Caring for Golden Oldies 

Golden Oldies

Leaving older pets with pet sitters can be difficult. Older dogs and cats often have greater needs for care including possible medication, routines and thought given to how they are looked after.  Finding a pet sitter who is experienced with older pets and who you trust is important in having a relaxed and worry free break.

We have cared for a few older dogs and cats and wanted to share some reflections on that and some top tips for preparing for a sitter when your furry family member is in their golden years.

Reflecting on aging.

In Cyprus some years ago we had regular sits where we cared for 2 cats and 2 dogs. One of the cats and one of the dogs were over the age of 15 and the other two were spring chickens in comparison. More recently we have cared for a very senior old lady dog who (at the time) was 16 years old and has numerous old age related health problems including incontinence, difficulties with her vision, hearing and walking. She also has what they think is a bit of doggy dementia.

 We found that caring for older dogs and cats needs extra thought and often extra work.

 Older dogs maybe less tolerant of lots of things around them including us, changes in routine, other animals and even touch and different smells. We found that knowing how an older dog may respond to, for example being woken, or surprised or whether they prefer to be left alone helps us to offer the best care.  Communicating with dogs with hearing and vision loss is also often an area where pet parents have their own routines that are good to share with the sitter. Our sit with our old lady dog included lots of getting close to her so she could see us and using hand claps so she could locate us in a room or out on her daily woodland stroll.

Also the ‘big question’ for us is ‘what to do if the worse happens while you are away?’ This is not an easy conversation and sometimes pet parents do not want to talk about this but its better for everyone if we know exactly what we should do in the event of sudden or expected deterioration or even death.

So, here are 5 top tips for helping you to prepare for a pet sitter for your older furry family members.

5 Top Tips for preparing for a sitter when you have older pets

·       When choosing a sitter, give detailed information about their health care needs. Their conditions, their medication and their care. For example if your dog has epilepsy, detail about how that is managed will be crucial.  Generally, think about the things that have become a regular part of your routine with your pet that a sitter may not be aware of. Changes in behaviour indicating ill health or symptoms to look out for if your older pet is living with a disease or condition.

·       Be clear about their routine and if they are in a household with other younger pets how might their care differ. For example with dogs, the older dog might need a shorter walk than the younger.

·       Specifically for older cats who still ‘roam’, share with your sitter how long they normally go for and when we should be concerned (and what to do) if they haven’t come home after a specified length of time.

·       Provide detailed information on what to do or who to contact if there is a deterioration in an older pets health or sudden death. This might be the contact details of a friend or relative who has been given the responsibility to make decisions or it might be clear instructions for when to contact the emergency vet. It’s important to remember that for a variety of reasons your sitter may not be able to contact you immediately.

·       Be really honest with your pet sitter about your dog or cat’s needs. If they are incontinent say ahead of the sit when you are choosing the sitter so you can be sure you are choosing someone who is prepared to meet your pet’s needs. Choose a sitter with experience of older pets or with lots of experience generally so you feel confident in their care and you can enjoy your holiday.

 Nicky for Retired & Inspired Pet Services