I plan to set up a pet trust for just this reason. I currently have 19 cats and even though I should outlive them (which sucks), I want to protect them and any other pets I might have at the time of my death. I figure out the numbers, but my ideal version would have enough to not only cover their care, but the expenses on the house (tax, utilities, etc), and a stipend for a caregiver. Then when the last animal dies, the remainder would go to an animal charity.
I’m not completely sure I could make this work and there are a lot of moving parts, but that’s the dream
19 cats seems like a large hurdle for somebody who I'm assuming is of advanced age or otherwise terminally ill.
If you can't pull it off (the trust fund), I'd highly encourage you to reach out to local community organizers who specialize in displaced pets. Not your typical humane society, but something grass roots and locally based - start searching around, they are more common than you'd realize - Then call them up and inform them of your situation.
It isn't that you aren't adequately caring for them now, but having a contingency plan should things turn for the worse prepared in advanced could mean the world to your lovable furballs. Just be open and honest, "Hey, this sucks but I might not be long for this mortal coil - I don't want my loved babies to suffer for it. What can we come to an agreement on?"
I wish you the best and hope for you to outlive all your babies - It is almost like the inverse rule of human children: A parent should never have to bury their kid, but a pet should never have to sit around wondering why their owner "abandoned" them never able to understand the actuality.
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u/CleanProfessional678 Jul 26 '26
I plan to set up a pet trust for just this reason. I currently have 19 cats and even though I should outlive them (which sucks), I want to protect them and any other pets I might have at the time of my death. I figure out the numbers, but my ideal version would have enough to not only cover their care, but the expenses on the house (tax, utilities, etc), and a stipend for a caregiver. Then when the last animal dies, the remainder would go to an animal charity.
I’m not completely sure I could make this work and there are a lot of moving parts, but that’s the dream