Can having animals in my home be elder abuse?

I would say its just the opposite. We moved in with our 10 yr old Beagle and my dad loves her. We are always mindful of where she lays down, and we tell dad to always look for her on the ground before standing up.

Studies have shown that animals are great companions for the elderly. If you asked my dad now he couldn't imagine our dog not being here, and never owned a dog in his life.

I would say its just the opposite. We moved in with our 10 yr old Beagle and my dad loves her. We are always mindful of where she lays down, and we tell dad to always look for her on the ground before standing up.

Studies have shown that animals are great companions for the elderly. If you asked my dad now he couldn't imagine our dog not being here, and never owned a dog in his life.

It *could* be. It depends. In a typical home, with typical numbers of standard domestic animals, if you're a responsible pet owner and caring for a reasonably average older person, you wouldn't have thought so. But, just for example...

If the older person has a known allergy
If the person has a known terror of, say, cats and you have six
If the animals are not under control and scratch or bite the person
If the animals are not house trained and their waste poses a health hazard
If the animals are allowed to roam into her bedroom and leave hair and dander where she sleeps...

It could be abuse. Why do you ask?

My SIL has 2 cockatiels - dirty cage, not taken care of at all. My mom developed a rash from some sort of bird mites. She ended up hospitalized with an infection for 6 days.

Mid kid, there are organizations of bird lovers in just about every city. We had friends who did bird rescue. Can you research these in your mom’s city and contact them? Not to take them from her, but maybe to come in weekly and care for them for her? Just a thought.

My mother has 2 feral cockatiels that she adores, but doesn't take care of. I have developed a serious allergy to them and asked my brother to please take the cage and powerwash it--Mother shouldn't be breathing the feathers, dander, poop....and he refused and told me to stay away if the feathers flying around bothered me so much.

Nobody cleans the cage, it's beyond disgusting, but mother doesn't see it that way. I have decided to accept brother's refusal to clean the cage (not for ME , for MOTHER) and I do not go into her apartment.

These birds aren't abused, but they aren't cared for appropriately, by any standards.

Dcca56, sometimes it is the other way around. I see from your profile that your Mom has Alzhemier's/dementia. There are times when an elder with this disease becomes non-friendly toward the pet out of jealousy or just plain meanness. Or there are times when the elder will sneak food to the pet that the pet shouldn't have.

I can't see having a pet would be elder abuse unless the animal is growling at the person all the time.

A pet could be a trip hazard. But so could a child's toy.

What kind of animals? How many? Are they well-behaved pets? Are they a danger to the elderly person's health or safety? Is the elderly person allergic or scared? This question can't be addressed without more information.

Can you give more information? Do you have a dog or cat and are also caring for an elderly person? Has someone suggested that the animal is a trip hazard for the elderly and is that why that person considers the animal a form of as "elder abuse"?