Grieving for a Pet - How Do You Go On?

Losing a pet is one of the most devastating things we experience in life.  It's a heart-breaking experience that creates a wound that may take years to heal - or never heal at all. 

It's a day we all dread - when we lose a beloved pet.  Whether due to age, illness, accident or some other reason, the grief and loss are the same grief and it can be overwhelming. 

Our cats and dogs give us unconditional love, company and they can even improve our health.  As we all know, the minute you adopt a cat, he/she has a permanent place in your heart and is part of the family.  Here at BCR, we feel the same.

Family Grief Counselor Jill S. Cohen wrote:

So, when your pet leaves you, how do you handle the grief?  There are lots of experts on the subject who offer advice and help, but rule #1 is that it's ok to grieve, however it expresses itself for you.  What does this grief look like?  How do people express it?  Grief can bring depression and fatigue.  Some people shut down and can't talk about the lost pet at all. Others are more open and do.  Some will cry at the mention of that pet's name for years.  Maybe it's a combination of these things or even other symptoms, too.  However it's expressed - it's all ok.  Being able to let the grief out is very important.  The most often recommended way to handle grief is to find a person or group of people who feel as you do about pets and talk with them.

If you have other cats in your house, they can be the greatest comfort of all for all kinds of grief or sadness.  For those who have difficulty talking about a lost cat, being with another pet cat helps.  No talking required, just companionship and even perhaps a sense of shared loss.  As you may have experienced when you were sick, cats are very sensitive to their people and seem to know when you need comforting.  In addition to that, cats adapt to what's going on around them and will "keep pace" with you and how you're feeling.  CLICK HERE to read more about how cats can help with grief.

People offering solace and comfort to someone who has lost a pet should empathize and always acknowledge the person's love for their pet and the bond they shared.  Hopefully, they will also understand that this grief might go on for a long time and be patient.  As we're sure you know, the worst thing to say to someone who's just lost a pet is, "Well, you can always get another cat."   That maybe true but not at that moment!  Pet owners reach that time on their own schedules and do what they feel comfortable doing.

There are so many good resources for helping deal with grief at losing a pet.  Here are some of them:

American Veterinary Medical Association, steps you can take to handle grief, click here.

HelpGuide.com, offering ways to cope, click here.

VCA Animal Hospital, understanding grief and how to manage it, click here.

Read our blog to find out if cats grieve loss, too, click here.