Tips On How To Cope With The Loss Of A Pet

What Can You Do To Get Over The Loss Of A Pet?

The news of losing a pet is painful and will be taken differently by many people. So, what should you do to ensure the grieving process is less painful and does not cause much interruption to your life? Here are a few steps to help in such a situation:

1. Acknowledge and Accept

The loss of pets has been a major problem that a lot of people go through. For such people, the loss of a pet means the loss of a member of the family and leaves them grieving for some time. The most important thing is to accept the sad reality that grief must happen and cannot be avoided. Accepting this sad reality will enable you to move on with life.

2. Give Yourself Time To Grieve

Grief isn’t fashionable. However, it is normal and necessary. Giving yourself permission and time to grieve is one of the best gifts you can offer yourself. As you navigate through the loss of your animal companion, it’s crucial to remember that you are not alone. Talk about your loss with someone close to you. A powerful relief often occurs once we share our feelings with others.

Dedicate some time to grieve. This could be relaxing for a few minutes and taking the time to cry, remember and feel whatever you want to release at that time. Avoid rushing the process. Healing has no timeline. Make sure to respect your inner healing process. And more importantly, keep in mind that there’s no right or wrong way to mourn. It is an individual process that is unique for everyone.

3. Allow Comfort from Your Friends And Family

Members of a family come in handy especially during hard times. When a pet dies, the grief process may be too much to bear for the affected person. The support that these people receive from their families and friends will be of great importance to such people. Friends and family can fill this gap and make the grief experience easier to handle.

4. Get Involved With a Pet Loss Support Community

Apart from receiving support from family and friends, it would also make a great impact to join a support group [1]. Joining a support group will benefit the person as he will interact with other people who have also lost their pets. These people understand themselves better as they share similar problems and feelings towards their pets.

5. Reminisce the Memories of Your Pet While Maintaining a Social Life

Keeping good memories of your pooch will also play a vital role in dealing with grief. The memories kept will help you to remember the pup. The following suggestions would help in memorizing your best friend.

• Whether you are going to bury your dog or cremate it, it is better to hold a memorial service to commemorate your furry friend.
  
  
• You should also create a legacy for your four-legged friend. There are many ways to do this. This includes naming a place after your pooch and keeping its portrait in your living room.
  
  
• If you've photos and videos of your pet when it was still alive, consider keeping them as they serve good memories of the times you had with your animal companion.
  
  
• You can introduce new lifestyle changes to better remember your pooch and how they impacted your lifestyle. For example, you can start celebrating its birthday every year.

How Can You Help Children Cope With The Death Of A Pet?

The death of a pet is usually a child’s first encounter with death. For most children, the loss of their pup may be a difficult moment as some of them do not understand death. The loss of a pet will lead to a non-ending blame game; with the child blaming himself or some other person for the death of his pet.

Some parents may be lured to cheat their children that their pup has escaped and would be found. This would not be the best way to deal with the issue as the kid will be heartbroken when he later comes to find out the truth. The best way is to make them understand what has happened and validating their feelings by comforting them.

However, do not try to get a new puppy for kids before they have grieved over the initial loss. A child might see it as disloyalty. Moreover, it could send the wrong message to a child that when a pet dies, we can easily replace it to overcome the grief.

Fortunately, you can help your child go through their grief in several ways. Kids don’t simply overcome grief and loss through words, but you can use arts and crafts to help them cope with the life-altering loss of their beloved pet.

You can also request your child to explain the pictures and what they have learned through them. Nonetheless, there are even more ways to go about it. How about asking your child to write a poem, letter or a story about their feelings? You can also recall all the happy moments shared with the dog or cat.

You should teach your child that grieving and feeling pain after death is normal and acceptable. You should provide opportunities for your child to express their feelings and reassure them that pain and grief, although sometimes messy, and scary, is normal.

Openness and honesty will pave the way to coping and allow you and your young ones to have candid discussions about their feelings. If you’re not open, your child may learn things from other places that could give them confusing ideas about what has transpired, and without good communication, you’ll not have the opportunity to counteract them.

How Can You Help Seniors Overcome The Grieving Process After Pet Loss?

Like children, seniors may feel sad and lost when their pet dies. This is because most old adults live alone or with a few loved ones. Pets, therefore, offer unconditional love and companionship to elderly persons.

The death of such animals will leave seniors devastated. It may also bring about memories of other deaths that happened in the past. To make it worse, the death of a pet may leave them thinking about their own death.

If you know an elderly person in this situation, here are some important tips to support them through their mourning period:

• Be a good listener – Understand that it may be difficult for elderly individuals to talk about the loss of their beloved pet and be available for them when they need you most.
  
  
• Be kind – Although you may not fully understand what position their pet played in their heart, it's important to sympathize and talk to them kindly.
  
  
• Lend a helping hand – Many older individuals will appreciate assistance with organizing a funeral service for their pet. You can also help with meal planning or house chores during their difficult time.
  
  
• Offer support – There are many pet loss support groups that might be beneficial for your elderly family member to attend. Such groups will give them an opportunity to interact with other seniors who recognize their pain.

Getting Another Pet After Pet Loss?

What should a pet owner do after losing their dog? A big gap will be left after the loss of a dog. The most obvious reaction would be to acquire a new pet. However, you should not rush into this decision as the personality traits of your new pet may be different from that of the previous pet.

The owner needs to know that a new dog is different from the previous one and will take some time to bring back the feelings they had for the departed dog. Rescuing a pet from an animal shelter can be a good way to determine if you’re ready to become a dog owner again.