Should You Provide for Your Cats in Your Will?

It depends on how you feel about them

Years ago, I had a friend who changed her will in order to leave her cat to me, plus $10,000 to cover cat care costs.

She did this even though she had a husband and an adult son.

Deb believed I’d take better care of Fluffy than her family would — and she was probably right.

As it turns out, she outlived Fluffy so that part of the will became moot.

But when I told a married couple I know who had seven cats about what Deb had done? They changed their wills to provide that if they died together, their money would go to me via a trust arrangement according to which I was to spend their money taking care of their cats.

I would be expected to hire just the right cat-lover to live in their house rent-free in exchange for caring for their “cat family”, so that the cats wouldn’t be separated and thrown out of their home.

I’d supervise the cat caretaker, pay the bills, and hire new cat caretakers as needed. When their last cat finally crossed the rainbow bridge, the house would be sold and the proceeds — and whatever was left of the estate — would be donated to cat-related charities.

You may think these plans are a little over the top, but in both cases, I was told that just knowing that their cats would be well taken care of gave their owners peace of mind.

Of course, my friends asked me before they made these estate planning changes. You don’t just die and foist a bunch of cats and responsibilities upon an unsuspecting friend. You need to check with that friend first, to make sure she’s on board with ensuring that your beloved companion animals are well taken care of.

And you need to make sure you’re entrusting them to somebody who actually knows about cats and how to take care of them.

My own cat, Louisa, lived a long and happy life before she died suddenly at age 17. After which I wept for weeks. A patron would come up to the circulation desk at the library where I worked and innocently ask, “How are you?”

And I’d burst into tears.

So I had a track record of taking excellent care of a cat. And God knows I understood attachment to a cat.

If you’re reading this, you too understand attachment to a cat. Or a dog. So when you’re taking care of your own estate planning? Don’t just assume that when you die folks will step up to take care of your cats and dogs. Or your beloved pet baboon. (I’m looking at you, Ida Adams.) You don’t have to write them into your will. But do make arrangements to take care of your companion animals in case of your death or incapacity.

Then if you happen to cross that rainbow bridge before they do? You’ll be leaving them in good hands.

Writing Coach Roz Warren, who writes for everyone from the Funny Times to the New York Times, can help you improve and publish your work. Drop her a line at [email protected]. (That’s Ros with an “s,” not a “z.”)