Quality of Life for Pets: How to Know If Your Dog or Cat Is Still Enjoying Their Days

As pet parents, we often see our beloved companions go through all of their life phases, from being just a few weeks old, through seeing the signs of old age creeping in. And it seems to happen in the blink of an eye, particularly as animal lifespans are so much shorter than our own. We know how it feels when you begin to quietly worry about the quality of life for pets in your care.

It’s perfectly normal to be unsure of what your pet is feeling. We can only compare our own experiences of aging and of seeing our parents and grandparents throughout their aging process with what we assume our pet is going through. This gives you a reasonable idea, but if you’re at all nervous about their condition, it’s always best to seek a veterinarian's advice to be sure.

Being more aware of how they’re acting, whether there’s something not quite right, or feels off, is what they need from you as they age. Begin to watch your pets more closely as they enter their golden years, as that’s often when ailments crop up.

Being curious about and aware of your pet’s quality of life doesn’t mean you’re giving up. It means you’re paying attention, and that’s what they need.

In this post, we'll discuss your pet's quality of life and how you can assess it at home, signs that your dog or cat is still enjoying life, tackling good and bad days, and what to watch for to make sure you give your pet the best life possible as they age.

What “Quality of Life” Really Means for Dogs and Cats

Our pets have physical, emotional, and mental needs too, just as we do. We take eating, going to the bathroom without help, and walking from place to place without assistance as physical human needs. These basic activities can become more difficult or painful as we age. The same applies to dogs and cats. But these are just the everyday functions we need to exist, not to really live or enjoy life.

We also need to feel comfortable, both physically, in the chairs we might use or the bed we sleep in, and emotionally, in knowing we are loved, wanted, and needed by those we love and need.

Can you understand how our pets have these needs, too? They love us unconditionally. We need to continue showing them that we love them, too.

And we’re all creatures of habit. We wake at a certain time and do the same daily things in the same order. Throw in an appointment at a different time, and we’re all turned around. The same applies to how our pets feel. They get used to you leaving and coming home at specific times, and if you’re late, they know it.

Keeping routines familiar as your pets grow older matters.

Small Signs Your Pet Is Still Enjoying Life (That People Often Overlook)

Quality of life for pets can be relatively simple to assess if you take the time to pay attention to how they’re acting and reacting. Sometimes the little things matter more than you think. Here are a few seemingly insignificant signals that can say a lot about your dog or cat’s life comfort levels.

They still want to be close to you: From the very start, you build a deep relationship with your pets. That internal need for you to be near one another is ingrained. Your relationship is built on trust and works both ways. 

Respond to words they know: You know if you excitedly say things like ‘walk,’ ‘car,’ or speak the name of a person they know and love, they’re going to react. If they don’t at least lift their head, there’s a sign that there’s something off.

Enjoying good smells: Even if they’re not eating as much as they used to, if they can track down their favorite snack in a different room by scent alone, there’s a good reason to be alive.

Favorite sleeping spots: We all have our favorite chair, room, or nook, where we feel most comfortable. It’s the same for dogs and cats. If they still make their way to that special spot in the sun that they love so much, that’s a wonderful thing.

Quality Of Life For Pets When Good Days and Hard Days Switch

We all have good days and bad days. You know those days when you just don’t want to get out of bed when the alarm goes off, so you hit snooze…again? Hopefully, most of the time, those days are few and far between. But we all have them sooner or later, and that’s totally normal.

Your pets are just the same. Maybe they’re stiff from the long walk you took the day before. That’s okay. Take a shorter, slower one next time, and take a few moments to consider the quality of life for pets in your home as you exercise together.

Hard days are okay, too. Your dog or cat might be a little more tired, eat less than usual, or not want to move around as much. We have those days too, don’t we? That doesn’t mean it’s the time to go.

More than good days and hard days, watch for patterns in your pet's behavior. If you regularly see them having trouble standing, going to the bathroom, or maybe circling before having difficulty lying down, then you might need to have them see a veterinarian.

Patterns matter more than individual moments. Maybe start watching them a little more closely.

A Gentle Quality-of-Life Check-In You Can Do at Home

Here are a few things you can monitor in your pet’s activities. There’s no need to keep score or write them down. Just be more aware of what they’re doing and how easily they’re doing it.

Comfort levels: How easily can they manoeuvre themselves to where they want to be, and into the position where they feel comfortable? Do they struggle to find a comfy spot?

Interest/Alertness: How interested are they in where they are and what’s going on around them? Do their ears prick up at sounds, or maybe they don’t even flicker?

Restful or restless: Are they able to fully rest for longer periods of time, or are they constantly shuffling to try to find a comfortable position?

Relaxation: Can they truly relax and sleep deeply to recover from the day, or do they seem irritable?

If you ever need help talking through what you’re noticing, you could text Dr. Amy for a light assessment at (720) 203-7341.

Choosing Comfort When Things Can’t Be Fixed

If you’ve done all you can for your pet companion, that’s as much as anyone could ask for. Choosing comfort over pain and helplessness does not mean you’re giving up on your best friend. It means you’re carefully assessing the quality of life for the pets in your care and giving them the considered, gracious gift of peace for a well-lived life.

Managing pain can become difficult for both you and your pet. They don’t like to take the pills, which means you feel bad for having to administer them. This can lead to emotions running high for both of you, which is something you don’t need, especially when one of you is in physical pain.

At the end of the day, nobody wants to live in pain, especially if it’s tough to manage both physically and emotionally. They’ve had a good life, and you’ve given them that incredibly precious gift. It’s time to honor who they are and what they’re going through.

You’re Paying Attention, And That's What Matters

You’re a pet parent who loves your dog or cat as dearly as any other family member. And you’ve learned that being aware of what your pet is going through is important for many reasons. Awareness is a form of love, as you learn to pay attention to their needs because you care about how they feel.

There is no perfect answer to the end of life, but we must understand that the quality of life for pets is just as important as it is for humans. How you all spend your time together is pivotal to each person or pet’s happiness.

It’s not easy for anyone involved, but we want you to know that you have our support right here, whenever you need it. Yours in dignity, humanity, and peace.

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