The average life expectancy for a medium-sized dog is 10 to 12 years. Cats typically live around 12 years, although my parents had a cat that made it to the ripe old age of 22. The average life expectancy for a human is between 76 and 82 years. Thus, it’s possible to have roughly seven or eight dogs, cats or a combination of the two over the course of a lifetime. We are currently on our eighth dog and ninth cat, which means when it comes to pet ownership, we are slightly above average.
Lately I’ve been thinking about how relatively short a dog’s life is because our oldest dog, Rocky, will be 13 in October and has been showing some signs of aging. We adopted Rocky when he was a little less than two years old and for the longest time we didn’t think he’d ever slow down.
One of his many quirks is grabbing a shoe, water bottle or any other random object lying on the floor when it’s time for a walk. Rocky then carries the object around the room while evading his leash.
We’ve never quite been able to figure out the point of this game. Clearly, he’s showing his excitement by picking up a shoe/water bottle/whatever, but since he refuses to part with it until we’re out the door and the walk has begun it’s not like he is trying to give the person walking him a present. We’ve concluded it’s simply Rocky’s way of showing excitement.
For years, we’d say, “Rocky! Do you have to pick up a shoe every time we go on a walk?” He never bothered to answer us with more than a disdainful glance since, duh, it was obvious that picking up a shoe was part of the gestalt of Rocky.
A few months ago, Rocky stopped picking up shoes/water bottles/random objects before a walk. Now he docilely stands while waiting for his leash. He is also slower on walks and no longer leaps at people on skateboards, bikes or other dogs like the Rocky of old.
Admittedly, walks are a lot easier now, but it’s a bittersweet kind of easy. An “Oh, so he’s gone and gotten old on us, how dare he?” feeling.
There must be a reason why pets don’t live as long as their owners. The only thing I can come up with is pets don’t live as long as humans so we can take care of more pets over the course of our lifetime, although many of us vow we won’t get another pet after losing one because it hurts too much when they pass away.
Yes, the pain is horrible, but the rewards of the years spent together make that pain bearable. Where else would humans find the loyalty they get from a Golden Retriever, the love from a calico cat? Are there any other creatures who patiently wait for us to get home every night like they’re waiting for a movie star to step out of a limousine? Who else never judges us when we have ice cream for breakfast and is always a willing listener when we complain about workplace injustices?
The term “emotional support pet” first started being used in the late 1980s. I would venture to say that even without an official certificate, all dogs and cats provide emotional support. The loveliest part is that they don’t even realize they’re supporting us. It’s simply how they were made.
After Rocky goes to his reward, and I hope that isn’t for a few more years, we’ll wait a little while before getting another dog to join our menagerie. I have no doubt there are more dogs in our future because what we get from our pets while we have them almost outweighs the inevitable pain of losing them. The pain is real, but so is the joy our pets bring us. I’m not sure who needs each other more, pets or owners, but I am sure of one thing: the time we have together is never quite enough.
Nell Musolf is a freelance writer based in Mankato. She can be reached at nmusolf@gmail.com.