I can't speak for anyone else but when I am considering buying a pet or giving a home to a pet.I don't just think about myself and the pleasure I will get from it.I also think about the pet in question and if I can give it the life it deserves.That is space,comfort,food etc and also happiness/contentment,stimulation and so on.Therefore I do not just get a pet for my own pleasure but also for the welfare of the animal,that deserves a good home and a good quality of life.

It's really irrelevant whether you will care when you are dead. Of course you won't care when you're dead. You'll be dead. Unless you believe in some sort of fuzzy afterlife where you're looking down thinking nooooo my poor animals. Which I don't.

But many people find comfort and solace now, in thinking that their loved ones will not suffer when they are gone. I have life insurance so that my mother can pay for a funeral and have something left for herself. I don't get myself into debt because I don't want my husband to be stuck with it. I have a health problem, and I may only be young, but realistically I know I don't have an indefinite amount of time to plan for my family as to how my death will ultimately affect them, so it's something I've had to seriously think about.

And the animals? Yes.. I've factored in the animals too. For my dogs, my family knows who I want to have them, and that was thought through with the best intention for my dogs, to go to familiar people in a family environment so that they are not affected long term by me not being there.

In my will I have a list of all my reptiles. And their prices. And the contact details of the breeders who may be interested in them first, but failing that, the place to sell them. My reptile collection is my passion. I do not expect my family to keep my personal collection when it is not their passion. I do expect them to get a good value for money for those animals, and I hope that they get a good life. I admit, my heart does wrench a little when I think of my golden oldies (the snakes I've had for 15 years since I was a kid, there's 3 of those) going to a new place, but that's my human applied emotion, I honestly don't think even after 15 years of living with me those snakes will give a damn as long as they're fed and watered.

You have to have responsibility in this life and that means making arrangements for the next. I wouldn't lumber my family with animals that they didn't want, didn't know how to care for, and didn't know who to give/sell to, that's just irresponsible.

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Very well put!

I think this is also important if you live on your own. And it is not just about death. Sometimes prolonged illness can mean yiu need to consider who will care for your pets when you are not able to.

I'm pretty sure the RSPCA find houses full of dead pets because the owner has snuffed it!

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I care for:

1.0.0 Red Eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)- 10/11 yrs old

0.0.2 Leopard-Spotted Catfish (Synodontis eupterus) -5/6 yrs old

0.0.1 Red Tailed Shark (Epalzeorhynchus bicolor) - 7 yrs old

2.1.0 Moggies - various ages

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be measured
by the way in which its animals are treated."
- Mahatma Ghandi

HI

I am new to the forum however, I do work as a Solicitor and deal with Wills and Trust and Probate. If you are worried about your tort after you have gone then you can make provision within your will leaving a sum of money for the care of the pet . You can also gift something to a relative or friend providing they care for your pet.

I have just got a leopard tortoise and I am in my 40s, my daughter has been told that she will be inheriting "Ruga" and she does not mind (she spends more time watching her than me!!).

Oh, if you do want to make a will, go to a Solicitor, they are heavily regulated and do a will for a fixed price and dont charge for storage I have heard of will writing companies costing clients thousands to write wills, store them with an annual charge and then the will is badly drafted.

by the way the forum seems very helpful and I am looking forward to spending a few happy hours here. I'll just try not to confuse the posts with those I put on Yorkshire Divers which has the same format.

I told my 2 sons - who ever takes care of the tortoises gets the bungalow !!!!!!