Hello everyone, I hope someone will be able to advise me with this issue about pets.
I've recently been diagnosed with Stage 4 prostate cancer, I may have a few years to live, or not, but one of the things which is worrying me, among the many things to think about, is what would happen to my 2 cats if I was to die a sudden death. Perhaps the greater likelihood is I'd be in hospital in the end and could contact an animal charity about them, but I have to cover all the eventualities this disease may land my way.
I'm a loner, I've long believed that I may have adult autism, possibly undiagnosed Aspergers, I have nobody I could call a friend, the family I was close to have all died before me, I live miles away from extended family, and a next door neighbour I knew quite well moved away 2 years ago, so I have almost no social contacts or anyone who would quickly notice I had died and thought "hang on, he has cats". I'm not even seen about as much as I would have been due to mobility issues caused by spinal surgery due to cancer.
I can make provision for their future welfare in my Will, but what I need is some sort of login system where I could say each day "I'm still here", and then if I failed to do this and messages and phone calls went unanswered, a welfare visit would take place, using the keysafe already installed for future use, and my pets would be taken away to be rehomed, following information provided to the system.
The nearest thing I've found to this idea is something the County Council runs. Part of its Lifeline system at £9 a week, which I'm prepared to pay, and will use if it's the only thing I can find, includes a phone call for a chat twice a week to see how someone is doing. I'm independent, coping reasonably well with everything, and currently don't need carers, so for me the call would only be useful for the sake of the cats, but at twice a week it might still mean I'd been dead 4 or 5 days before any action was taken to rescue them, be they locked indoors or outside.
Does anyone know of a daily paid-for service like what I've described? I've tried to find such a service online without success, but may not be using the right search words, am hoping a pet owner on here may have heard of something along these lines.
Hi Steve , sorry to hear that you have found yourself in this position. I am not aware of a daily service but Age UK, Macmillan and Salvation Army offer a weekly buddy service so you could arrange alternate days with all three.
Hi Mick,
Thank you for replying, I didn't know about those buddy services so will look into them, maybe utilise one alongside the County Council's Lifeline service. Eventually I'll need a carer to visit and they would take care of this, but for now something else needs putting in place for peace-of-mind. Thank you again.
Steve
Northern Steve. In much similar situation. I have tried to get someone local to accept the position of permanent forever carer. As like you a Trust is all set up, but need the name of a specific car to make it in affect. I carry keyring with PET ALONE AT HOME. on it with address and a person to contact, which would be the new Carer, which I have not managed to get yet. The Sal. Army may help your area, not just with checking in on you but with care for your. cat. Believe me the worry of my baby being left, with no one to even bother, destroys me. So am after same as you, really. I livin Cowdenbeath. Fife. Scotland. and if anyone will help can supply my phone number through here. Steve, try Sal. Army first. depending on area, lot are closing down, but if near you, you may find ty can help in almost every way. Do let us all know. Thought would suggesting your area where you live, roughly not help in getting folk to offer? Keep in touch. Mo.
Hey Northern Steve,
I'm so sorry to hear about your diagnosis and the concerns you have about your cats' welfare. It's completely understandable that you want to ensure their safety and well-being in case something happens to you.
Your idea of a daily login system is brilliant! It's a great way to provide peace of mind for you and ensure that your cats are taken care of if you're no longer able to care for them.
There are a few services that might be worth exploring. MonAmi is a daily check-in service that allows you to schedule daily calls or messages to confirm you're okay. If you miss a call or don't respond, they'll send a notification to your emergency contacts. SafeCheck is another daily check-in service that uses a mobile app to confirm you're safe. If you don't check in, they'll send a notification to your emergency contacts.
You might also consider reaching out to local animal welfare organizations or charities to see if they offer any services that could help. Pet Sitters International, for example, offers a range of pet care services, including daily visits and overnight stays.
It's great that you're thinking ahead and planning for your cats' future. You clearly care deeply about their well-being, and that's truly admirable.
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