When I lost my grandmother a couple of years ago we were all a little bit worried about my grandfather and how he would be living on his own. I decided that a great way to help remedy any possible loneliness was to buy a pet for him which would keep him company. I was really at a loss as to which type of pet would be best for someone elderly and not too active, and so I went to speak to the team at the AV Veterinary center who gave me some great tips. If you are in a similar situation and you want to get a pet for someone who is elderly, here are some tips on which pets are with consideration.
Birds
In the end I decided on a budgie because of a number of factors. The first is that my grandfather at 93 was just not active enough to be looking after a dog or a cat, but the budgie is something which he could certainly find easy to care for. Cleaning out the budgie cage is very simple and there is also something very entertaining about having a bird in the house. If you compare it with a cat for instance, then you can see a huge difference between what the pet actually brings to the home. A bird is a lovely and an inexpensive option which any elderly person will love having around the home.
Dog
A dog is a wonderful option which will provide fun, loyalty and a great friend for anyone who is lonely. With this being said it is going to be very important that you understand how active someone will need to be in order to give a dog the proper care and attention that they need. Dogs will have to be walked every day and taken out by the owner, so you will have to ensure that the person who you are being the dog for is going to be able to look after it properly. Assuming that the elderly person is fit enough to look after the dog, this is the best pet that you can get for them, which is full of love and offers a lot of entertainment.
Hamster
A hamster could also be a cool gift for someone who is elderly, a fun little creature which is more than happy to entertain itself, and of course can provide entertainment for others. This is a pet which is also very easy to care for and cleaning their cage will not take much of an effort. Hamsters don’t offer much to the owner but they are a lovely little pet to have around the home and a point of focus for anyone who has a hamster in the property.
These are just a few ideas for you, think also about fish, rabbits and potentially a cat if you think that the person is going to be able to look after it well.
To read more on topics like this, check out the lifestyle category.
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