Dealing with the loss of a pet can be a very difficult task. Prior to going through the experience myself, I remember co-workers and friends telling me that their cat or dog had died and, while sympathetic to their loss, not truly understanding how deeply that loss can be felt. For some reason, even though I was a pet owner, I just didn’t connect with the kind of issues that people have to go through during that period. The decisions and issues that are present during that process are just different than when one experiences the loss of a person. Euthanasia, administering treatment and medications to a being that can’t consent or decline and weighing the cost/benefit ratio in relation to quality of life are a few of the issues that come to mind.
As I struggled with these issues during my own experience, I remember thinking how blissfully ignorant I had been about what it was really like to make those difficult choices. People choose to have pets for many reasons but some of the most important ones I can think of include unconditional love, companionship and enjoyment in the kind of relationship that develops when taking care of and being responsible for that animal. Pets bring so much joy, entertainment and meaning to people’s lives that it is hard to imagine having to decide to end that relationship. Many people are faced with the decision to prolong the animal’s life with treatment but face the daunting possibility that they will be unable to financially support their pet. In other cases, the pet may face imminent death so the owner must decide how much time they are willing to let the pet live on in order to say goodbye.
These issues can complicate or ease the grieving process but in the end, the loss of a pet seems to be more of an unrecognized grief in our culture. Many people have strong feelings of guilt, anger, depression and helplessness that can be difficult to manage. Often, it can be hard to find others that empathize with the struggles of losing a pet. Even now, after my pet has been gone for 3 months, I still have difficulty thinking of him without a few tears. They are a part of our lives, often for many years, and they grow to be such a part of the family that it’s difficult to remember a time without them. They are with us and love us no matter what and weather our moods, relationships and life changes often with very little protest. Each person’s situation will be different when it comes to the life and health of their pet. There is help out there including the pet’s veterinarian and others who have experienced the loss of a pet. Finding meaningful ways to express grief such as burial and cremation services and remembering the gifts and love received from the pet can also be effective ways to cope with their loss.
The links below provide a few helpful tips for coping with the loss of a pet:
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/grieving_pets.htm
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/coping_with_pet_death.html
On Perspective 