Hey everypawdy, it’s me, RaenaBelle. I’s bringing you the first Service Cats and Everything Feline Friday of 2020. It’s taking longer than expected for us to get our house back in order, but we’re slowly getting there. Anyways, we lost our list of topics and questions, so purrlease let us know what questions or topics you have or would like to see here. Do you have Health questions, Behavior questions, Nutritional questions, Training questions, or questions in general? Let us know and we’ll get you an answer. You can submit your questions/topics in the comment section below or via private email through our Contact page. And, if you’ve missed any post in this series, you can check them out on our Training Tips and Everything Feline page here. 

 

 

 

 

The following post will be written in human English for reader and translator ease. Our Service Cat posts aren’t intended to be an all inclusive Training Manual but rather Tips, Tricks and Techniques used/developed by mommy A thru her many years of animal training, cats in purr-ticular. And to offer insight into your questions about Everything Feline. Always remember, successful Training is all about Repetition and Rewards.

 

Last year was a really tough year for us with the moving around and construction at our apartments, mommy’s health decline due to medicine changes and of course, problems with the management. We also faced another issue…the loss of our Emergency Contact. You know, that person or persons that will be called upon to take over our care and/or execute mommy’s wishes when and if mommy A dies. We know this is not a popular topic, but it is a very important issue and must be spoken about. 

 

 

 

 

 

Never assume a friend or family member, including a spouse or child, will step up and take on the responsibility of your beloved furries. It is also a good idea to have a backup, someone who doesn’t live in the same house. Once you have a primary contact and a backup contact in place, it’s very important to put it writing and let someone know where to find that information. Keep reading for tips and suggestions. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Questions and Information:

Before deciding on an Emergency Contact, you need to ask yourself some questions that you’ll want to get answered by prospective Emergency Contacts.

1. Will the person be able to emotionally and physically care for your beloved furry, or execute your wishes regarding the furries? 

2. Does your furry have any health conditions that require special care, and if so, can or will that person be able to provide the care needed? 

3. Is that person financially capable of caring for your furry/s?

4. Should you create a Pet Trust? You can create one free here. This is a legal agreement recognized by the law. 

5. Does the person/persons you are naming have an emergency contact in place for the care of their furry(s) in the event of their death? You don’t want your beloved furries to end up in a shelter at any point.

6. Can this person get to your furry(s) within 2 to 24 hours of your death? If not, you’ll need to designate a temporary Contact to retrieve and care for your beloveds until their final home can get to them. Otherwise, they will end up in a shelter.

 

 

 

 

How Do You Find an Emergency Contact:

1. Ask friends and family members first. They may already be familiar with your pets and vice versa. This will make for an easier transition. Your pets will feel your loss and grieve. The less stress during this time you can provide, the better. 

2. If local friends and family members can’t/won’t take your furry(s), ask the online friends you trust.

3. There are also rescues and sanctuaries that provide care for pets whose owners have died. Most require a financial donation to do so. Check online for any in your area. 

4. If all else fails, a local rescue or even your Vet may be willing to take in your pets and rehome them. Check around and find out what their procedures are for this service and include their name and contact person in your Emergency Contact letters. 

 

Don’t furget to bring me’s furmiliar stuffs.

 

 

 

 

What To Do With Your Letter:

Once you have decided on a person or persons, put it in writing. Below is a simple sample of an Emergency Contact letter. Once you have your letter in writing, give copies to the Contacts listed, your landlord if you rent, your Vet, a family member or friend if one lives in the home with you and is not the designated person, put one in your files, and place a copy on or near your refrigerator or bathroom mirror. Now we know a lot of you just asked yourselves why you’d put a copy on or near your fridge or bathroom mirror, right? Well, the answer is because that’s where emergency personnel (ambulance drivers/firemen/policemen) look for directives (medical issues/medication lists/advance directives/etc.) when they respond to a call and the person is unable to communicate for whatever reason. And of course, if you have an attorney, he/she will need a copy for your files as well. Do Not put this information in a will only. Often a will is not read for days or weeks after a death. And then there may be probate which can take even longer. Your pets need care within 24 hours of your death. You may include this in your will if you choose, but you must also write a letter apart from any will.  

 

 

 

 

Keep your Letter and Contacts up to Date. Life happens and circumstances change. At least once a year revisit your Contact and make sure they’re still willing and capable of fulfilling their duties as your Pets’ Emergency contact. It’s not necessary to rewrite your letter each year unless something changes.It’s also a good idea to keep your pets’ health records with your Letter. You can put together a small folder with your Letter, your pets’ health records, a list of medications you may take and any health concerns you may have and any advanced directives you may have in place regarding yourself, and place it on or near your fridge. Each time you visit your Vet, ask for a copy of anything that occurred during that visit. If you haven’t done this in the past, your Vet may charge a small fee to copy your file, but it’s worth it to have the complete records in the event that your Contact needs them. Remember, your pet(s) will be stressed and confused upon your death and may need to see a Vet. Those records could save the life of your pet.

 

 

 

 

We’re gonna wrap this up fur now. Love your pets enough to have this tough conversation and make arrangements today. Don’t keep putting this off. No one is guaranteed tomorrow. And remember, you can check out our other topics by clicking the links on our Training Tips and Everything Feline page. And let us know what you’d like to read about or get help with by leaving a comment or sending us an email via our Contact page. We do hope this has helped you. In these uncertain times, it’s nice to know that no matter what our future won’t be left to chance. We’re also joining Comedy Plus fur Feline Furiday. We’ll see you soon. 

 

Till the next time………………………………………………………………Be Blest!!!  

 

 

 

Luvs and Hugs and KittyBelle Kisses 

 

RaenaBelle and Deztinee