Now that Jim Swaim is in his 60s, he and his wife are asking a very modern question about mortality: Who will care for our pets when we are gone?
That concern prompted the couple from Fort Worth, who have no children, to reserve spots for their four cats and a dog at a retirement home for pets, the Stevenson Companion Animal Life-Care Center at Texas A&M University.
“Each of our pets has its own personality; they are part of our family and give us joy,” said Mr. Swaim’s wife, Debra Parchman-Swaim. “We needed to make sure they would always be taken care of.”
Established in 1993 at what is now the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, the 
Stevenson Center is home to 34 animals, with 510 enrolled to enter the center in the future. These include dogs, cats, birds, horses, donkeys, a rabbit and even a llama.
“Fifty years ago, a center like ours would not have existed,” said its director, Dr. Henry L. Presnal. “But with the strengthening of the human-animal bond, the rise of childless couples and older people who do not live with their children, this is becoming an attractive option.”
Still, the center is a rarity. Only a handful of other pet retirement homes are scattered across the United States. There are others n Britain and Japan.
Dr. Presnal said about 90 percent of pets arrive at the center upon the owner’s death. No grief counseling is required. “You would be amazed at how quickly they adjust to the environment,” he said.
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