DC is 18 with a learning disability and a mental age of about 12. I envision she will be able to live independently in due course with just a bit of help from afar. It's hard to predict exactly when that might be - not within three or four years, I shouldn't think, but certainly by the age of 30. She's welcome to live with us as long as she needs, and then maybe a flat share.
Six years ago she got her first pets, a pair of lovely ferrets. They are ideal for her personality. She does a fantastic job of looking after them with some backup from me. She has been crazy about ferrets ever since. Ferrets typically live 6-8 years. Ten is a ripe old age.
I've mentioned to DC regularly that most young adults don't manage to keep pets because most landlords won't allow it. I don't want this to come as a shock to her! I've speculated to her that her best chance of living with pets once she has moved out of our house is to lodge with a pet-loving landlord or eventually buy her own place. But realistically she may have to wait a long time.
Whenever she moves out, I'm quite prepared to keep any remaining ferrets she may have until they reach they end of their lives. I wouldn't have let her get them otherwise. We made sure to get pets I expected to like, and I took their lifespan into account. I've reassured her about this.
We currently have one left, which is six years old. Following the recent death of its companion, I mentioned to a relative that I thought we'd keep this one alone until it dies, because it took nearly a year for it to get used to the other one we brought home from the shelter, which was meant to have been company for it! I don't want to put it through that prolonged stress again. People say that ideally ferrets shouldn't be kept alone, but it seems to be happy enough to make do with human attention. I also mentioned to the relative that after this ferret dies, we thought we'd get a young, well-bonded pair. (Sadly, the refuge is overflowing with ferrets, so finding some is easy.)
My relative was shocked at the idea of us ever acquiring more ferrets, especially young ones. "But your daughter won't be able to leave home!!" I admit they may have a point. I hadn't anticipated that possibility. I just sort of assumed DC would naturally want to move out and then we would keep her pets. That's what has happened with all the other young adults I've known, including my sister and me. But it's true that DC loves her pets very deeply indeed. Perhaps her attachment to them would keep her at home long after she should have moved out?
It isn't an urgent question, but I am starting to turn it over in my mind. Any thoughts?