Animals we share our lives with

[MichaelB]

Is there an existing thread that discusses the costs (both financial and time) associated with pets in retirement? I haven't had a dog since I got married. Now that FIRE and an empty nest is on the horizon, DW and I have been discussing it, but we haven't done any planing budgeting for one. I know one cannot put a price on companionship - I'm just trying to look at the practical side of things.

There are health insurance policies available. Perhaps some members here have experience using them. Just getting some protection from the catastrophic expenses can make a big difference.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Yes, I've heard the insurance can be a good choice, but usually you need to get it when they are puppies or kittens to make the cost benefit make sense. I've never purchased it, because all of mine just showed up at one time or another as older animals.

 

[ls99]

Some raccoons are very clever.

There is a short commercial before the raccoon clip.
Video: Clever Toronto raccoon masters tightrope walking - The Globe and Mail

 

[Tyro]

Is there an existing thread that discusses the costs (both financial and time) associated with pets in retirement

I don't see why being retired would make any difference, except in a few minor cases of senior discounts. Size, OTOH, can make a difference. Otherwise, there are lots of sites that provide information on the cost of pet ownership:
cost of owning dog - Google Search?

I still don't see much difference in financial cost of pet ownership between w*rking & retirement, but as to time, we now have more of it to spend with good Ol' Furface... which has been to everyone's behoovement!

Tyro

 

[imoldernu]

Yesterday, saw my first all-black squirrel. North Central Illinois. Not that rare, but a little unusual in this neck of the woods.
Also a pair of pied-billed grebes have taken up residence on our small lake, just as the ice went out. A fun experience, watching these guys dive down for 30 seconds or so, and then to watch to see where they come back up... a hundred feet away. Instead of popping up like loons or other diving birds, they just barely break the surface with the top of their heads, and look around to make sure it's safe to come up.
Waiting the return of our humming birds. Could they be same ones that we originally had 24 years ago? They don't tell us where they winter. Could be Texas? Hummingbird Migration Maps

 

[cj]

I still don't see much difference in financial cost of pet ownership between w*rking & retirement, but as to time, we now have more of it to spend with good Ol' Furface... which has been to everyone's behoovement!

Tyro

And that is the truth! I can't imagine life without my critters. They are such good company.

And now, to follow up on my post from 2 weeks ago: DH & I rationalized 9 ways to Sunday why we should NOT get another kitty. In the end, hearts trumped brains, and we brought home "Lucy". She is about 5 months old, and is a rescue. We have had her for a week.

We have 3 other cats. The 16 year old hisses and growls occasionally, and is mostly annoyed with her, but Lucy gets it and keeps her distance. The other two resident cats are both 2 years old. The one is scared of Lucy and hid for a few days. Now she's coming around, but won't get close yet. We have some hissing and growling there, too, but so far no contact. Lucy avoids her, too. The other 2 yo immediately designated herself as Lucy's immediate supervisor, and keeps a close eye on her. At first she just followed her around to make sure she knew what Lucy was doing every minute. In the past day or two, they have begun to play. I think it's all going to work out.

I don't know, 10-15 years from now when DH and I are 70-75, if we will be sorry we got the third cat. Probably so. But for now, she is a joy - sweet & cuddly, and loves to play.

 

[powerplay]

And that is the truth! I can't imagine life without my critters. They are such good company.

And now, to follow up on my post from 2 weeks ago: DH & I rationalized 9 ways to Sunday why we should NOT get another kitty. In the end, hearts trumped brains, and we brought home "Lucy". She is about 5 months old, and is a rescue. We have had her for a week.

We have 3 other cats. The 16 year old hisses and growls occasionally, and is mostly annoyed with her, but Lucy gets it and keeps her distance. The other two resident cats are both 2 years old. The one is scared of Lucy and hid for a few days. Now she's coming around, but won't get close yet. We have some hissing and growling there, too, but so far no contact. Lucy avoids her, too. The other 2 yo immediately designated herself as Lucy's immediate supervisor, and keeps a close eye on her. At first she just followed her around to make sure she knew what Lucy was doing every minute. In the past day or two, they have begun to play. I think it's all going to work out.

I don't know, 10-15 years from now when DH and I are 70-75, if we will be sorry we got the third cat. Probably so. But for now, she is a joy - sweet & cuddly, and loves to play.

Lucy is a beautiful addition to your family!

 

[keegs]

Henry:

http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/zz215/keegsbucket/harrywannagohome-1.jpg

 

[Nemo2]

Henry:

http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/zz215/keegsbucket/harrywannagohome-1.jpg

My wife's niece has an Airedale......calls it ALF after the TV show.

 

[Nodak]

catnip

 

[Purron]

And that is the truth! I can't imagine life without my critters. They are such good company.

And now, to follow up on my post from 2 weeks ago: DH & I rationalized 9 ways to Sunday why we should NOT get another kitty. In the end, hearts trumped brains, and we brought home "Lucy". She is about 5 months old, and is a rescue. We have had her for a week.

We have 3 other cats. The 16 year old hisses and growls occasionally, and is mostly annoyed with her, but Lucy gets it and keeps her distance. The other two resident cats are both 2 years old. The one is scared of Lucy and hid for a few days. Now she's coming around, but won't get close yet. We have some hissing and growling there, too, but so far no contact. Lucy avoids her, too. The other 2 yo immediately designated herself as Lucy's immediate supervisor, and keeps a close eye on her. At first she just followed her around to make sure she knew what Lucy was doing every minute. In the past day or two, they have begun to play. I think it's all going to work out.

I don't know, 10-15 years from now when DH and I are 70-75, if we will be sorry we got the third cat. Probably so. But for now, she is a joy - sweet & cuddly, and loves to play.

Love this. Such a lucky little girl.

 

[Buckeye]

My kitty, Gabby. The cat who likes to play 10 hours a day. She needs to do more of this!

 

[Calico]

My kitty, Gabby. The cat who likes to play 10 hours a day. She needs to do more of this!

She is beautiful! Is she a Russian Blue?

 

[Buckeye]

She is beautiful! Is she a Russian Blue?

I can't decide if she is a Russian Blue. I got her from another student at college who found her as a stray so no one knows her complete history. The student found Gabby a new home because Gabby was driving her other cat nuts wanting to play ALL the time. Now Gabby drives two humans crazy wanting to play ALL the time!

The vet guessed she was 18-24 months when she went for her shots and check-up. You'd think she was a kitten. She woke up from that nap and chased wadded up paper balls for 30 minutes. If we don't play with her she paces and cries. We had already played with her for at least an hour during the day and taken her on two walks, one of them 35 minutes. She's a handful!

 

[cj]

I can't decide if she is a Russian Blue. I got her from another student at college who found her as a stray so no one knows her complete history. The student found Gabby a new home because Gabby was driving her other cat nuts wanting to play ALL the time. Now Gabby drives two humans crazy wanting to play ALL the time!

The vet guessed she was 18-24 months when she went for her shots and check-up. You'd think she was a kitten. She woke up from that nap and chased wadded up paper balls for 30 minutes. If we don't play with her she paces and cries. We had already played with her for at least an hour during the day and taken her on two walks, one of them 35 minutes. She's a handful!

Gorgeous cat! Cats sure know how to crash when it's time. I can't remember if I posted this before, but when our Kizzy was young, she got into the cutest positions to sleep.

 

[Texas Proud]

My kitty, Gabby. The cat who likes to play 10 hours a day. She needs to do more of this!

Your kitty looks like one of ours.... I wish she were a lap cat... she will sit at my feet on the recliner, but not up on the couch or lap...


I lost my lap cat last year... we got another cat, but he is a scardy cat and does not like to be held.... only had him 4 months now and he seems to be coming around... but slowly...

Hope yours does more lap sitting...

 

[Texas Proud]

Gorgeous cat! Cats sure know how to crash when it's time. I can't remember if I posted this before, but when our Kizzy was young, she got into the cutest positions to sleep.

Now THAT is a lap cat!!!

 

[Buckeye]

Your kitty looks like one of ours.... I wish she were a lap cat... she will sit at my feet on the recliner, but not up on the couch or lap...


I lost my lap cat last year... we got another cat, but he is a scardy cat and does not like to be held.... only had him 4 months now and he seems to be coming around... but slowly...

Hope yours does more lap sitting...

I will settle for her doing a little more sleeping anywhere! She's a cool cat because she will sit in your lap, lay on your chest, and let you throw her over your shoulder and carry her around. DH has taken her out for a walk. She usually captures a gecko to play with but apparently today she has found herself a snake to carry around. I told him to take a picture with his phone.

 

[Buckeye]

I will settle for her doing a little more sleeping anywhere! She's a cool cat because she will sit in your lap, lay on your chest, and let you throw her over your shoulder and carry her around. DH has taken her out for a walk. She usually captures a gecko to play with but apparently today she has found herself a snake to carry around. I told him to take a picture with his phone.

Here is Gabby with her snake.

 

[RitaR551]

Here is our Mandy in the new little Toad Camper we just picked up. Mandy travels South with us for the winter, then back again. She settled right in the first night camping on our way home.

 

[Buckeye]

Here is our Mandy in the new little Toad Camper we just picked up. Mandy travels South with us for the winter, then back again. She settled right in the first night camping on our way home.



View attachment 16431




View attachment 16432

Her very own cat house on wheels. Cool!

 

[Calico]

I can't decide if she is a Russian Blue. I got her from another student at college who found her as a stray so no one knows her complete history. The student found Gabby a new home because Gabby was driving her other cat nuts wanting to play ALL the time. Now Gabby drives two humans crazy wanting to play ALL the time!

The vet guessed she was 18-24 months when she went for her shots and check-up. You'd think she was a kitten. She woke up from that nap and chased wadded up paper balls for 30 minutes. If we don't play with her she paces and cries. We had already played with her for at least an hour during the day and taken her on two walks, one of them 35 minutes. She's a handful!

Gabby is lucky she ended up with you!

Of course, if she is demanding too much play time, you know the cure for that - another cat for her to play with! No such thing as too many cats.

 

[Buckeye]

Gabby is lucky she ended up with you!

Of course, if she is demanding too much play time, you know the cure for that - another cat for her to play with! No such thing as too many cats.

One cat and one husband or two cats and .......

 

[Calico]

One cat and one husband or two cats and .......

Ahh, yes. One benefit to being single is that the only limit to number of pets is my budget and the "number of square feet/number of cats x personality quirks of said cats" equation. Used to have four, until the sweetheart in my avatar passed almost two years ago. Her son, a big orange tabby, is sitting next to me, and his two "adopted" sisters, also orange tabbies, are chasing each other around the house. Three is the perfect number for now.

 

[Buckeye]

Ahh, yes. One benefit to being single is that the only limit to number of pets is my budget and the "number of square feet/number of cats x personality quirks of said cats" equation. Used to have four, until the sweetheart in my avatar passed almost two years ago. Her son, a big orange tabby, is sitting next to me, and his two "adopted" sisters, also orange tabbies, are chasing each other around the house. Three is the perfect number for now.

I think this might be heaven on Earth!

The Cat House on the Kings

Kitty cats everywhere!