Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center & Urgent Care

May is National Pet Month—a time to reflect on the joy, comfort, and unconditional love our pets bring into our lives. While it's easy to get swept up in the energy of puppies and kittens, this month also gives us the perfect opportunity to honor a very special group: our senior pets.

Why We Love Senior Pets

There’s something uniquely heartwarming about an older dog’s gentle gaze or a senior cat’s contented purr. These pets often come with the benefit of experience—they're usually house-trained, calm, and deeply connected to their humans. Their mellow nature makes them wonderful companions for families, singles, and seniors alike.

How to Show Them a Little Extra Love

Senior pets have different needs than their younger counterparts, and a few thoughtful adjustments can help them thrive:

Provide soft bedding or an orthopedic pet bed to ease joint stiffness
Keep walks short and frequent to support mobility
Offer low-impact enrichment like puzzle feeders or gentle playtime
Schedule regular wellness checks at Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center and Urgent Care to stay ahead of age-related health changes
Take time for extra cuddles—they’ll love the attention

Senior Pet Spotlight: Aerial, Age 18

At Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center and Urgent Care, we see the deep bond between people and their senior pets every day. Just ask one of our team members Samantha,, whose cat Aerial is turning 18 this month:

"We are 100% her live-in caregivers. She's a grazer, but since our other two cats will steal her food, she climbs her cat tree and screams at us when she's hungry. One of us runs over to put food in front of her and then stands guard while she eats. Sometimes she does this 2–3 times an hour! She also yells at us when her heated bed turns off. Apparently, she's much less needy when I’m at work—my husband says she knows I’m the real sucker in the family.”

Caring for a senior pet often means adjusting your schedule and tuning into their needs—but the connection runs deep. Aerial reminds us how much love, personality, and humor our senior pets bring to our lives every single day.

Cherishing the Golden Years

This National Pet Month, let’s take a moment to celebrate the quiet heroes—the pets who’ve grown old with us, waited patiently at the door, and stayed faithfully by our side through life’s ups and downs. At Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center and Urgent Care, we see the deep bond between people and their senior pets every day. They’ve given us their whole hearts. Now it’s our turn to return the favor.