Mar 5

Mar 5 How To Cope With The Loss Of Your Beloved Pet

When you lose your pet, you experience feelings of grief that you feel you can’t share with others. To the outside world, your pet was just an animal, a creature, you might think. However, you should know that you don’t have to be alone in your grief.

When you chose your pet, you might have asked questions like how long do rabbits live or a cat or dog, but still, you can’t be prepared enough when that moment comes. As sad as that may be, our pets can’t live as long as us unless you get a tortoise that can live up to one hundred years. Coping with the loss of your beloved pet should be at the forefront of your mind.

1. Allow yourself to grieve

Too often, people tend to believe that the rest of the world would judge them if they expressed their pain. However, that shouldn’t extend to your friends and family. Even if you loved your pet the most, if he or she was a family pet, you should expect the rest of your family to feel the same, even if they might express their pain differently.

Don’t fight the pain or try to ignore it. Your resistance will only make it more challenging to deal with. Allow the grieving process to occur.

2. You are not guilty

Some pet owners also experience, besides grief, feelings of guilt. Their minds start going in circles about what they might have done better to prevent the death of their pets. But that’s a harmful way of thinking. You loved your pet with all your heart; for you, he or she was a wonderful companion that offered you many moments of happiness.

In return, you offered your pet love and care. You did your best. You are not guilty, and your pet has always known that you provided him or her with all the attention and affection someone can give. Free yourself of such feelings. While it might not come easy, you can try performing meditation to help you remember all the good times you had with your pet.

3. Saying goodbye

Parting with a loved one is a painful process, but a funeral can ease the pain as it provides a form of closure. The ritual, with its stages, can be helpful when saying goodbye to a pet, as well. Together with your family, you can organize a small event that will help all of you to cope with these painful moments.

4. Get rid of all the bad energy

People grieve in different ways. Some people cry for days, and they become lethargic. Others feel dark energy growing inside them, turning into anger. If that’s your case, you should consider getting rid of all the rage in a healthy way. Exercise, or go for a hike.

Don’t let these negative feelings and thoughts get the better of you. If they remain bottled inside, they can become destructive and harmful for you and the people around you.

5. Self-care is highly advised

Grieving is a natural process, but you don’t have to suffer more than you’re supposed to. That’s why pet owners who must deal with the loss of a beloved pet are highly recommended to take some self-care time. Whether it is to perform your yoga routines or to get soaked in a hot bath, such things can help tremendously.

6. Lean on your friends

Feeling sad is okay, but avoid isolating yourself from your family and friends. These people love you, and they understand what you’re feeling. You should lean on them instead of locking yourself in the house and moping around for days. Too much wallowing in such feelings of misery can lead to depression, and that’s not a path for you to take.

7. Seek out other people who lost pets

No one could understand you better than people who know firsthand what you’re going through. So, another way for you to go through these difficult moments in your life is to reach out to such people. There are forums and online groups where you can find them, and you may even find such groups close to you. Talking about how you feel with like-minded people will help you cope with this burden.

8. Busy hands are happy hands

It is essential that you don’t allow yourself to spend too much time grieving. Good therapy is to keep yourself busy. Even if you tidy up around the house or you cook dinner for your family, you will notice that your pain becomes more subdued as you get involved in various activities.

9. Maintain the same routine for other pets

In the case that the pet you lost wasn’t the only one, you should focus on the wellbeing of the others that are still with you. They might also experience the pain of losing a companion, and you will notice that by the changes in their behavior.

To alleviate their pain, what you should do first is to maintain the same routine for them. This way, they will cope with their loss easier. Also, don’t hold back on the TLC front; care for yourself and care for your pets, too, and things will get a bit easier.

10. Honor your pet with a physical reminder

During his or her life, your pet was a wonderful companion for you. That is why a good idea of what to do to honor the memory of your pet is to create something that will always remind you of him or her. It can be anything from planting a tree to putting a small stone with the pet’s name on it in your backyard.

11. Give to others

Your pet might no longer be with you, but many other animals need your help. Consider making donations to animal shelters and animal rights organizations so that they can make the life of the animals kept there a little better and happier.