Grieving for a pet

Grieving for a pet is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do in my life. For those who are not animal lovers, there is little understanding that the grief is the same when someone looses a pet compared to loosing a human family member.

Last week, my beautiful little ginger boy was killed. Whilst some people might see him as ‘just a cat’, he was part of my family and one of my children. The loss of him is devastating. I miss him like crazy and long for him to come home. Meowing his way into the house, rubbing up against my legs, jumping up on the bench and head butting my husband when it was meal time. He had his own quirks and I loved every one of them.

He was my sleeping buddy and slept with me every night for nearly four years. He left behind his brother, who after nearly 11 years of being together is struggling without him. Barely leaving his room, not eating and over sleeping. I know he misses him too.

The house is quiet without him now and things will never be the same.

I think because I am an animal trainer, people may expect me to be ok with the death of one of my fur-children. To be able to accept it, come to terms with it, understand it and move on.

To the contrary, every day I cry for my little ginger boy who was taken away so suddenly. I feel very angry and very sad. He is in my thoughts every minute and I will shed a tear for him each day just as I have for my beautiful border collie who passed away 11 months ago.

The pain is unbearable and distraction is a good coping method for me at the moment. Having to deal with the death of two of my fur-children within 12 months is just too much to bear. I loved them deeply and each of them gave me such joy and fulfilment that life feels so empty without them. I am a robot, going through the motions.

They say with time the pain will subside. It may somewhat, but it is always there in some form. You carry it around with you, in your heart. Because all you have left are the precious memories that were created in the short time they were here.

Dogaholics Dog Training and Behaviour Services

(Dogaholics is a dog training and behaviour service located in the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie area of NSW.)