Let’s say you live alone with your pet. Every day, your cat or dog greets you when you get home. (‘Hi! Glad you’re back! I missed you! Eat now?’) Then one day you don’t come back. Horrible accident on the freeway, and you were the star. Now you’re meat. Your friends and/or relatives live far away. Maybe your neighbours don’t even know you have a pet.
What happens to your pet?
It gets hungry.
Eventually the cops or neighbors or relatives go to your place & discover the pet in whatever state.
If dead, Animal Control takes the body & disposes of it, perhaps billing the estate, such as it may be. If alive, the pet ends up at some kind of animal shelter / pound.
LSLGuy’s scenario sounds most likely.
If this is a big worry of yours, it might be a good idea to carry a paper in your wallet saying that you have pets and who should be contacted to take care of them in the event of your death. Then they’ll find it hopefully while looking for a way to identify your body.
I’ve told my family that whoever takes my farm has to care for the animals for the rest of their lives.
StG
You should consider writing out a will to that effect. Estates attorneys often work for a flat fee on an uncomplicated will.
Hallo Johnny
My cat, Bert likes to lie on the window sill, and I always leave the blinds up far enough that he could be seen.
I live in a Senior apartment complex and we are all one story tri-plexes, so I’d not have to worry, because he’d be seen.
Great thread, John. We need to make sure oure pets would be okay if something happened.
Meds list needs to be put where it can be seen. Some easily accessible soft baggies of food, and for sure one of those waterbowl thingies that keeps filling as the pet drinks.
I highly recommend the film 8 Below (based on a true story) to show the resilience of animals suddenly left alone.
Thanks
Bill
Before I got married, when I was an apartment dweller, this was already addressed with family and friends, and various people said that they would take various cats. I have no doubt that my father, who was my next of kin, would have been sure that these wishes were carried out. Once I became a home owner, I was planning to leave my house and my retirement plan to my best friend on the condition that he live in the house and take care of my cats. Marriage has obviated the need for that arrangement, but I did think about it seriously.
You mean the toilet? 
Oh, for the record I don’t have pets myself. I was just wondering.
My best friend (other than my husband) and I have reciprocal cat watching duties and an understanding that, if ever needed, we would take care of the other’s cats, temporarily or permanently.
You GOOF:D:)
I have a gecko. I guess he’d die. 
But I do have an SO, who lives with me - we’d both have to go together.
I’ve discussed it with my sister, and if my husband and I died she would take both our cats (giving her a total of 3 cats). It’s not written into the will or anything, but she’s the sort of person who would feel horribly guilty if she got all of our assets and turfed the kittens.
This is actually a thought that terrifies me. I am in exactly that position (well, except for the dead part) and I have no idea WHAT would happen to my babies. I don’t have any friends that would take them and it truly is a huge concern for me. As much as I don’t know how I would face a life without them, it is almost enough to make me consider not replacing them as they pass on. One less thing I would have to worry about as I get older.
I have clear Beware of the Dog signs and a Please Rescue The Critters stickers on the front and back doors. I don’t have a will at this point, so I assume if I died tomorrow my house would be auctioned or given to the state or something, so somebody would be coming by to have a look, see the signs, and call the Humane Society.
If I were to die inside the house, and nobody noticed I wasn’t off to work every day, I guess there’d be a problem.
Though Fido is surely mourning your loss deeply, he will also have noticed a new source of meat slumped over on the floor,* delaying his problem for a little while. As long as you’ve left the toilet seat up for a water supply, you’ve just bought him an extra couple of weeks for the animal rescue people to find him and give him a new home. Your final act of generosity to your faithful companion.
*Anecdotal evidence culled from sensationally gross news stories suggests that Fido will actually wait until he starts to starve before chowing down, while Fluffums has no such scruples. I’m not sure I buy either extreme.
ETA: I doubt if you’d be undiscovered long enough for that to happen. My own cat is probably not bright enough to make the connection, judging by his mystified expression when presented with a piece of chicken.
Only if yo want to cry your eyes out, a lot. 
It WAS a great movie, but damn…, when
Old Jack wouldn’t even get off the chain, because he was waiting for his master to let him off…
Well, what if I die in my sleep while the dog is crated? What if the bathroom door is shut, or I’ve got bleach tabs in the toilet?
I’m sure that my next door neighbors would notice if I went a couple days without letting the dogs out, and they’d come knocking. If I failed to show up for work, my boss would probably drive by and check on me. As it is, the cats can be seen sleeping in the windows and somebody walking by would surely notice if one looked starving and call the Humane Society. I know they would be fine, I’m just pretty paranoid.
I have roommates so somebody would notice my passing and inform my family. My cats would then be taken in by my mom, where they would grow very fat and live in pampered spoiled luxury until the end of their days.
I live in fear that they might someday realize this.
I want to die so my cats will realise what a day without food is like.
Why? They’ll just eat you.