Pet Loss

All of us deal with grief differently. When faced with a pet loss, the emotions can be overwhelming and we will grieve. It is important to give yourself time to process these feelings and heal.

After the loss of the pet, it is natural that it will take time to accept and realize the loss. You may find yourself reaching to prepare your pet’s food or feeling its absence when you look at the empty bed or cage. These can trigger emotional responses and it is normal. To manage these emotions, one may think that they should immediately dispose of the pet’s items. This may not necessarily help the healing process as you may wish to look at them in the future. Instead, you may choose to store the items out of sight.

Grief

There are 5 stages of grief and individuals go through these stages differently.

1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

Some individuals may oscillate between two to three stages, while some may not go through all the stages of grief. Some well-intentioned people may tell you, “It’s just a pet. You can always get another one,” but they do not understand the bond that you had with the pet. The pet was your pillar of emotional support, was there for you through the many months and years, and showered you with pure and unconditional love.

Give yourself time to deal with the loss. It is important to surround yourself with people who are willing to listen to you as you talk about your feelings and what you are experiencing. Prolonged grief can lead to depression and this highlights the importance of not bottling up these feelings. If you need someone to talk to, you can meet our counsellors and by talking to them, you can understand and reconcile this loss.