The most difficult thing about this subject is if the person is alone and has no support network. It's okay if there is family, or trusted people who love the animal very much already, and will adopt/foster if the person dies or is admitted to hospital indefinitely.
But when there is a deep bond between animal and person, then the biggest nightmare in that person's mind is the thought of dying suddenly, and the RSPCA (for instance) being called in or an animal shelter....and perhaps to an animal who has been without food and water for days. I can imagine that horrible worry.
I always prayed that Misty would pass before me. Where she is now, she's okay. If I had died first, she would have suffered.
I had a Great Aunt (bless her! She was a nice lady) she rescued animals and always had cats and dogs. She was in her 70s when she went out one day to do grocery shopping, went into a cafe, and died. It took days to find out who she was and where she lived. Eventually someone went to her house and discovered a mother dog and weaned pup, and three semi-feral cats. They had been without food or care for days. All were taken amid a lot of trauma (the mother dog was howling apparently, and the pup was trying to escape by climbing the walls...) Goodness knows what the cats were going through. They were taken, stuffed into "crates" and put in the RSPCA centre where they were euthanised. Sending them to join her was probably the best answer, but they went through hell on the way.
But when there is a deep bond between animal and person, then the biggest nightmare in that person's mind is the thought of dying suddenly, and the RSPCA (for instance) being called in or an animal shelter....and perhaps to an animal who has been without food and water for days. I can imagine that horrible worry.
I always prayed that Misty would pass before me. Where she is now, she's okay. If I had died first, she would have suffered.
I had a Great Aunt (bless her! She was a nice lady) she rescued animals and always had cats and dogs. She was in her 70s when she went out one day to do grocery shopping, went into a cafe, and died. It took days to find out who she was and where she lived. Eventually someone went to her house and discovered a mother dog and weaned pup, and three semi-feral cats. They had been without food or care for days. All were taken amid a lot of trauma (the mother dog was howling apparently, and the pup was trying to escape by climbing the walls...) Goodness knows what the cats were going through. They were taken, stuffed into "crates" and put in the RSPCA centre where they were euthanised. Sending them to join her was probably the best answer, but they went through hell on the way.
