Grieving pet parents can go through a rollercoaster of emotions after the death of a beloved pet.
Grieving Pet Parents
Pet owner grieving is much like grieving the loss of a person with whom you were close. Sadness, guilt and even anger can war within you as grief runs its course. It can be so difficult to come home and remember that your pet is not there to greet you.
Loss Of A Pet vs Loss Of A Person
As an animal lover, pets are not just animals that happen to live in your house, they are children who just so happen to have fur, feathers or scales. You may find that pet owner’s grief is the same as grieving for a beloved relative and may take time to overcome. Your pet owner’s grief can and will get better, but only if you allow yourself to mourn your loss and realize that this is a sometimes challenging process.
Do Not Keep Your Pain Bottled Up Inside
It’s important as you progress through your pet owner grieving to not let your feelings stay bottled up inside. Do not feel that your grief is somehow less valid because it is centered around an animal. Pet owner grief is just as legitimate as any other kind of grief because owners form a deep emotional bond with their animals.
Talk about your emotions with family, friends or a counselor so that you can vent your thoughts during this trying time. You may want to join a support group for grieving pet parents so that you can share your experiences, get insight from others who feel the same way you do and have had similar struggles.
Taking action may help relieve your pet owner’s grief. You may feel better by giving your pet a memorial service of some kind. You can even ask friends to make a donation to an animal charity in your pet’s name in lieu of flowers. If you have a yard or garden, setting up a grave marker, even a mock one, can give you a quiet space to reflect back on the good times you enjoyed with your pet. You may want to volunteer at a pet welfare agency or event, to help take your mind off your sadness, and give back to a worthy cause. No matter what actions you take, permit yourself to go through your emotions and your heart will mend itself in time.