Pets are creatures that can shower us with unconditional love and affection. Various researchers across the world have found that interactions with pets for as long as 15 minutes can boost the body’s production of positive hormones like serotonin, oxytocin, and prolactin. It also helps with dropping stress levels and fighting depression too. If you want to claim some or all of these benefits or you just like pets, here are some things you need to know before getting a pet as you move into a retirement community.
Choosing the Right Pet for Your Lifestyle
Having pets is fun until you are the one who is in charge of them. Pets are not always difficult to look after, but some pets might not suit your lifestyle and turn out to be a burden. Some of the factors to look out for include:
- The breed of the pet
- If the pet is high maintenance and needs constant pampering
- If you are active enough to walk and play with the pet
- If you can clean up after the mess created by your pet
- If you are allergic to pets.
Having a Backup Strategy
When you plan on getting a pet, you should think far down the lane. Because pets are like family members who will dearly miss your care when you leave, you should make plans for them when you may not be able to take care of them due to any kind of circumstances. Make plans for things like pet estate and steer ahead.
Rules Concerning Pets in your Retirement Community
If you are an older adult living in a retirement community, make sure to look out for rules regarding the allowance of pets inside the community. Some retirement communities are pet-friendly and allow the adoption of any pet in general. Others, however, have restrictions.
Apart from the community guidelines, you also have to make sure the community itself is a safe place for the pet in terms of infrastructure and comfort.
Having a Veterinarian in Acquaintance
Whichever pet you consider, you will be required to look after the health of the pet on a regular basis and be able to deal with any kind of medical emergencies too. For this to be possible, you need to be acquainted with a veterinarian, who will able to take care of the kind of pet you are adopting.
Fully Investigate the Primary and Maintenance Costs
Getting a pet might cost you good money, but beyond the upfront cost, there are many things that might cost you even more money. Maintaining and fostering a pet is a tedious and expensive job and be sure you know what you are getting into before jumping to conclusions.
For example, the typical pet owner spends more than $600 on a cat and between $500 and $1,000 on a dog each year. If you’re thinking of getting a pet during retirement, it’s a good idea to understand the costs in the first year and beyond so that you can make sound financial decisions.
