With only a very small percentage of people who have written a will having made provision for what will happen to their pets after they die, it’s definitely something to bear in mind when thinking about preparing your personal funeral plan. For most people, their pet is a cherished family member, and while most people think long and hard about provisions for their loved ones when they’re gone, all too often they fail to consider their pets’ needs when drawing up their estate plan.

When you’re planning for your pet’s future care, there are a number of things to keep in mind.

The Basics

Which needs does your pet need to be addressed? Here are some of the things to consider:

• A place to live
• Money to pay for their food and essentials
• Veterinary treatment
• Love and care

The Human Touch

When you’re thinking of who will care for your pet, it might be helpful to think about who you would ask to help you out now in the event of an emergency. Make sure that you talk to that person about the possibility of caring for your furry friend in the future to make sure that they’d be happy to take on the responsibility.

Making Legal Provision

Once you’ve identified your pet’s new possible parent, you need to name that person in your will as the person that you have designated to care for them. You can also leave some money to your chosen person specifically for caring for your pet.

The Personal Touches

Once you’ve had the legal paperwork drawn up, you can also add personal touches. You can create a list of instructions for caring for your pet and put it in a safe place such as your deposit box so that it can easily be found when the time comes. You can include information such as:

• Your pet’s feeding routine, including portion sizes, favourite treats and any dietary restrictions
• Their medical records and vet information
• Any pre-existing medical conditions and medications that they take on a regular basis
• Their favourite toys
• Their favourite activities and places
• Any unusual quirks such as their fears or unique behaviour patterns
• Minor Details

Once you have everything in place and you can have the peace of mind of knowing that you have everything arranged for your pet’s care and well-being, you might want to consider giving your furry friend’s possible new owners copies of the official documents that they could need such as a copy of your will, and a spare key for your home just in case there’s an emergency situation. It also makes sense to ensure that your pet has visited the person that you’ve chosen a few times and has been to their home so that it will be familiar to them.

Making future care plans for your pet is one more thing that you can do to make life easier for your loved ones when you’ve gone. Along with writing a will and setting up a personal funeral plan, it will give them one less thing to worry about and one less burden to deal with.