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Dealing With The Loss Of Your Beloved Pet
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If you have a pet that has recently passed away, you’ve surely realized how close a person can grow to their pet. You may have become frustrated, exasperated, or annoyed by your pet many times in the past. But when something like the loss of your pet companion occurs, you realize what you really had: a great, loyal pet. So this event can occasionally bring on a bit of depression in someone who was very attached to their pet. There are many ways you can deal with this grief.

The first and most obvious way to deal with the loss of a pet is to buy a new one to take its place. This can seem like an insensitive thing to do, but ask yourself if you have any obligation to your previous pet. You shouldn’t avoid getting a new pet just because you liked your old one a lot. Having a new one to pay attention to and cherish can be the perfect thing to keep your mind off of your recent loss.

If you would rather spend your time honoring the loss of your previous pet, you can make an effort to create some sort of memorial. These usually involve some sort of crafty project, which you can place at the area you buried your pet. Usually the ideas are better if they come straight from you, but here are a few to get you started: create a collage of your favorite pictures of the pet, and hang it up on your wall where you can see it every day. Make a nice grave marker to put over the burial place in your yard. Paint a picture to commemorate the good times you spent with your pet companion. These are just a few of the many ideas you can use to cope with the loss of your pet.

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Comments

By CAT2DOGS @ Saturday, March 01, 2008 6:56 PM

i JUST LOST MY ELDEST CAT IN JANUARY. EVEN THOUGH THE VET SAID HER LENGTH OF LIFE WAS AVERAGE (15 YEARS), I HAD A HARD DEALING WITH IT BECAUSE OF COURSE I KEPT WONDERING IF THERE HAD BEEN SOMETHING ELSE I COULD DO. THIS ARTICLE HIT A SPOT WITH ME. I DON'T NEED TO REPLACE HER BECAUSE I STILL HAVE 3 ANIMALS IN THE HOUSE AND THEY HAVE HELPED TAKE MY MIND OFF MY LOSS.

By filedris @ Monday, March 03, 2008 7:24 PM

I lost my older cat , age 13, two weeks ago , and am going thru much the same thing. This is the 4th time I've had to put down a much loved p et, and I always think I should have done more. We had 13 great years together, and that is what I'm trying to focus on.

By msgreenherbs @ Monday, March 03, 2008 11:43 PM

I lost my beloved "Shadow" June 29, 2005. I still love him & think of him everyday. We saved each other. Some one threw him away and he ended up at my house. I live in the country & thought he might have gotten out, but he followed me everywhere (shadow) When no one claimed him I took him inside. That's when we found out the abuse he had gone through - example - only when my husband sneezed he would run in terror meaning the past owners ("man" of the house) must have been allergic and was horrible to him. My husband would chase him down every time and love him and after about 6 weeks, whenever he sneezed Shadow would come running to him knowing he would get love and not pain. That is one example. I have a chronic illness that puts me down for days on end and Shadow would know when it was coming and always managed to sooth me when nothing else would. I'm telling all of this for you new friends to know that no matter how much time goes by you never forget, but you do start to remember with more love and less pain as the time goes on. I love you Shadow.

By Elizabeth M Smith @ Friday, March 21, 2008 5:38 PM

I especially loved Shadow's pet pal's comments.Next October I plan to honor my dog Genghis,who died last year,by building him a shrine for Dios Los Meurtos cause I miss him terribly and want to honor him. For his benifit or my own,I don't know..I think shrines and all are more for the living.That's o.k.,even important,

By tnplay06 @ Sunday, March 23, 2008 9:40 PM

This comment is for the owner of shadow, I too lost my cocker spaniel Sept 07, I thought maybe I was grieving to long for her its been 6 months, but as I read what you said it will never go away. I adopted her (Holly) from a shelter and she was a part of me. She passed away in my arms waiting to see our Vet. She had not been sick, but had become older. I miss her so much, and thank you for sharing your comments, it makes me feel better knowing I am not alone. I am sorry for your lost.

By iluvfurbabies @ Saturday, May 17, 2008 11:38 AM

I lost my cocker spaniel on 03/18/2008 loosing his battle to cancer. I would not have survived the difficult time in my life without the wonderful members of petloss.com. They are other members who have lost pets and they have a chat room open 24 hours a day and a candlelight service on Mondays evenings honoring your pets. If you have recently lost a pet, are still grieving or would love to help support new members to the site, go to petloss.com.

By thewomanwholovedcatdancing @ Friday, May 23, 2008 7:00 PM

My mom's x husband (and now best friend) just lost his golden retriever last month. She was his LIFE! My only gift to him that I thought might make him feel better is a tribute I did for his pup, that I put on one of my photo websites. It includes the poem "The Rainbow Bridge" that I'm sure most of us are familiar with.... if not google it.... My site is www.usefilm.com/photographer/24156 for anyone interested in seeing my tribute. It might inspire you to do something similar for someone who has recently lost a pet. My mom's x Jerry has framed it and keeps it along with some of his puppies ashes at his home and has told me he will cherish it for a lifetime! To all who have lost a loving pet.... my hear goes out to you ALL, but know this...there is a special place in heaven where ALL of our beloved pets wait for us! I (for one) am looking forward to seeing them again someday. I have 3 adult cats that were ALL rescued from pounds after I lost my 2 other cats that died at 18 & 22 years old. "Life without pets...Is NO life AT ALL!"

By debspoilspets @ Saturday, May 24, 2008 2:23 PM

I lost my beloved 1 yr old Poodle, Muffin last Sept. She had kidney damage, and went into renal failure in 3 days, we had to have her euthanised. We searched our home to see if there was anything she could have eaten or drank that caused this, but found nothing! the vet thought it was anti-freeze poisoning, but we didn't have any and she never went anywhere without me. We are still baffled over her sudden illness and I still feel guilty thinking I could have done something, anything to prevent her death. We still search our home thinking something is somewhere that we missed...she was the best little girl. I send out sympathy ecards to all my friends on the birth (and death) day in her memory. She is buried in our backyard and always has fresh flowers with a wooden cross my husband made for her. Shortly after her death we got another poodle that looks similar to Muffin, Button is her name. Yes I did the expected, didn't wait long to get another one, and used a similar name, (used the U and double middle letters, and the in-on sound), got the same kind of dog, etc. but she's total opposite of Muffin! Like night and day. and we love her just as much. We still miss our Poor Little Miss Muffin. I sympathise with anyone that loses a beloved pet! They are our children!! Thanks for reading.

By shewolf43 @ Saturday, May 31, 2008 5:51 PM

I lost 2 beloved pets at 6 month intervals. The first was my dog Andy. We adopted him when He was 5. He had been neglected by his previous owner. When he cam eto live with us he was my shadow. Always wanting to be petted. If I did not pet him he would insistently nudge my hand or arm till I did. He could not stand to have me out of his site. We lost him in late July of 2007. One morning when I got up he seemed not himself. I let him out to do his thing and he just layed there. My boyfriend picked him up and brought him back inside and layed him down. He then went into convulsions. We rushed him to the animal hospital and by then he was unresponsive. The vet determined that he had a brain tumor. I then had to make one of the hardest decisions of my life. I knew I had to let him go. As he layed there on the table with his head on my arm and me hugging him, the vet administered the injection. We had him for only 3 years and he was my constant companion. It took me 3 years after my best friend of 13 years died (Gizmo) to adopted another dog. I cherish the time I had with him as short as it was. It has almost been a year now and I have his ashes on a shelf along with his paw print (in clay) that the hospital made for me. no other dog can ever take his place or Gizmo's. One day I will adopted again ( only from shelters).

My other recent loss was my 15 year old cat Gogun. I had gotten him when he was only 2 years old from a friend who could no longer keep him. He was a mean cat who did not like other animals and made it very clear that he did not with his claws. After a time he mellowed out and grew to tolerate my dog Gizmo and my other cat Sebastian. One day he killed a very large rat that managed to get in the house. In my boy's room the rat lay dead beside my boy's bunk bed with Gogun standing over him. I vowed then that no matter what I would keep him till his dying day despite his attitude. He grew to love my oldest boy and myself. Later, as he got into his later years he got along better with other people but still only tolerated my other pets. This past Jan he grew ill and I knew it was his time when he stopped eating and no longer cared for anything except to be held and petted. He was never a loving cat and this was out of character for him. I took him to the same hospital as I did Andy. The vet said his body was shutting down, it was his time. So, only 6 months after losing Andy I was faced with the same heart breaking decision. I held him close to me and as he purred the vet administered the injection. As it went into his veins his head lifted up and he made a slight sound, then his head lowered and he was gone. He and his paw print are now next to Andy's.

It was the hardest thing I had to do but I know that they are at peace. I have my memories of them and lots of pictures. Some of them are posted in my profile along with my 3 younger cats. Losing a pet is never easy but I have not let it keep me from adopting others. I just usually wait awhile till I know I am ready to open my heart again.

Byduane @ Tuesday, June 03, 2008 1:02 AM

ON JUNE 2 I HAD TO PUT MY FRIEND TO SLEEP. HE WAS SUFFERING FROM HEART PROBLEMS. MY CAT HAD NEVER BEEN SICK BEFORE BUT THIS TOOK HIS LIFE AWAY.I MISS HIM AND LOVE HIM SO MUCH. ITS HARD TO LOOK AROUND AND HE IS NOT HERE. I KEEP THINKING MAYBE ITS A BAD DREAM AND WHEN I WAKE HE WILL BE HERE.HE WAS ALWAYS THERE FOR ME AND WHEN HE GOT SICK THEIR WAS NOTHING I COULD DO TO SAVE HIM. I WISH I COULD OF DONE SOMETHING . I MISS HIM AND WISH HE WAS HERE.HE WAS 11 AND HAD SO MUCH LEFT TO LIVE.

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