Pet owners can have astonishingly high bonding levels with their pets. That’s why it’s no surprise that everyone gets adversely affected when a pet dies. Jordan Walker, the lead content curator of Coops and Cages, shares how you can move on from your feelings of grief.
Most pet owners hold their pets in high regard. To them, pets aren’t simply animals that can be replaced at any time. They are considered companions and friends by their owners. That’s why pet owners go through a rough time when their pet departs from this world. Find out how best to deal with such a situation.
Accept Reality of Death
Everyone goes through grief a little bit differently. However, it has been observed that most people tend to ignore or deny the very thing that has happened. Acceptance of the pet’s death is something one should embrace. This will most likely make things worse and could lead a person to become delusional as a result of separation anxiety.
It is important to take little steps in the acceptance stage. At the beginning, pet owners will surely be reminded of every little thing that used to transpire between them and their pets. Seeing the porch where they regularly bond, visiting both favorite park or meager things such as not having someone greeting them when they arrive can trigger tremendous emotions. Over time, pet owners will come to get used to the lack of their pet’s presence in the same way they got used to it in the first place though not as easily.
Reach Out to Others
While each pet owner definitely believes that they had a one-of-a-kind relationship with their pet, it is important to not shun others away especially those who are able to lend a compassionate ear. It can be anyone, be it a neighbor, a co-worker, a family member or even a veterinarian. Some people, under the guise of anonymity, have also found success reaching out via online means. There are numerous support groups and forums online that cater to grief recovery. A simple search out to work wonders.
Express Oneself
Works of art need inspiration and grief is sometimes the catalyst to do it. Some folks choose to bury themselves in writing stories or poems while others go for pottery, painting and other forms. Doing such helps one cope with grief and may end up with a nice product to act as a memento for the pet.
Don’t Take the Blame
Whether the pet owner was indeed at fault or not, it isn’t the time to point fingers or accept failures. Continually thinking about things that could’ve been changed isn’t healthy and could cause a person to be overly depressed.
Dealing with the Children
If pets can cause grown men to cry, it is all the more sadder and scarier for children. Depending on the child’s age, it may be the first time that they’ve seen death. Such a scenario can be traumatic and needs to be handled well. Most parents tell their kids that their pet simply ran away and might return. While that can pacify most kids, it can also give them false hope and can lead them to feel they’ve been betrayed. Honesty is usually the best way to deal with it. That way, both parents and kids can go through the healing process together.
Dealing with other Pets
Pets also form bonds with one another. This is more evident in some species, such as dogs, more than others. Pets that live through loss can also end up depressed. In most cases, they may even refuse to eat or drink and just act tired all the time. In order to remedy this, pet owners should care for the surviving pets even more. Now may be the time to have the other pets checked for serious illnesses or problems.
Likewise, pet owners should try to keep their emotional state in check regularly as this sometimes rubs off on pets and would also cause them to grow emotional.
Getting a new Pet
Pet owners may find it tempting to get a new pet as soon as possible in order to fill the gap that was left. There isn’t really a specific period that one must wait out. The important thing is that it is one when one is already emotionally stable after mourning the first pet.
No one wants to say goodbye to their friend and companion especially if they’ve only been together a short while. Pet owners should continually monitor the health of their pets to ensure that they live a satisfied and well-loved life.
