Grieving The Loss Of A Pet

Grieving the loss of a pet is one of the most difficult parts of life. Your pet is a beloved part of your family, and family loss is never easy.

 

While there is no magical cure for navigating the difficult periods of grief, there are ways to keep our lost and beloved pets’ memory alive in our hearts after they cross the rainbow bridge.

 

Grief is not linear, and it affects all people differently. But doing little things will help you remember your lost pet and cherishing your memories together can provide consolation in this very difficult time.

 

When grieving the loss of a pet, try the following ideas to keep their memory alive.

 

1. Honor your pet
There are many ways to honor your pet within your own home. You could have a plaque or memorial decoration made to hang in your home or display on a shelf. Every time you look at the decoration, you will think of your furry friend.

You could also have a replica trinket of your beloved pet like a miniature statue created to keep their presence alive in your home. You could also frame a photo of your pet or have a custom watercolor portrait created and keep it somewhere special so you can look at it whenever you’d like and think of them.

 

Many people capture their pet’s paw impression into clay or stamp it from an inkpad.

 

2. Visit a special place you both loved

Can you think of your favorite places you visited with your lost beloved furry friend? It may be the dog park, a nature trail, a hike, or even a particular street downtown. It might be very healing for you to visit that place once again and think of them.

 

If you don’t want to go alone, bring one of your loved ones who also knew and loved your pet. You could both talk about memories you had with your pet and reminisce on wonderful times shared at that spot.

 

3. Let yourself heal
One of the most important parts of grief is feeling your emotions as they come. This means not rushing through your grief, trying to replace the bond you had with your amazing furry friend, or trying to push away the feelings of loss you may be experiencing.

 

Try to let yourself heal by experiencing your emotions to the fullest as they come and talking to your loved ones about the pain you’re feeling. You could also try speaking to a therapist or grief counselor.

 

4. Find little moments of happiness

When you’re experiencing grief, it’s important to find moments of happiness throughout your day. Whether it be seeing a butterfly or bird and thinking fondly of how your furry friend chased them, taking a walk to get some fresh air and grab a coffee, spending time with friends and family and watching a great movie, etc.