Dealing with the death of a pet whether we are young or old, can be a very overwhelming emotion to endure. Losing one of our pets can be very upsetting because they become part of the family. They are there for the good and sad times as they seem to sense our joy as well as our sorrow.
"Pets are reliable and always there when we need to talk to someone that will listen."
Losing one of our pets can often echo the feelings we had when we lost a family member and it can reignite our grief for that person that past on several years ago.
For some people this might be the only companion that they had in their life. This could be due to when the family have grown up and left the nest, being single due to a death of their partner or perhaps divorce/separation.
Stages of grief and loss of a pet can be very much similar to when we lose one of our family members or friends.
Here below are the recognized stages of grief and loss:
disbelief
feeling numb
bargaining
anger
depression
acceptance
Ways to remember your beloved pet:
keep photos and their special toy in a special box. At times you can go to this box and have sometime remembering your pet.
ask an artist to draw a large sketch of your pet from a photo that you have
plant a rose bush or similar in a part of your garden.
have a plaque made for the garden
insert fountain as a memory
have a personalized mug or plate made
write a remembrance poem
The process of grieving can happen gradually, it should not be forced because there is no actual normal time for grieving. Some people can start to heal in a few weeks or months whilst others could take them a year or more. Talking about how you feel with a qualified bereavement counsellor can be a way of gradually releasing your emotions.
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