Our recent articles have focused on estate planning. We have distinguished the probate of wills from the administration of estates. We have talked about a greedy niece going after the wealth of a distant uncle and a grumpy father desirous of cutting out a son who caused countless family strife. But we have not written about pets for more than two years. Given our recent focus, the care of pets after an owner’s death deserves another look.

      We have recently focused on uncomfortable questions about death, property, and, well, greed. Last week, I invented a reader and made her out to be a selfish interloper chasing her great-uncle’s fortune. I explained how she might get her distant relative’s stuff in the event he died without a will. So, to be honest, I invented this week’s reader too, and I fully intend to make him out as a heartless grump. Apparently, he thinks one of his children is a slouch. So how can we make sure the worthless heir becomes a non-heir?

      Let’s poke some fun at this reader. Don’t worry. She’s not real. I made her up and asked the question for her. I did so because it is a perfectly natural question that eventually occurs to most of us. At least those of us fortunate enough to outlive a miserly great-uncle who lived like a pauper and hoarded all of his pennies into millions of dollars. Not that we’re glad he’s gone. We miss him terribly. But, as nothing can be done about that, we might as well have a go at his stuff. It’s just that we’re afraid to ask the question out loud.