Recording a Senior Pet's Habits While They Are Still Here
The things you will miss most are small: the way they turn twice before lying down, the sound at the door. Record them now, while you can still check the details. An hour this week is worth more than a perfect project later.
Reviewed:
Photographs worth taking
- Face from the front, at their eye level, in daylight.
- Whole body from the side, standing.
- Markings: the white toe, the spot on the tongue, the pattern on the back.
- Paws and nose, close up.
- Them in their usual place, from across the room.
Sounds and movement
- Ten seconds of video walking toward you.
- The greeting at the door.
- The noise they make asking for food.
- Them asleep, breathing.
Things to write down
- What they do when you come home.
- Where they sleep, and how.
- The toy or game they choose first.
- Words they know.
- One habit that makes you laugh.
Where to keep it
Put everything in one folder and keep a second copy somewhere else. If you make a PAWHAVEN garden for them now, the questionnaire doubles as this record, and you can download it as a ZIP file at any time.
This guide is general information, not veterinary, legal or mental-health advice.