It’s a very scary reality that I have personally avoided up until now thanks to my pets being very healthy.  However, both Monty and Loki have been recently diagnosed with conditions and these are their first real health problems.  Loki has chin ache (my little teenager is growing up so fast!) while Monty has an autoimmune problem in his nose and mouth.

Monty and Loki are my first pets that are my own, so while I have experienced pets getting older and the family decisions that are never easy, I really have not had to handle the aging of pets on my own before.  Amelia, who I had for about 3 months, was my first experience in making the decision of euthanasia, and that was beyond difficult.  I am nervous and a little scared now that it’s a reality for me – Monty is 6 and Loki is 13.  They are not getting any younger and health issues are inevitable as time passes.

Logistically, I’m also worried about the financial obligation that comes with older pets.  I do not want to get to a point where the decision I am making for my pet is affected by what is in my bank account.  I have always kept an emergency fund for my pets in case a large expense does come up, so I am hopefully somewhat prepared for the future as my furbabies enter into their senior years.  (And it’s something I recommend for all my pet owning readers!)

Gods willing, I have many years ahead of Monty’s crazy fly-biting/mind rabbit chasing and Loki’s cuddles every morning.  The biggest lesson I am taking from this little scare of health issues finally surfacing for them is to appreciate every moment and experience with them even more.