Owning a dog or a cat can bring so much joy to your life, and after speaking with many retirees, dogs and cats are family members to so many. Our pets fill our lives up with love, loyalty & companionship. But if you’re living with a chronic health condition or multiple co-morbidities, pet ownership has its challenges. It becomes harder to reach down to grab their bowl, and it sometimes becomes difficult to take them for their regular exercise. You might find it too hard to cuddle your pet because you can no longer pick them up. You might also find it hard to tend to their grooming and hygiene as time goes on. Whether it’s Arthritis, mobility issues, or a heart condition, looking after a pet becomes more difficult with age. But rest assured that there are devices available from the pet store to help you manage.
There are some wonderful supportive organisations in Australia that will help you to look after your pets too. And to make your day to day life easier to manage with your pet, there are some terrific products available. For seniors who have pets, there are several products that help you to look after your pets with much less risk and concern.
Most people are able to get a pet door installed in their residences. If you live in a retirement village or apartment block, you’ll need to apply for permission to do so, but you’ll typically find that villages will except modifications if required.
By installing a pet door, you’ll no longer need to get up and down continually to let your cat or dog in and out of the house. Older people are at greater risk of falls, and if you’re rushing to let your pet outside, you’re far more prone to tripping over something or losing your balance.
There’s a range of pet doors on offer nowadays from your online pet store. They range from glass door flaps to pet doors that fit into security screens. You can even get doors that only open for your pet. For example, the SureFlap Microchip Pet Door for Cats & Dogs learns your pet’s microchip ID. This means that your cats and dogs can come and go as they please but unwanted animals are kept away as it will only open for your pet(s). You can even fit it into a window if you have a cat that likes to creep in and out that way.
If you have a pet that can jump up on the bed or onto your lap, it can make life easier. But if you have one of those cats or dogs who have to be picked up, there’s a risk of injury. Furthermore, as your body ages, it’s often challenging to pick up your pet to cuddle them, feed them or groom them.
Portable pet stairs & ramps are the best inventions ever. You just need to be able to teach an old dog new tricks if you have an ageing pet too. Actually, pet steps and ramps are great for older pets as well. Especially if they’re living with arthritis or a hip condition which now prevents them from jumping up.
Fortunately, you can find steps and ramps from your pet store that are lightweight and portable, both inside and outside. Many people use pet ramps to help them in and out of the car too. They are slip-free too.
An automatic filling water bowl is a must-have addition to your home. We’ve put one in at our house and it is amazing. It’s attached to your hose and fills up automatically. It’s an install and forget about it device. We have one that mounts on the wall to reduce bending over, but there are so many varieties. My Pet Warehouse has an Aqua Buddy Automatic Hose Dog Water Bowl for an affordable price. It fills up on its own so you never have to worry about your pet going thirsty. Plus, there’s less bending over because the most that you have to do is clean it out every so often. Again, if you can wall-mount your bowl that’s even better.
Pet strollers are a great idea for getting your pet out and about
without dealing with the pulling and tugging. While they’re only functional for small pets, it’s still an idea to consider, especially if you have an ageing pet that can’t walk for too long. The last thing that you want to be doing is attempting to carry your pet for kilometres.
For those who have an active dog who loves to fetch, you can’t go past the Ball Launcher. You can get ball launchers for around $30 from most pet stores.
They’re great for older adults who can’t walk too far anymore. You can stand in one spot. The idea is that you launch the ball from the holder that is on a long stick. The dog brings the ball back to you and you pick the ball up with the ball launcher. You don’t even need to bend over. They are amazing if you have an active dog and need to exercise it, but don’t have the physical capacity yourself.
Last but not least is the pooper scooper. Bending over to pick up the dog and cat waste is tedious, time-consuming and painful for you back. If you don’t have a gardener and you need to do this job yourself, think about investing in a pooper scooper. A Cat Litter Scoop or long-handled dog waste scoop will make life much easier for you.
Finally, staying with our pets for as long as possible is good for our overall health and wellbeing. With a few pet supplies from a pet store, pet ownership can be a much easier process, allowing you to stay with your pet when you need a little extra support.
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