I, Wolf, Being Of Sound Mind . . . Will Advice Needed

[wolf63]

I have a will but have decided to have another one drafted as the original is about ten years old.

I have no family of my own so almost all my estate is going to my brother and his little ones (3 children). A couple of charities will get something too - not sure how much.

All very simple.

But over the last couple of days I have heard of a friend of a friend who died and her cats were to be cared for by a family member. Then we were advised that the cats had been euthanased but now it seems that they are still alive and looking for a new home.

Question:-

My brother says that he will arrange for my two cats to be taken care of. I trust that he will do this. But what if he was incapacitated or unable to take the time to find new homes for them.

Would it be OTT to get something put into my will ensuring that they (or whatever animals I have at my time of death) will be rehomed and looked after the way that deserve to be cared for?

Maybe offering £10k (for arguments sake) to a charity to make sure that they are cared for. (Not the RSPCA as it does not operate in my country).

I know that this post is just the ramblings of a mad woman ~ or more correctly a CCL (Crazy Cat Lady) but it is a serious concern.

Can anyone help?

[murraymints]

I'll do it for ten grand !

[pixie373]

I think you can state what you want in your will and makes sense if you have responsibilities and it will put your mind at rest.

[dizmouk2009]

I'll do it for 5 grand

[Peter Pedant]

straightforward:

16. Can I make provision for my pets in my will?

Yes, but you cannot leave money to an animal. If you have made arrangements for your pet you should include this in your will, otherwise the executors may decide on some other course in ignorance of your intentions.

If you wish to provide for your pets, and can spare the capital, you could set up a simple trust, with the income going to support them during their lifetime, and the capital going to another beneficiary – for instance, an animal charity – after their death. However, the trust’s income and capital gains would be subject to tax, and you might have difficulty finding anyone prepared to act as a trustee.

Alternatively you could leave your pet(s) with a cash sum to a named legatee (someone you can trust to give them a good home). Or you could leave them with a cash sum to an appropriate animal charity, such as the Cinnamon Trust or the RSPCA, which runs a re-homing programme. If you opt for this solution, be sure to put an appropriate clause in your will – the RSPCA, for example, provides one on its website


I was gonna sudduv say this myself,
but this puts it much better

Leave the mutts to a legatee who likes cats - you cant be the only one in the family

[pixie373]

4k for me

[joggerjayne]

If the RSPCA doesn't operate in your country, then presumably you're not in the UK ... so I wonder if it might be tricky to give any concrete advice about provisions in Wills work where you are?

[Prudie]

It's not OTT at all and I also worry about my cats if something happened to me. Currently I'd expect my partner to continue to care for them but if he wasn't around I'd certainly leave something to a local animal rescue I know with the proviso they would ensure they care and rehome them, preferably together. I wouldn't leave a slug to the RSPCA. Do you have a good local rescue centre you trust?

[wolf63]

JJ - the RSPCA is for England and Wales only.

Thanks all - will go off and discuss the matter with the moggies. My brother always sniggers after saying that he will "take care of the cats".

I will have to get off my lazy behind and go and arrange this.

:-)

And for those who just want the money - shame on you. :-)

[askyourgran]

I'll do it for four grand. Stipulate in your will that the cats or any animal you have at the time of death must be rehomed preferably together with x amount of money to bequeathed to the new owners with gratitude for their continuing care for them.

[birdwoman]

There are charities such as the Cinnamon Trust that will provide long term care to pets after the owner's death. There's another one I saw advertised in the paper recently but I can't remember what it's called.

[joggerjayne]

Thanks, wolf ...

I didn't know that that was the area covered by the RSPCA.

J x

[wolf63]

Prudie - the local branch of the Cats Protection are brilliant. I might see what they have to say about it.

I am being advised (is there such a thing as a patient cat?) that it is bedtime - will go and play scrabble for a while huddled up under the duvet.

[joggerjayne]

ps. I'll do it for fifteen hundred, but I can't be responsible if any of the cats falls off my balcony, or gets attacked by a seagull.

[murraymints]

I viewed a house whose owner had died and the cat came with the house it was in condition of sale

[beckersjay]

The national organisation of the Cats Protectin League have a scheme where you can register your cat(s) and they will undertake to look after them/find them homes in the event of your death. I have an idea that the RSPCA do something similar but am less sure of this. I have left a sum of money to my local CPL in my will on the expectation that they wil rehome any cats in my care at the time of my death but I'll probably register with the national CPL to (belt and braces).

[beckersjay]

Here, hopefully,is a useful link....

http://www.cats.org.uk/support-us/legacy/how-gift-will-menu/cat-guardians/

[boxtops]

There's an SPCA in Scotland, surely?

Coincidentally I picked up a leaflet about the Cinnamon Trust at the vet's the other day, seems like a good idea http://www.cinnamon.org.uk/cinnamon-trust/

[andrew1707]

Scotland has the SSPCA: http://www.scottishspca.org/

Don't you worry about the cats, Sue, when I said I would take care of them I didn't mean throwing them in the river. (even if I did jokingly infer this).

Sorry I wasn't in earlier; I was, very unusually for me, down the pub.

[wolf63]

Andrew

Will think about it. They are my babies, even if they are evil and devious.

S