We have 2 labs and the thought of another puppy or a homeless kitty has surfaced. Would that work out with the dementia setting here?

Personally, I wouldn't do it. You already have 2 large dogs and as hubby's dementia starts to advance, you will find yourself devoting more time to him... thus not being able to give the time to the Labs. Depending on the dog's ages, you will also be dealing with their age related declines, too.

Last weekend I found a lost cat, who was about a year old. Thank goodness I found his owner, as I was thinking if this cat didn't have a home would I adopt him. Then common sense set in... cats can live to be 20 years old, so that would mean I would be 90. The cat could outlive me, then what? I have no children, nor siblings. It wouldn't be fair to the cat. Plus I already have 3 cats, all of whom are considered elderly seniors, except for one who is 15 years old going on 2.... he still has a lot of kitten in him, thus a handful to deal with.

The dogs will kill a kitten. Guaranteed.

I have to ditto what pamstegma has told you. Labs and kitten will not work!!!!

No don't do this. My Dad has dementia that has slowly worsened over the past couple of years. Your husbands care needs are going to increase. Don't make more work for yourself. You need to start simplifying life and a house full of pets and dementia ain't gonna be simple.

Dogs get older and also require added care.
If the labs are young enough to learn new things, have them trained to be assistive canine companions.

More dogs is not necessarily better. They are family, not possessions-sure you feel the same way.

Maybe there is more going on here than explained in your post. Who wants the kitten? Can you pick one of the labs and make it your own, obeying you alone, sharing affection with that dog if you get lonely? Who is the alpha person in your home? If your husband declines, you will need to be the leader of the pack.

Who initiated the thought of another pet? If it was your husband..! Surely that speaks for itself? I'd guess in that case you can just confine the idea to 'wouldn't it be lovely' type conversations, which would at least give you something to talk about that you know he can relate to, without ever actually acting on it.

But if it was you, and you really really want a cat, then get a cat. The dogs will not kill it - tsk, Pam, you heartless woman! - provided they are properly brought up and you use some common sense about keeping the animals separate when unsupervised until the cat is well established in the household.

I'm not being funny: have you considered a canary? If your husband is yearning for something he can interact with close up, it could be an answer. You'd be amazed how much personality a creature that only weighs an ounce or two can contain. Minimal work, and not a long-term project, sadly, on account of their average life span. Make sure your husband can't open the cage unaided. He'll get more attention from it if you only keep one; though from a bird welfare point of view it would be preferable to get a pair. I'm not generally a fan of keeping birds in captivity, but these are bred to it and know no more of the wide open spaces than the typical inner city child does. Something to think about, anyway.

Excellent advice above. I would add that even though pets are wonderful and likely help many seniors and those who are disabled, you never know what behavior a person with dementia will develop as they progress that can cause a problem with the pet.

My cousin's dementia caused her to obsess about her cat, whom she loved dearly, to the point that it was unhealthy. Her obsession with the cat made the cat very agitated and unhappy. She began to spray all over the house and not use the littler box, which I think likely was due to stress of living with a person with dementia who was unpredictable and anxious. I had to return the cat to the no kill shelter where she had adopted it from.

I realize that not all dementia patients go through that stage, but it does happen.

We have two small dogs that we adore and a cat that has decided she only wants my hubby for company and won't leave his man cave downstairs - she's 15 so maybe cat dementia? Anyhow - I totally understand the pull of wanting to add to your furry family - there's nothing like the complete unconditional love of a dog, in my opinion. Every now and then I find myself thinking "wouldn't it be nice to get a new puppy"? But thankfully common sense kicks in and I remember piddle puddles, chewed up furniture, walking, potty breaks, vet bills etc. and the urge leaves me. Like stated before- you probably don't need any new added responsibilities right now...unless you can train one of the labs to change a litter-box?

My neighbor got a third dog, only to find out there is a two dog limit in the city. So she had to get a kennel license and be inspected annually by the dog warden. Then she had to euthanize her two cats, because the dogs would gang up on them. It wasn't pretty.

Pam - my neighbor across the street has three mini dachshund, I was talking to him about me wanting a third dog, to which he replied "be careful, three makes a pack". He said at three or more the pack mentality kicks and the personalities of previously sweet, gentel dogs can change. Hmmm, into cat bullys maybe?

With respect, Pam, is your neighbour a bit dim?

When my aunt was a child, she hugged a kitten so hard that she choked it to death. From my experience with someone with Alzheimer's, I believe a person with dementia might have the same lack of understanding what could happen.

If the labs are well trained, a cat might be a good addition. However, keep in mind a cat is high maintenance with a litter box unless you can train them to go outside. Also, they will destroy your furniture. The cat may be good for the dementia person in the household because cats bring a different kind of comfort that dogs. I have a cat we call the "healing cat" because if you or sick of upset, he will come and lay on top of you. It's really depends on the cats personality. Also, they can be left unsupervised and don't need to be walked.

Have you ever considered adopting a senior cat or dog? There are so many available. My beautiful maizey girl, a rottweiller/alaskan malamute cross came to me at the age of 15. She lived to 19 and was a wonderful dog. Senior animals are hard for shelters to place as everyone wants a puppy or kitten, but they can be just as or even more loving and fun. As a bonus, they often come already trained, and are usually more mellow and willing to hang out and chill with their owners rather than running you to death as puppies or kittens. Shelters usually consider pets "senior" over the age of 8...just a thought...


Angel

The less pets, the better when it comes to dementia. Think fall risk.

To add to my previous posting earlier on, I found dealing with my elderly parents and all their issues, I had neglected not only my own health but that of the cats. My 3 felines are seniors themselves, and I was shocked how time had flown by, it was 5 years since they last seen their Vet. Now 2 of them are dealing with age related issues that could have been better managed if I had time to have their annual Vet visits :(

And regarding adding a cat to a dog household, even with 2 dogs it is possible to create a "pack". One of my sig other's co-workers came home to find her 2 very sweet and gentle dogs had ganged up on the cat... the cat did not survive.

My Husband, who is 18 years older than me, has Dementia. I have a loving Cocker Spaniel whom my Husband and I are in love with. Lately I've found myself wanting a cat, but I know it isn't a good idea. I've come to realize it's not a cat I really want, what I want is to not be so lonely in my own home. I was thinking another thing to love would be the answer. I finally figured out what I really want is my sweet Husband "back". Once I figured this out I found I no longer needed a cat. Think about the real reason you want a kitten and you may find you want the same thing I do.

I had an urge to get a dog companion for our new rescue dog. But when my daughter remimded me that all our vet and boarding bills would double, I got over that urge.

All I can tell you caring for the pets rests solely on my shoulders, but the benefits to my husband (with dementia) are enormous! If you have the time, money and patience, then go for it!

Just thought of something that should have occurred to me earlier - perhaps I blocked it out as an unpleasant memory. My mom had a cat - adored him. There is even a paragraph in the DPOA papers regarding his care. Mom had the cat at the house, IL and even AL. But then it came time for mom to go to a nursing home - the biggest obstacle? The cat. Mom refused to go without the cat. Thing was, AL was booting her out. My brother and I looked for two months to find a nursing home that took pets - never did find one. So we had to move mom anyway, Kitty went to live with my brother - and mom reamed me and the nursing home director every time she saw us - for almost two months over the cat. Mom eventually settled down over it all - but I still hear about it every now and then. So - something to consider if there is a chance the elderly loved one becomes attached to a new pet and there is a chance of a change in caregiving needs in the future.

2LabsRgood!

In tears now, so I will leave with this advice:
People will have many varying opinions on the dog and cat pet issues.
Our beloved dog lived 14 1/2 years-the last year taught me about what 24/7 care-taking was about before I came here-this was for our dog! When my husband broke down and could no longer keep up the care (it took both of us), and I could not pick up the slack, I had to make the decision to end her life because she could not even be left alone safely or get up to poop. Her life was happy, and had meaning, ours was miserable with over work, worry, and pain.
Many could criticize for keeping her alive too long. We choose to never have another pet for so many reasons: the LIFELONG financial commitment, the pain of having to euthanize a pet, and my husband's basic inability to care for one without supervision and empathy-similar to what may happen with dementia. The idea of a companion dog to improve aspergers was lost on us.

This thread will go South when people start to disagree, and I have seen before how an emotional issue like pets can bring disagreements and even fighting amongst themselves. So my advice, early on, is be kind to each other on this forum as caregivers. And understand that any pet needs a lifelong commitment.

Instead of asking "if a new puppy or kitty will work in a dementia setting here," the consideration should be focused on how a new puppy or kitty would interact with the older animals already there. The most considerate answer is "no, you should NOT GET A NEW PUPPY OR KITTY." In addition, you're considering bringing a homeless kitty into the mix? You do realize that a feral kitten will wreck havoc on the family, right?

LL: Few rescue cats are feral. I have a friend who runs a cat sanctuary and b/c she lives in the country has, over the years, adopted a few of them -- but she never has more than one in the house (one she hilariously called "the mad woman in the attic" -- she had just given birth and needed to be on hand to feed the kittens -- the cat, not my friend). I love the idea of a senior cat and intend to adopt one myself in the fall ...

Altho what this has to do with AD I couldn't say ;=)

Please take note, cats can get "feline dementia", which is common in half the cats over the age of 15. I had two cats that was diagnosed with feline dementia.

The vet said when that happens sometimes the cat will "get lost" in the house and cry out if the cat doesn't see its owners or the other cats. It was interesting, both these cats [one decades ago, the other now] would "get lost" in the same main floor hallway.

OMG, freqflyer! I was so joking when I said my 15 yr old cat had dementia! Who knew?!! Shortly after we moved to our new house she stopped wanting anything to do with me and now just stays in the man cave. She's developed all kinds of quirky habits, including flipping over her entire litter box if hubby waits to long to clean it - no joke - flips over the entire box and it's a big box!

Yes, we wondered if that was the problem with our cat ... she would just howl and howl, for abt 6 months. We took her to the vet of course, and she said that it was either senility or a brain tumour. Since the only CAT scanner for cats was two hours away and she would have had to have been sedated, we decided not to put her thru that. She died at age 17 in her sleep, in her favourite part of the bedroom b/c it got the sun ... so she died quietly in her sleep in a sunbeam. I scattered her ashes under the hedge, which was her favourite place to be outside.

Aw shoot I'm getting all weepy now. mmmmm-Baaaawww :(

"CAT scanner for cats" -- a cat CAT scanner. lol.

there is a PET scan

there is a CAT scan

Hmmm, wonder why they use humans on these???

M 8 8 ;^)