If we try hard enough

It was pretty slippery underfoot this morning when the dogs and I went out for our first early morning stroll. I'm glad I don't have to drive anywhere today, because my driveway is a sheet of ice that is well camouflaged by a thin skiff of snow.
On a day like this, I'm really grateful to have lots of trails around the yard. The dogs were able to enjoy their usual leisurely first inspection tour of the yard, checking for overnight 'tourists' on their turf. After I had my coffee, we didn't need to take our chances on the driveway to head out for our morning hike. We just worked our way around our little trails until we got out to the road.
Right now Mother Nature is doing her best to wash away the snow and ice and with any luck, by Wednesday we might even see some bare ground. But for today, it is a great thing to still be able to head out for our hike even if we had to detour to get out.
If I've learned one thing in fifty four years, its that its always good to have a plan b. That's why the other day I did the post about the need to have a plan to protect our pets when we aren't able to ( Assumption is the mother of some very unhappy tails ) These days it seems that every week there are more good pets coming into rescue because their guardians have either gone into nursing homes or passed away.
With everything that's happening in the world, I'm grateful beyond measure to be retired, and not to be dependant on a privately managed pension plan. When jobs are flowing out the window faster than EI can process the applications, these are rough days for almost everyone out there.
In light of that, this is a very good time for responsible pet owners to be looking at what their personal plan b would be if they were to lose their jobs. Rising prices have chipped away at a lot of rainy day funds and it is becoming more and more rare for anyone to have the traditional safety net of three months salary in savings.
We should love our pets enough to have a plan B. I'm fifty four years old and so I have learned that having a contingency plan is a great stress reliever. Instead of pacing the floor in the middle of the night, now would be a great time for people to:

• Arrange for a caregiver. Anyone who has set up a pet trust can tell you that this is not something that is settled quickly. It takes time to find a responsible person, and an alternate, who is not only willing but is able to properly care for our pets. For some people, this could be as simple as asking Mom to look after the cat. For others, it may involve a lengthy road that is paved a multitude of 'no I'm sorry - I can'ts' before the right caregiver is found.
• At the risk of stating the obvious, make sure that your caregiver is not a coworker.
• If you can afford it now ( and how can you not? ) get pet insurance
• Get your pets microchipped. If you have to move to find work, they will be even more unsettled than you and it could make all the difference if they panic and run away. Microchipping is a lot cheaper than it used to be.
• Keep your pets vaccinations and health checks current. If your caregiver already has pets, this will protect everyone. If the worst happens, and you absolutely will be unable to keep your pets, they will be easier to adopt if they have a health record to prove they have been well cared for.
• Make sure your dogs are well socialized. If all else fails and they have to go to a shelter, it could make a life and death difference for them.
• Stick away a small amount every pay. Should you need to rent, being able to offer a potential landlord a special damage deposit for your pets could make a world of difference in keeping your 'furkids'
• If your dogs aren't used to travelling in the car, start taking them for car rides. That way, if you have to move away to get work your dogs will be able to travel, and of course
• Check your mortgage and credit card to make sure they are ensured for job loss

I'm normally a glass half full person, but one would have to be an ostrich not to notice what's happening in the world. Still, I have lived long enough to see that government plans to boost the economy often fall short of the mark. At the end of the day, to paraphrase Mick, we don't always get what we want .... but if we try hard enough we just might find we can get what we /our pets need.