The pet that no longer plays the same way still belongs in the life it helped make warmer.

An animal slowing down changes what they can join in with, not what they are to the household. Stiff legs, dimmer eyes, and longer sleep end the games, and it is easy to let the relationship quietly shrink to feeding and vet visits because the fun part is over. The years they spent making a house feel inhabited did not expire when the running did.

Find the version of together that still works: sitting near, a slow short walk, brushing, the same room while you read. Keep them in the middle of the household rather than at its edge.