Dealing with Pet Loss

One morning you wake up, only to realize that you would no longer be woken up by your golden retriever Bob's 'good-morning lick.' The feeling that there won't be any more jogs down the park with Bob and that he won't be there to greet you when you return from work, takes some time to sink in. The loss of a pet creates a void in your life, akin to the loss of a family member. When a relative dies, you have other people to console you and share your grief. Unfortunately, pet loss is something not many people will be able to relate with, leaving you to mourn the loss of your beloved pet alone.

Dealing with Pet Loss

Pet loss is not something you'll be able to deal with, by reading books, surfing the Internet or going for a pet loss counseling. No one can give you a plain advice, that will instantly help you in coping with pet loss. It is a healing process which stretches over time, sometimes months, sometimes years. Only, your own will power to overcome the grief and start on with a new life can help you out. No matter if your pet died of euthanasia, a chronic illness or a tragic accident, the sorrow remains the same. However, losing a healthy pet in an accident is worst, as the blow strikes you without giving you a time to prepare for it.

Don't Blame Yourself
The immediate feeling after a pet loss is that of denial. You simply refuse to believe that your pet has left you forever. In your despair, you try to convince yourself of its presence and desperately try to lead a normal life. Finally, when the feeling sinks in, you are overwhelmed with a feeling of guilt. A guilt, for being helpless during the final days of your pet. However, you must tell yourself that you did everything in your limits, to prevent your pet from leaving you forever. As a pet owner, you tried your best to give your pet a peaceful farewell, so there is no need to feel guilty and blame yourself.

Talk to Your Children
Pet loss can come as a huge blow for your child, since children are more attached to the pets. Always explain to your children the significance of death in our life and that pet loss is nobody's fault. Don't think that your children are too young to understand, that your pet has 'died' and never tell them that your pet has left your house. This will make them think that they did something to it, which forced it to leave your house. Hence, explain them in milder terms, why and how your pet left you. Although, it is true that children are more affected by the death of a pet, it is also true that they will soon find something that'll engage their minds and help them overcome the loss of a pet.

Communicate
Your family members are the ones who'll be grieving pet loss as much as you do. Hence, talk to each other how exactly you feel about it. You all will be having fond memories of your pet and reviving them together will help you feel a bit better. Do not expect your friends or colleagues to understand your loss, because most human beings have different parameters for human and animal deaths. However, you can talk to a compassionate person who can relate with your loss and not make you feel stupid.

Buying a New Pet
Most people immediately go for pet adoption and get a new pet thinking, that it'll replace the previous one and help them cope with their loss. However, buying a new pet, before you heal completely can make the matters worse for you. You'll be tempted to compare it with your departed pet, without realizing that the new pet has its own identity and unique personality traits. Many people also buy the pet that resembles the previous one and call it by the same name, this will make the comparison even more inevitable and can hamper your bond with the new pet forever. Buy a pet only when you think you are ready to accept it as a new individual and are prepared to love it as much as you did your previous one.

Dealing with loss of a pet is definitely one of the most traumatic periods of our life. We consider our pets as an extension of our own personality. Sometimes we see our child in them, sometimes they become naughty siblings for us, while sometimes they reflect our parents with their unconditional love and care. Their sudden departure from our life is difficult to cope with and creates a void, that is impossible to fill in. However, one must understand that since we humans outlive them, we have to witness their demise at some point of time in our lives. All we can do is love them and offer them the best we can, in order to repay to some extent, the unconditional love they shower upon us.