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LonePaladin t1_j27dbq5 wrote

Reply to comment by mungusfungusmungus in Owning a pet is linked to having better cognitive health in advanced age, study finds by nikan69

I don't know. My mom decided, after her last cat died, that she didn't want to risk having a pet outlive her. It's not that she doesn't like cats, she just doesn't want someone else to possibly end up inheriting one when they don't want it.

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Willy_wonks_man t1_j27hea4 wrote

She could always adopt an older cat, right?

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dnepe t1_j28bhml wrote

She probably also doesn't want to experience the pain of her pet dying and getting an elderly cat that'll die very close to your own death is hard to pull off.

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juggles_geese4 t1_j27jyzn wrote

If you’re in the position to do so, I’d reassure her that you’d give her pet a loving home if she passed. That you wouldn’t feel forced to take them and they’d be wanted. My thing would be how hard it is for pets to lose their owner. It’s hard to explain to them why you’re suddenly gone one day. Sometimes they can smell that you’re dieing, if you are sick and die at home on hospice. I’m not sure if they know the smell of death if you die suddenly at home or not. That would be the biggest reason I’d be really hesitant to adopt a new pet. Especially a young one. Maybe talk her into adopting an older one. They need loving homes too for their final couple of years!

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Rxyro t1_j27jbq9 wrote

selfless and a real animal lover. Maybe a middle aged animal (rescue?) is a good compromise.

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