Should Senior Citizens Adopt a Pet: Pros and Cons

Are you a senior citizen who is considering getting a pet? Or are you taking care of someone who could benefit from having one?

Apart from providing much-needed companionship, pets can also lower stress levels, blood pressure, and encourage more physical activity among the elderly. With all these advantages, it’s worth asking should senior citizens adopt a pet? 

In this article,  we walk you through the pros and cons of senior citizens adopting pets. If you’re having trouble deciding if you should get one for yourself or someone you care about, then read on and let us help you weigh the possibilities.

Pros

Who doesn’t love pets? They entertain, fascinate, and cheer us up while keeping us company. Let’s take a closer look at the advantages they offer older folks.

Ease Pain

Growing old certainly has its share of aches and pains. If you’ve been asking: should senior citizens adopt a pet, then their ability to distract us from physical pain and discomfort is a huge advantage in their favor. 

In fact, a 2012 study revealed that therapy dog visits had the ability to relieve the physical and emotional pain of patients suffering from chronic pain. Not only that, but they were also able to improve the feelings of well-being and lessen emotional distress among the family and friends who accompanied them.

Pets’ ability to distract us from physical pain and discomfort is a huge advantage in their favor. 

Help Seniors Stick to a Routine 

Like all living things, pets have needs. If you get a dog or a cat, they’ll need to be fed, bathed, petted, and you’ll need to clean up after them. 

If they entail so much care, how do pets help senior citizens? 

Some people respond very well to feeling needed. When left on their own, older people can sometimes feel like they have no purpose which leads to depression and loneliness.

Pets, however, don’t know any better and will drag you out of the house for walks, to exercise, play, and meet new people. Don’t feel like going out or getting out of bed? Pets don’t care about those things. They are simply themselves and will force the best of us to engage with them in a number of ways. Their infectious personalities and natural naivete will soon have you walking along with them and forgetting your troubles.

In 2019, the  National Poll on Healthy Aging established that 62% of respondents aged 50 to 80 admitted that pets helped them stick to a routine while 73% felt a greater sense of purpose. 

Provide Companionship

No man is an island. This is true even as we age. As our children grow up, lead lives of their own, and raise their own families, older adults can easily find themselves leading increasingly isolated lives. In a report, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) showed that a third of adults over 45 and almost a quarter over the age of 65 are socially isolated. 

If you’re wondering about the benefits of pets for the elderly, they can provide much-needed companionship. In the same survey from the National Poll on Healthy Aging, 65% of elderly adults claimed that pets helped them connect with others with 52% of them saying that companionship was their primary reason for adopting one.

Pets offer a sense of security and friendship, something every human being needs.

Help Keep Seniors Active 

How do pets help senior citizens? If you or another elderly adult you know doesn’t move around as much, getting a dog or a cat can help them be more active. 

Adopting a dog or a cat will keep you on your feet. From feeding your pet, getting it groomed, taking it out for walks, and taking it to see the vet, there are many ways they keep their owner moving and active.

According to a 2017 study published in The Gerontologist, adults over 40 who participated in a volunteer dog walking program had lower body mass index and were more inclined towards overall physical activity.

Lowers Anxiety Levels and Blood Pressure

Lower anxiety levels and lower blood pressure are among the health benefits of pets for older adults. That pets can lower stress levels, calm us, and therefore lower blood pressure isn’t new. 

Interacting with pets, stroking their fur, and feeling in sync with them produces serotonin, the feel-good hormone in our brains that combats stress, anxiety, and ultimately high blood pressure.

Now that we’ve gone over the pros of senior citizens owning pets, it’s time to move on to the cons. After all, pet ownership is an important decision that must be carefully considered before choosing to adopt.

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Cons

Should senior citizens have pets? Pet ownership certainly isn’t for everyone. Though it has many advantages, it also entails many responsibilities. 

In the following section, we tackle the disadvantages you may face when adopting and taking care of a pet.

While adopting a pet in your golden years has many benefits, you also need to weigh the reasons why it may not be for you.

Physically Demanding

Feeding animals daily, giving baths, walks, visits to the vet, cleaning up after them — all these take time and effort which senior citizens may not be ready for or are incapable of providing.

Unless you’re open to helping seniors with pets, the upkeep and care they need may not be ideal for some older folks.

Expensive

The expenses associated with owning a pet are there no matter how old we are. However, older citizens may struggle with having to provide shelter, food, medical care, and other costs particularly if they’re on a tight budget.

Owning a dog can cost anywhere between $125 to $824 a month. That’s a considerable sum especially if you consider the yearly outlay that could otherwise go towards food, medicine, rent, and other needs.

Adopting a pet is easy but it may entail significant financial costs.

Senior Citizens May Not Be Able to Give Proper Care

The care required by a pet, especially a highly active and high maintenance one, can be a burden that some senior citizens may not be up for. If you’re struggling with a disability or a serious health condition, adopting a pet may not be the best idea.

Instead of relieving stress, the care pets require can be an unintended burden that some may not be prepared to give. 

Pets May Outlive Aging Owner

The possibility that pets may outlive their owners may seem like a pessimistic idea, but it’s a very real one that should still be considered particularly if the owner is in his or her later years.

With careful planning, however, it’s possible to plan and ask close friends or relatives who love animals to take care of your pet for you. However, even careful planning can’t address the attachment that pets like cats and dogs feel for their owners and how they might deal with your sudden absence.

How To Choose the Best Dog For A Senior Citizen

According to the National Poll on Healthy Aging’s web-based results, dogs are the pet of choice for 68% of its senior respondents. When asking should senior citizens adopt a pet, it’s also important to ask what kind of pet they should get since the answer will determine the amount of care and expense it will entail.

Since dogs seem to be the favorite type of pets for older adults, we help you decide how to choose the right dog for your golden years.

If you’ve decided to get a dog, a great question to ask is: what kind of dog is right for me?

Activity Levels

Different dogs have different energy levels. Active dogs will require walks every day, more room to run around and play in, and will need you to keep up with them.

If you’re a person who enjoys the outdoors and has an active lifestyle, this shouldn’t be a problem, but if you prefer quiet days at home or have mobility issues, then a more sedate dog might be a better match.

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Size

Size is another crucial factor that needs to be considered. Small dogs are easier to care for, require less space, and less food. They’re also generally healthier and have longer lives according to Pet MD who claims that the average life of large dog breeds is eight years while medium-sized dogs have 10.8.

Temperament

Like humans, dogs have different temperaments. If you’re considering a pedigreed dog, you can pretty much anticipate what its personality is going to be like. If you’d like to adopt a mixed breed, you can consider the personality of its parents but this information isn’t always available particularly if you’re adopting from a shelter.

With so many dog breeds out there, there are many temperaments to consider. Choose one that matches your personality and lifestyle.

Just as we decide on who our friends should be, our pets should also closely match our tastes and personalities.

Age

Should an older person get a puppy? We don’t blame you for wanting to adopt a puppy. They’re at their cutest and cuddliest at this stage. However, before adopting a puppy, you should also consider that they will have more energy and entail more care.

Similarly, dogs in their later years may suffer from certain health conditions and will also need more attention.

Maintenance Needs

Not all dogs require the same level of care. Some shed more, have bigger appetites, need to be bathed more often, and may be prone to more medical issues.

This is another important consideration that you need to take into account when deciding on what kind of dog to get.

Final Thoughts

Owning and taking care of a pet brings with it many joys, benefits, and responsibilities. If you’ve got your heart set on getting a dog, weigh the type, size, expense, temperament, age, and maintenance it will need.

By finding a dog that goes well with your lifestyle and personality, you’ll both thrive and find happiness in each other’s company.