kitty (Jul 31, 2013)

This is a subject my husband and I have discussed since we are both 69 and not getting any younger. We live in a semi-rural area where everyone keeps to themselves. We're living here since 1992 and only know a few people. We have already outlived our friends, and others have retired and moved away. So it's just him and myself and the four kitties. None of our 3 grown children are in a position to take even one cat, no less four. I have lost sleep over this when going through a serious illness recently. Fortunately I recovered, but we're at the age when anything can happen to take us from this earth. Where does this leave the cats? There are no sanctuaries that I could find here in TN. Rescues don't want older cats and would they adjust and be happy elsewhere should that day come? We can afford to leave enough money for their care, but cannot locate anyone or any place they can go....


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## jusjim (Jun 30, 2009)

robert4301 said:


> What concerns me though, is outliving these cats and being maybe 80 years old. What would I do about adopting a cat then?


This brings up what I intended to post about. I turned 83 this year. My live in friend, Missy, is around 14. People couldn't understand why I adopted older cats (Zenobi, 10, had lung cancer -- I think I jumped the gun having her put down. Painful days she may have suffered, but who was I to say the painfree ones weren't worth it for her. I'll never know.)

So now my health has gone rapidly down hill. It is suggested that my future would be best spent in an assisted living facility. I tend to agree, but no companion animals are allowed.

I intended to offer a sweetener of $2,000 dollars to the nearby no kill sanctuary, but their price to take in a cat of this sort is $5,000.

What do you think about this price?


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## NebraskaCat (Jan 15, 2013)

jusjim said:


> What do you think about this price?


I had been wondering about you and Missy and your health, jusjim. I remember you had posted about this concern before.

$5,000 seems pricey for a surrender donation, although I'm afraid it's fairly common at truly no-kill operations where the policy is not to allow the cats to be euthanized or to be moved to a shelter where euthanasia can happen. The "donation" policy is a way of controlling the number of intakes and, while it doesn't discriminate against any cat regardless of age or health status, it does discriminate against people who can't afford it.

If I remember correctly, you didn't have many options for friends or family willing to take Missy. But if you do know a trustworthy family or person who is good with cats, maybe you could find out if $1-2K wouldn't make it worth their time to take her in and treat her well for the rest of her natural life.


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

To me it seems high but I heard that number toss around before. i think it was cat house on the kings. I know its not cheap to keep up a cat health. Ideally some other rescue could try to find a home for her. Weve had people inquire about adopting a senior cat. It does happen. Fingers crossed for you JusJim.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

NebraskaCat said:


> I had been wondering about you and Missy and your health, jusjim. I remember you had posted about this concern before.
> 
> $5,000 seems pricey for a surrender donation, although I'm afraid it's fairly common at truly no-kill operations where the policy is not to allow the cats to be euthanized or to be moved to a shelter where euthanasia can happen. The "donation" policy is a way of controlling the number of intakes and, while it doesn't discriminate against any cat regardless of age or health status, it does discriminate against people who can't afford it.
> 
> If I remember correctly, you didn't have many options for friends or family willing to take Missy. But if you do know a trustworthy family or person who is good with cats, maybe you could find out if $1-2K wouldn't make it worth their time to take her in and treat her well for the rest of her natural life.


I think if you can afford it, the piece of mind knowing your kitty is safe and cared for would be worth it. Do you mind sharing where you live?? Maybe there is someone on the forum in the general area that is willing to take your Missy in?


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## jusjim (Jun 30, 2009)

robert4301 said:


> What concerns me though, is outliving these cats and being maybe 80 years old. What would I do about adopting a cat then?


If you're healhy you could offer free in your home cat sitting service.


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