Various Main Reasons Why Retirees Will Need Household Pets

As a person gets older, they enter a time of loneliness and often depression. There are many reasons for this, but most of the time it is because their children have grown up and moved away, their spouse could have passed away or is ill, and their friends are also suffering from illness or have died. What was once a vital life is slowly coming to a halt and there seems to be nothing they can do about it.

Some owners have found it difficult to each their dog anything; something they thought their pet dog would have learnt today can be quickly forgotten by them tomorrow! There have even been reported that dogs would sometimes take up to months to learn something new. While the success of them learning will largely depends on how you teach them, there are some common mistakes that you should definitely avoid to make sure that your efforts are not wasted.

Just as children love to play with puppies and kittens, senior citizens can benefit from adult pets. These animals give the caretaker a sense of purpose, a reason to get out of bed and face the day. Elderly find true companionship in a pet, in addition to a listening ear, a warm snuggle and a loyal friend.

Even if the person isn't able to leave their home, a pet helps to combat loneliness, gives the person someone to talk to, and provides comfort. Many elderly people have stated that touching their pet helps them to feel better physically. They also feel more secure with a pet in the house.

The elderly person caring for the pet benefit greatly for their efforts. Old age is a time of loneliness and often bouts of depression. Senior citizens are facing their own mortality as they watch friends and family members face illness and death. It is easy for them to get down and depressed. With the extra time on their hands it is easy to dwell on these issues. But caring for a pet helps them to focus on something else. Senior citizens who have pets report that they are happier, have more energy and are finding more enjoyment in life. In fact, when they get together with other seniors they often discuss their pets as parents do children, reciting the latest antics and discussing the best pet food.

Many senior citizens may insist they don't like pets and they would never want a pet. True, many seniors have never been pet owners before. But there is something about the slower life of an older person that makes having a pet at this stage of life different than when they were younger. They are home to take care of the pet rather than spending their day working and running errands. They have the time to invest in developing a relationship with their new pet. If the person is skeptical about becoming a pet owner, talk to a shelter about doing a trail with a pet before you commit.

Pets are a great way to give new meaning to the life of a senior citizen. You can find good mannered, adult pets that need a home at the animal shelter. Giving a shelter pet to an elderly person will give renewed purpose to two lives, the pet that was rescued and the person who opened their life to it.