The Death of a Pet

Coping with the death of a beloved pet, whether it be a tragic accident, a quiet passing away, or euthanasia due to illness, is a traumatic and painful experience for all those involved. In situations where the pet is like a beloved member of the family, or in some cases, is the family, the grief and shock can seem insurmountable.

There are many ways in which people deal with this. Some people turn inward and refuse to accept or talk about the loss. If the death is an accident then people may blame themselves and live in terrible guilt long afterward. Sometimes the death has to be explained to a small child. How on earth do we do that?

Surviving pets may whimper or cry, refuse to eat or drink, and suffer some form of depression, especially if they had a close bond with the deceased pet. Even if they were not the best of friends, the changing circumstances and the way you obviously feel may distress them. However, if your remaining pets continue to act out of sorts, there could actually be a medical problem that requires attention.

In the end, it is generally the love and support of others that will get us through. It is important to cherish those treasured memories, while actively seeking to move on. It is not healthy to grieve for too long. But the grieving must take place. Obviously, this is true for human members of our family too, but people tend to project so much onto their chosen pets, and this can make it difficult to cope.

A lot of people believe that a pet can never be replaced. Well, it's true... that particular pet can't be. He was unique. But someone that has loved (and been loved by) a pet, can surely find it in their hearts to love again. After all, if you didn't have such a big heart, that pet would never have found his way into it...

After the death of a pet, it is important to remember how much you were able to give. And how much you got out of the relationship.

Never preclude yourself from feeling all that joy again. It is not dishonouring the pet that has passed on. Animals don't think like us! Of course, this is difficult for senior members of our society who know that any future pet may outlive them. In this case, a memorial of some sort would help to validate the positive effect that a pet had on someone's life...

Let's honour our departed friends, for they would surely honour us.