Pet Grief: How to Cope When Your Furry Friend Passes Away
Photo by Jonas Vincent on Unsplash downloaded 1/16/22
Pet grief is often something that isn’t discussed. However, losing a pet can be just as difficult, if not more difficult than losing a loved one. For one thing, pets give unconditional love. After a long, hard, stressful day, nothing is more relieving than walking through the front door of your house and seeing a wagging tail and an animal so excited to see you that they can’t stand still for a single moment. This goes for any animal, cats, and their oh so mysterious ways of showing love sometimes, as well. It is a presence in your house that makes it a home. Pets can sense a lot more than what we give them credit for, they seemingly know when we are upset, or about to leave them for a vacation (making it so hard to leave them even if it is going somewhere amazing and new). Even if your pet can’t speak, they’re always there through it all, they see us at our best, and see us at our worst, and yet they love us no matter what. Unconditional love is hard to compete with, but loving an animal, and having the love of an animal is a special joy.
What we don’t discuss though is the grief that comes with losing an animal. After a loss of a pet, there are the typical responses “I’m sorry”, or “At least they aren’t in pain anymore”, but some employers question their employees when they call in for this loss. They get told that they need to call in for “human” reasons, which is unfair. Pets, to many of us, are special, and jokingly for some, our fur babies, or children.
It is absolutely ok to feel emotions after a loss.
Your grief is valid, and grief is different for each and every one of us.
Photo by Karina Vorozheeva on Unsplash downloaded 1/16/22
There are some ways to help with grief
Plan a burial
Sometimes it helps to give your pet a proper burial, or cremation, and to have a special place to visit. Having a burial is also a way to give closure, and in a sense, give respect to the unconditional love that your pet provided, and to give your pet a day to remember.
Talk to your vet
Often times after a passing of an animal we tend to close ourselves off, as it wasn’t a “human” that passed away. But, talking to your vet can be of great value, they can offer support, or even great resources to help with grief.
Join a pet loss support group online
Your grief is valid, and it can be a great thing to talk to others who understand your grief, and loss. Sometimes, joining a support group online may offer condolences and validation of your feelings. Often you can find various support groups online, or on Facebook. Some of these groups are even breed specific such as a support group for dachshunds owners and so on, so you can have other people that understand and can sympathize with.
Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash downloaded 1/16/22
Talk to Someone
There is never a specific time to “let go”, or stop grieving over a beloved pet. However, if you are noticing that you are having difficulty doing everyday tasks and things, or you would just like some coping skills, we’d recommend reaching out to a counselor or therapist for help.
Counseling in Missouri
Many of our therapists here at Aspire Counseling own furry loved ones of their own, and can sympathize with a loss of a loved one, pet, or human. Along with working with grief our counselors also work with trauma, depression, anxiety, relationships, and so much more. We offer in person counseling at our facility in Columbia Mo, and can do online counseling for anyone in the state of Missouri. Along with working virtually we work with college students, and adults of all ages, and even offer counseling in Spanish for those who are Spanish speaking. So, we urge and encourage you to reach out today via our online form or call our client care coordinator at 573-328-2288 ext 1. to get set up with your free consultation with a therapist today!
