how do you deal with a pets death?
By BLTLife
@BLTLife (337)
United States
September 18, 2011 1:09pm CST
i absolutely adore cats. always have my whole life. love them more than any other animal (i do not like animals :D)
and anyway, i get really emotionally attached to my cats. i had a new kitten for a couple of months, and then she had lukemia and i could not help her, and she died in my arms. it was absolutely terrible. i had never seen another living thing die, and i feel terrible still. i could not stop crying and was unconsolable for a few days. we buried her under a big oak tree. i like to think sometimes that if i go back there, i'm kinda there to say "i miss you"
so far i have the two cats i've had all my life. one is prince, and lives with my parents. however moving out, i took sheena, the other. they are both around 12-13 years old. sometimes i think about when they will die, and i can't help but start to cry. i love them so much, and my heart is broken knowing that i will someday lose them. i try to spend time with them and love them now in the moment, but i still get thoughts about what's going to happen. my poor little kitties :(
how do you deal with something like that? i've never had to, besides when i got zorie, but these cats dying would be devastating to me. i know eventually i'd probably want another cat, but how do i pick one without being unbiased?
i don't know how i'm supposed to deal with stuff like this. i never thought about it until i had a near death experience. :/ it makes me so sad.
2 people like this
3 responses
@JoyfulOne (6232)
• United States
18 Sep 11
It is definitely hard to deal with! I just lost my one really old kitty, she was around 20 and she went downhill real quick. It was hard to watch her age like that, and I realized when she passed it was probably a blessing because she wouldn't have discomfort any more. One thing that we did to make it a little more bearable was to make a plaster paw print and turn it into an ornament that can be added to the frame with her picture in it. While it is hard to deal with, that's unfortunately the fate of every living creature on earth, and we can't change that fact, so we have to learn to accept it as well as we can. Accepting it doesn't mean we have to like it, it just is a way to make peace with ourselves and the situation. So many people own animals and don't give them the love and affection that you have given yours. When the inevitable time comes, remind yourself that you did everything you could to give it a loving home, and that your kitty loved you back as much as you loved them. When it's time to pick a new one, let your heart be your guide, and don't rush into it. Just like mourning for humans, mourning for our animals that have passed is a natural part of life.
1 person likes this
@yskaps (233)
• India
19 Sep 11
One aspect that can make grieving for the loss of a pet so difficult is that pet loss is not appreciated by everyone. Friends and family may ask “What’s the big deal? It’s just a pet!” Some people assume that pet loss shouldn’t hurt as much as human loss, or that it is somehow inappropriate to grieve for an animal. They may not understand because they don’t have a pet of their own, or because they are unable to appreciate the companionship and love that a pet can provide.
Don’t argue with others about whether your grief is appropriate or not.
Accept the fact that the best support for your grief may come from outside your usual circle of friends and family members.
Seek out others who have lost pets; those who can appreciate the magnitude of your loss, and may be able to suggest ways of getting through the grieving process.
