November is National Senior Pet Month, a time to celebrate our senior pets and acknowledge the extra compassion and care they need and deserve. At Park Cities Pet Sitter, we’ve spent more than 30 years helping pets of all ages live their best lives at home, including seniors and those requiring special or end-of-life care. Today, I’m sharing how professional pet sitters support senior pets, one of our biggest contributions to pet care in the Dallas Metroplex.
Understanding When a Pet Becomes a Senior
Just like people, pets age at different rates depending on their breed, size, and health. Generally, veterinarians consider cats and small dogs “senior” at around 7 or 8 years old, while larger dogs reach senior status closer to age 5 or 6. Regardless of the number, aging pets often face mobility challenges, sensory decline, or chronic health conditions like diabetes that can change how they experience daily life.
How Professional Pet Sitters Support Senior Pets: Aging Pet Care
Senior pets thrive on consistency, patience, and understanding. Our team has developed these qualities over decades of specialized training and experience. PCPSI pet sitters are skilled in:
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Medication administration: Whether through pills, injections, or topical treatments, we work with you and your veterinary team to ensure your pets get the medicine they need.
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Mobility assistance: We’re happy to care for pets that need careful handling when going outdoors or using stairs. We can work with your tools or use towels and ramps to facilitate their movement safely.
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Monitoring changes: Whether we recognize changes in appetite, behavior, or comfort levels, we alert owners of potential concerns as soon as we spot them.
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Adaptive enrichment: From gentle walks, sniffing games, or quiet companionship that stimulate without stress, we tailor our exercise and play to each pet’s needs and fitness levels.
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Routine management: By providing in-home care, our team maintains pets’ familiar routines and environments, which is critical for pets, especially as they age.
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Pain and anxiety monitoring: Our sitters understand the subtle signs of discomfort or anxiety that older pets often express through body language.
How Professional Pet Sitters Support Senior Pets: Palliative and Hospice Pet Care
For senior pets living with chronic or terminal illness, home is more than a place; it’s a sanctuary. In-home pet care allows aging or palliative pets to stay surrounded by familiar scents, favorite resting spots, and other comforts of home. As pets near the end of their lives, PCPSI works alongside pet parents and veterinarians to support a pet’s comfort and dignity.
When a pet reaches palliative or hospice care, our sitters can provide companionship visits for pets on limited activity, assist with feeding or hydration routines, and offer low-stress monitoring so owners can step away or travel without worry.
Why Home Is Best for Senior Pets
Aging pets often experience confusion or stress when taken out of their normal environment, especially if their vision, hearing, or cognitive function declines. Home-based care eliminates the anxiety of travel, unfamiliar surroundings, and unknown people and pets, keeping ailing pets stable. With in-home pet sitting, their favorite blanket, a sunny windowsill, and a daily rhythm remain unchanged, providing a comfort that matters most as they age.
Three Decades of Compassionate Experience
For over 30 years, Park Cities Pet Sitter has provided trusted, compassionate care across the Dallas Metroplex. Our team treats every pet, whether a rambunctious puppy, a dignified senior, or a beloved family member nearing the rainbow bridge, with the same respect and tenderness we’d offer our own beloved pets. National Senior Pet Month reminds us that experience, empathy, and consistency can make a world of difference in a senior pet’s golden years.
Our high standards of care, combined with our attentiveness, trustworthiness, and dedication, provide owners peace of mind, knowing their companions are in gentle, capable hands while they are away. Whether a pet is in recovery, living with mobility limitations, or entering hospice care, care in the hands of a knowledgeable pet care provider in a calm and predictable environment helps them feel safe and loved.
Dog Walking & Cat Sitting in the Dallas Metroplex
To learn more about our services, please visit our FAQs and contact us at 214-828-0192 and pets@pcpsi.com. Alternatively, you can register via our client portal, available here. Existing clients, please submit reservations via this link.
We proudly serve these Dallas neighborhoods & surrounding suburbs: Bluffview, Deep Ellum, Downtown, Highland Park, Knox Henderson, Lake Highlands, Lakewood, Lower Greenville, Medical District, North Dallas, Oak Lawn, Northwest Dallas, Northeast Dallas, Old East Dallas, Preston Hollow, Turtle Creek, University Park, Victory Park.
If you are outside of our service area, check the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS) or Pet Sitters International (PSI) to find a pet sitter near you.
