Cuddles and Companionship with a Part-Time Pet

For many women of a certain age, taking on the full-time responsibility of a pet can be out of the question.

Despite the well-documented advantages that pets have on relieving loneliness and isolation, their care and feeding can add up to a significant expense. Add to that concerns about the ability to provide enough exercise or wanting the flexibility to pick up and go on a fun trip and pet parenthood can be a real challenge in the later years.

Rest assured, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the pleasures of owning a furry (or not furry) friend, without taking on the full-time responsibilities.

Share Custody with a Friend or Family Member

When my daughters moved into adulthood with their own apartments and busy work and social lives, it opened an opportunity to share time, and responsibility, for our aging dog, Maryanne. We created a weekly routine that we jokingly called our “shared custody agreement.”

Maryanne would spend a few days a week with each of us, depending on schedules, and she enjoyed the benefit of sniffing around three different backyards and taking walks in a variety of neighborhoods. Each of us had a few pet-free days a week where we could travel or simply not have to rush home from an event to feed or walk our favorite pup.

A shared calendar makes the planning for pick-up and drop-off much easier.

Become a Foster Pet Parent

Fostering a pet can be a deeply rewarding way to experience pet parenthood without making a decade-long commitment. Animal shelters often need temporary homes for pets awaiting adoption, many of whom are recovering from medical procedures. Foster families provide a safe and loving environment while helping animals to re-acclimate to home life and become more adoptable.

Volunteering with a local foster organization also offers a terrific opportunity to connect with like-minded pet people. Outside of fostering, these organizations often host fundraisers and adopt-a-thons, both ways to enjoy wags and purrs. Look for well-established foster organizations, many of which focus on specific breeds that, due to size or temperament, work well for older people.

Get Paid to Play

Pet sitting and dog walking are terrific ways to spend time with pets – while getting paid. Sites such as Rover.com and Meowtel.com offer tips on becoming a dog walker, pet sitter or in-home boarder and allow you to specify your availability and willingness to work with pets of all ages and sizes.

Local pet sitting and dog walking businesses are another option. Just make sure they offer training and a convenient scheduling and payment platform. And there’s always the opportunity to help out a friend or family member who needs temporary help due to travel, illness or other circumstances.

A Purr-fect Cup of Coffee

They’re popping in cities large and small – cat cafés where you’re invited to stop in, grab a drink or pastry, and cuddle with a furry feline. Most offer monthly memberships and encourage pre-scheduling your visit via an app or online platform.

There are often limitations on how many guests can be in the café at any given time as well as age restrictions that apply to young children. In many instances, these adorable kitties are available for foster or adoption.

Volunteer at a Local Pet Shelter

You may have seen requests on social media from shelters in need of volunteers to help care for pets awaiting adoption. These pleas are even more urgent during natural disasters, when so many pets are not accepted into temporary housing situations.

From fostering, feeding and cleaning kennels to helping out at adoption events and donating food, bedding and other necessities, the opportunities to help out at a shelter are almost endless. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals offers tips on how to help.

However you choose to bring a pet into your life, their companionship offers profound benefits: reduced stress, increased physical activity, a sense of community, and – most importantly – the joy of loving and being loved by an animal.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What is your favorite way to spend time with your furry or feathered friends?