# Pets: What if you die? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 18, 2009, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-what-if-you-die/493541 "2009-04-18T16:36:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2009, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-what-if-you-die/493541/21 "2009-04-19T14:08:18Z")
Not unless I present myself as pheasant under glass or something like that. My cats eat like cats are supposed to? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2009, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-what-if-you-die/493541/22 "2009-04-19T14:19:39Z")
Let’s not forget that even if they don’t eat you (or you don’t die at home), they’ll last several days without water and a couple weeks without food. If you expire out in public, the authroities will rescue your critters within a few hours. If you die at home and are pretty much a recluse, then it might be a couple weeks before the mailman or somebody notices the lack of action & notifies somebody. If you’ve left a toilet cover up and the critters loose, they’re fine for a month. If not, not. The worst case is if you die outside the house in a hidden spot, say out jogging in the wild, or in some thug’s trunk. The critters won’t have you for food, nor will you attract much attention. Still, that gives a couple weeks for somebody to notice the lack of activity at your house. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2009, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-what-if-you-die/493541/23 "2009-04-19T15:08:34Z")
> [@EJsGirl](#): > > 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… **EJsGirl** (your’s is one nick I can’t shorten - without losing the “identity”)🙂 I have that film saved on my DVR for a couple of reasons… 1. I love movies set in the antarctic. Something about being in a remote location with howling winds just appeals to me, I guess. I’m **crazy** over _March of The Penguins!_ 2. I’ve always loved movies about sled dogs. And there’s something about the human/animal “dependency” factor that appeals to me as well. Also, I think I heard (History Channel maybe?) that there’s not really a “pet-bond” between the dogs and the guy on the sled. They’re considered “working animals” and that’s it. Supposedly, they’re not really played with as they are in _8 Below_. What do y’all think? Is that the case? They pull the sled, get chained and fed, and that’s it? Q ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2009, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-what-if-you-die/493541/24 "2009-04-19T15:57:23Z")
When my SIL died, she had 6 cats and a couple of birds. We found a place that takes birds (we felt fortunate we had a place nearby that does this). One family member’s boyfriend took two of the cats, two went to a shelter for adoption, and two were unadoptable, so they’re living out their days at the Old Asshole Cat Home. I would have put them down if it was up to me. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2009, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-what-if-you-die/493541/25 "2009-04-19T16:38:43Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Let’s not forget that even if they don’t eat you (or you don’t die at home), they’ll last several days without water and a couple weeks without food. Actually, my pets being birds, they won’t last that long. Aside from the fact they’re in cages when we’re not home, birds can starve to death in just a couple days. My “in case of emergency” contact people know I have pets, at least. And angry, upset, frightened birds do scream remarkably loud. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2009, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-what-if-you-die/493541/26 "2009-04-20T12:59:32Z")
Yeah, this reminds me I’ve been meaning to set up an agreement with somebody. I fantasize about a “deadman switch” method – one that will automatically go into effect unless it is consciously prevented – such as an agreement to call a friend every day and if no call comes, it triggers an action of some kind to check on each other. I don’t usually worry about this sort of thing, but sometimes I actually worry about just putting my dogs into the car. I’ll load one or both of them (most frequently it’s just Simone) into the hot car, walk around to the other side, and start up the car and get the air conditioner going. But I sometimes wonder, what if I’m hit by a car while passing behind my car to get into the driver’s side? What if I have an infarction and just fall down? My little sweetheart is waiting in the closed car on a hot day and it’ll be hours before anyone looks for me…ugh. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2009, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-what-if-you-die/493541/27 "2009-04-20T23:35:12Z")
Roll down the window a little bit when you put her in the car. My current cats are listed in our wills, in case my husband and I are in the same horrible accident. All of our listed next-of-kins have phone numbers for pet sitters, so I’m not too worried. Or I wasn’t untill the dead-in-thug’s-trunk senario was outlined upthread. Thanks, **LSLGuy**. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-what-if-you-die/493541/28 "2009-04-21T00:20:17Z")
> [@StGermain](#): > > I’ve told my family that whoever takes my farm has to care for the animals for the rest of their lives. > > StG Isn’t this the part in the movie where the pet’s lifespan decreases inverserly to as the estate appreciates? ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-what-if-you-die/493541/29 "2009-04-21T00:46:16Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > What do y’all think? Is that the case? They pull the sled, get chained and fed, and that’s it? > > Q Read _Woodsong_ by Gary Paulsen. There are a lot of stories about his sled dogs, and while they’re not exactly pets, they are friends that he cares about deeply, and who seem to care about him. It’s an amazing little book. ---
**Author:** ![FallenAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@FallenAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallenAngel)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-what-if-you-die/493541/30 "2009-04-21T18:38:32Z")
I assume the authorities will contact the people on my “In Case of Emergency” list that I keep in my wallet and stored on my phone; so I wouldn’t be too worried about the pets in the short term. Even if my wife is with me when I go, we have arrangements with friends to take in and provide for our animals should we die, and backup arrangements with other friends if the first cut can’t do it for whatever reason. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-what-if-you-die/493541.md?page=1)