Articles

Everything we have written about looking after an animal when you live on your own, and about the people who would come for them.

• What to Put on a Pet Emergency Card
  Make a pet emergency card that tells responders what they need without putting private household details on your front door.
• Who Will Take Care of My Pet If Something Happens to Me?
  Choose who will care for your pet tonight, during a hospital stay, and permanently if you cannot come home. Build a practical backup plan.
• A Pet Emergency Plan You Can Finish This Afternoon
  Build a practical pet emergency plan in one afternoon: choose a caregiver, write the routine, solve home access, and make the plan discoverable.
• Pet Alert Stickers: Where to Get One and What It Should Say
  Compare free ASPCA pet alert stickers, store-bought decals, and a printable QR pet card. See what belongs on the door and what should stay private.
• Living Alone With a Dog: A Safety Plan for Both of You
  Build a practical safety plan for living alone with a dog, so someone notices a missed routine and knows how to care for him if you cannot.
• What Happens to Pets When the Owner Goes to Hospital?
  If you are unexpectedly admitted to hospital, who gets into your home and cares for your pet? Here is the practical sequence to arrange before it happens.
• If You Are the Only One Who Feeds Them
  If only you know your pet's daily routine, make a simple handoff before you need one: who notices, who feeds them, and where the instructions are.
• Cats Are Not Fine for Three Days
  Cats may seem independent, but they still need daily care. See what can go wrong when nobody checks food, water, litter, medication, or the cat herself.
• Pet Sitter Instructions: What to Write So They Get It Right
  Write pet sitter instructions another person can actually follow. Cover food, medication, routines, behavior, contacts, and what to do when something changes.
• How to Write Feeding Instructions Somebody Else Can Follow
  Write pet feeding instructions that work when you are not there: exact food, amount, timing, location, pet-specific rules, and what to do if something changes.
• Giving a Dog a Tablet When You Are Not There to Do It
  If someone else may need to give your dog a prescribed tablet, leave instructions they can follow without guessing about the medicine, timing, food, or missed doses.
• What Your Vet Needs to Hear From Somebody Who Is Not You
  Help a temporary caregiver speak clearly to your veterinarian when you are unavailable: pet identity, medications, recent changes, timeline, and owner contact details.
• The Best Dogs for People Living Alone Over 65
  The best dog after 65 is the one whose exercise, strength, grooming, temperament, cost, and lifespan fit your real life. Compare 8 practical options.
• Best Cats for Older Adults Living Alone
  The best cat for an older adult living alone is usually chosen by temperament, age, grooming, litter habits, handling, and care needs — not breed alone.
• Adopting a Dog at 70: The Questions Nobody Asks You
  Thinking about adopting a dog at 70? Ask about the next 10 years, backup care, hospitalization, cost, housing, transport, and who takes over if you cannot.
• What a Dog Costs a Year, Honestly
  What does a dog really cost per year? Build a realistic U.S. dog budget for food, vet care, grooming, insurance, boarding, walking, training, and emergencies.
• Pet Trusts: What They Are and Who Actually Needs One
  A pet trust can make future pet-care instructions legally enforceable. Learn how pet trusts work, what they cost and when a simpler plan may be enough.
• Naming a Pet Guardian in Your Will: What It Solves — and What It Doesn't
  You can name a caregiver for your pet in your estate plan, but a will alone does not solve immediate care, consent, funding, or a caregiver who cannot serve.
• Does Pet Insurance Cover Anything If You Are in Hospital?
  Pet insurance usually covers your pet's eligible veterinary bills, not your own hospital stay. But some policies offer emergency boarding if the owner is hospitalized.
• What Emergency Pet Boarding Costs — and How to Arrange It Before You Need It
  Emergency pet boarding can cost roughly $33–$185 per night for dogs in 2026. Learn what changes the price and how to set up a real backup before a crisis.
• Leaving Your Pets Behind in a Hurricane Evacuation
  If officials tell you to evacuate for a hurricane, plan to take your pets with you. Learn what to prepare, where pets can go, and what to do if separation becomes unavoidable.
• A Winter Power Cut With Animals in the House
  A winter power outage changes heat, water, light and pet-care routines. Make a practical plan for dogs, cats and other animals before the house gets cold.
• Holidays With Pets When You Have Nobody to Leave Them With
  No family or friend can take your pet while you travel? Compare in-home sitters, boarding, drop-in care and taking your pet with you — then build a backup.
• Travelling When You Are the Only One Who Knows Their Routine
  If only you know your pet's routine, travel exposes the gap. Turn feeding, walks, medication, behavior and emergency decisions into instructions somebody else can actually use.
• What Doggy Knows About You — and What It Doesn't
  See what Doggy stores, what stays on your device, what your contacts receive, and what the app deliberately does not collect or reveal.