How do you get over the death of your pet?
Wow, have you kept up with the replies to the story about that couple suing their vet following the death of their 13-year-old dog! From anger to disbelief to sympathy, the posts covered a range of sentiments.
And the discussion unveiled something else.
How do you get over the death of your pet? Was it as difficult as the death of a fellow human being? Did you get another pet? What was your mourning process? Any suggestions to others undergoing the experience?
One member, Kim, wrote:
“My 13 year old dog died too. It was a few weeks after she had her teeth cleaned, and some cysts removed. I was told having teeth cleaned could be dangerous to an older dog because bacteria could get in the blood stream. Doc said nah, it is fine. I was riddled with guilt for a year over it, but finally forgave myself. I did nothing wrong. I am not sure why my dog died, I did not pay for an (autopsy). I wanted to believe the doc did something wrong. 13 years is a long time for a dog though, and she had a good life. Sure, I wanted to blame the doctor, maybe she got an infection or something, how come he didn’t know something was wrong? She died suddenly, so no idea what happened. Either way, the dog is dead, I had to accept it. What was I supposed to do, live in pain and suffering forever? Let it go. The dog had a great life at 13 years. Let it go…”
photo: iStockphoto.com
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In Dec. 2004 I had to have my 18-year-old Siamese cat put to sleep. I didn’t get another cat for almost 4 years afterward. He was my soul mate, and his death was traumatic for me. I didn’t realize it that way at the time, but 6 months later, I went into a serious depression that took 4 months to get over. I now have 2 new cats that I adopted together as kittens a year ago. They are active, beautiful kitties, and are such a joy. I’ve learned, the hard way, how necessary pets are to my mental health. I could have saved myself a lot of pain and suffering if I’d gotten cats sooner after the death of my Siamese sweetie.
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Are pets as tough as humans to get over? Thankfully so far the only people I’ve lost have been grandparents, and while I loved them very much, they were both sick for a long time, so I had quite a while with both of them to say my goodbyes and be at peace with their passing (I was 21 and 27 when they each passed away– I still have one living grandmother, and my paternal grandfather died when my mother was quite young). So I can’t compare losing a pet to losing someone to whom I’m very close or losing someone very suddenly (or both), but I was definitely more sad at losing my grandparents than losing my dogs.
Back when I was 20, lost a dog to lymphoma, but he was nearly 15. For any dog, 15 is quite old; he passed away while I laid on the kitchen floor next to him, so I got to say goodbye. I cried, sure, but my siblings and I got together that night to reminisce about life with him. It was mostly very happy, not teary. We knew he’d had a great, long life and were grateful for it. I cried every night for a couple of weeks because I missed him. I still miss him, but life does go on. We did have another dog at the time, so I just loved on him extra.
Now the one time we had a dog pass away on us suddenly, I felt like it was much more painful than with the old dog. I guess the fact that it was coupled with a terrible event (a fire) didn’t help matters. He was my brother’s dog, but I often took care of him and felt like he was my own. That was more painful than losing my old dog because he was young and vivacious, and I hated to think about him suffering (even though he probably took a breath or two of smoke and passed out). My brother got a puppy the next day to help the healing process (keep up the routine), but even with the puppy we were still very sad.
I think that it helps some to have another pet, new or existing, to love on, but I don’t think it makes the loss of a pet any less sad. I love my dogs dearly and would be devastated if one of them passed away, but I would have to move on, whether with another dog or not. I would hope they’d want me to share my heart with another dog.
Though I would give a lot to have my dogs back, I would choose to have my grandparents back, if only for five minutes, instead.
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We lost our precious black cat Bart the day before Valentine’s Day this year. He was 18 years old. How do we get over this? Don’t know, my husband and I are still grieving. Still ’see’ him in and around the house. He went with me every afternoon to ‘help’ me do yard work, etc. I still am not able to keep up the work that needs doing. Five years before his death, we lost Della, our beautiful 19 year old calico cat. Bart helped to ease our pain at that time. We are too old to get another cat as they are apt to outlive us, and we don’t know a soul who would give the love and care we think they deserve.
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My husband grieved our husky, baja, for weeks. He would call me from work crying and saying he just could hardly go into the yard to feed the other dog, Casey, who also grieved and lost some weight during that time. Baja was the MOST amazing dog that we have ever owned. She was SO sweet and loving and talked to everybody she met. We could never replace her but we do now have 2 huskies and of course, Casey is still with us, too. It just takes time-
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To Jimmie-we would take care of them! So you could have some enjoyment in your later years–someone shot our little calico, Annabelle, last year. We spent several thousands of dollars trying to help her walk again-but after three surgeries, she did not make it-I am mad and still miss her-she wasn’t a very affectionate little thing-but she was part of our family. We have since adopted one from PetSmart and one very tiny one from the side of the road, Bert is his name. And, if I could’ve caught this kitten at WalMart the other night, we would have THREE cats-inside, of course-never to see the yard. Because we do not want what happened to Annabelle to happen to these guys. They are part of our family and we plan to love em and play with them everyday!!
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www.petloss.com
There you will find the greatest support in the world for pet loss!
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We lost our 15 yr old collie, Jade, about a month ago. She was just tired and needed to rest. It has been even harder for me to deal with because I work from home so she was with me all the time. One thing I did - I know it sounds stupid - but I ordered a stuffed animal collie that looks exactly like her when she was a puppy and when I need to pet or love on her I have her stand-in. We also buried her in our backyard and planted a butterfly bush with her so she can chase butterflies forever!
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When my Yellow Lab died at age 15 I could not imagine not having a dog in my life. Although no dog on the planet could replace him, I knew I had to rescue another dog and give him/her an opportunity in life and a good home. I got a puppy and as we all know, the puppy kept me so busy the grieving process was shortened by the needs and the care of the new puppy. Simply put, I didn’t have time to grieve. Shortly after the new pup came along I found a stray that ended up having the same personality of the Lab I lost. I still miss my Lab and always will but these two fella’s have my heart now.
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We recently lost a wonderful member of our family, my German Shepherd. I took him through training and he was a great dog and friend. He was my joy, my protection, my office mate for 14 years and my heart still breaks for him. We just had to put him to sleep. We were blessed that our vet came to the house, on an early Sunday morning, to let him go where he felt safe and loved. Our bird is still calling him and throws food to the floor in hopes he will come back. After a few weeks a friend called and said that a locale rescue group had a large female German Shepherd that they were having problems placing. She was so big and wild that no one could handle her. My friend asked if I could just “foster” her until someone came along and maybe train her a bit. I agreed to FOSTER only as I would never be able to replace my former GSD. Well here we are a yaer later and my “foster” is sitting on my feet while I type (she really is too big for that!). She has not replace my big lug Coast but she is a wonderful girl and becoming a member of the family. It was hard at first not to compair her to him but she is really so different that it really is a joy. I still screw up and call her by my males name and the bird still calls out looking for Coast but even the bird is starting to come around and see her as a part of the family.
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Just a year ago I said goodbye to my best friend, Mozart, who I had known since he was 6 weeks old. He was 17 years old when he passed and I swore I would never get another dog. All of my friends knew I was lying and weren’t surprised when a few weeks later, I adopted another rescue dog. Domino, of course, did not replace Mozart, but he has been able to fill that void in my heart that was left with Mozart’s passing.
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We lost our dog 4 weeks ago. I had him for 12 1/2 years. My husband has always worked nights, so it was just me and my baby boy. He followed me everywhere. whatever room I was in, there he was. He was a Westie mix and was the best. He had a cough for awhile that the Vet was trying to treat. That morning he was fine, my little shadow as I got ready for work. By 1230p my husband called to say he had died. Besides my Mother’s passing, I think this has been harder on me than anything else. He was so loving and loved to cuddle. and very happy. Alway with a puppy smile. I miss him so much it is a physical pain. I find myself all of a sudden crying, it just creeps up. Thankfully we do have another dog. She is a little shy girl and I love her. And she will cuddle when I am really sad. She is her Daddy’s girl. She helps the pain, but I miss my little shadow. She is also missing her big brother, looks for him everywhere and has just this week started going into the back yard by herself.
Well I have been looking for her a little brother. One just popped out at me. We go to adopt him from a rescue group this Saturday. I am not trying to replace my “baby” (no pet can replace him) just add to the family and start a new relationship. It will be nice to have the pitter patter of 2 dogs in the house again. I love dogs so much so just one more to love and care for.
FYI..we always adopt dogs from rescue groups. They need a forever home so much. At least I know the last 12 1/2 years was a safe and loving home for my baby.
We had him cremated. when we took him to Deceased Pet Care, they have a beautiful baby cradle to lay your pet in with a pillow and a baby quilt to cover them. So my last veiw of my “baby” was him “sleeping” in his cradle. It is such a simple thing, but helped our goodbys not to be as painful.
Now I just hold on to our “little” girl when I am sad. Or one of my boy’s toys. We have put them out of puppy reach.
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The best way to get over a pet is to give them the best you have while they’re here. That’s our agreement. I’ll give you the best I can and you behave in a manner that is fitting for your enviroment.
Last year I lost 2 dogs (1 HD/1 died getting fixed). While I was sad I knew I had given them the best I could at that time. It really helped knowing I gave it everything and then some.
I also promised to let them live as long as they could enjoy the things we do EVERYDAY. Hour walks, training, parks, the whole doggy thing. If I keep them going so I dont have to feel the pain then I am cheating them.
BTW, they have all signed the above agreements and give it 3 paws. LOL
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In 2001, while I was a 23 yr old living with my parents as I was awaiting a new apartment, my beloved 13 yr old Border Collie had to be put down following a terrible hypoglycemic seizure that led into a coma. While I’m the one who discovered him during the ceisure, my mom was the one to see him the last time while he was in his coma at the vet’s office. I was so distraught that I couldn’t handle it.
I was still grieving when my parents got another Border Collie puppy just two weeks later. I was so hurt and angry that they would replace my Tippy so soon. They said it would help my mother’s grieving, but I believe it made it worse for me. I moved away shortly thereafter and it helped not seeing the “replacement” there. Of course, I know that wasn’t the case, but I was just so hurt by their decision.
Only now am I ready to have a dog again. Maybe one day I’ll actually get one.
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Eternal Reefs frequently has families include the cremated remains of pets with their owners memotial reef, they end up together for eternity.
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You never do “get over it”, but I try to accept the loss and move on. My Afghan Hound was my constant companion for 13 years living alone together, so it is quite a shock to not have her next to me. She was my 3rd Afghan, and they each were different and are missed individually. Soon I will find another or two and I’ll start all over. There will be happy times again.
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Pet loss is a terrible thing. The grief you experience is real. Thank goodness pet loss is now recognized as true trauma, and one can hopefully be spared the “just get over it and get another dog or cat” mantra that used to be the insensitive standard response.
I have lost 2 cats this year - both rescues. I miss my 2 girls terribly. Also, my older cocker spaniel has a chronic health condition; and I know I am already grieving over his condition and age. Having supportive friends and family is an absolute blessing.
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Yesterday I had to put down my 14-yr tuxie. She was always a little kitten love, never really grew to be adult sized but her heart was the size of horse.
Since then I’m caught between purging the house of any sign of her and not wanting to let go of anything, even my pain, because it’s all I have of her. I stayed up most of last night writing down all of the memories that I can recall and scouring for meager bad pictures which never captured her soul.
I know that it was the right thing to do for her and I have to keep telling myself that this was for her, not me. I keep writing down thoughts and feelings and trying to convince myself that she’s at peace.
It also helps to tell people and talk about your pet. I feel awkward telling some of my friends and co-workings that I’m upset about an animal but others who’ve had pets immediately understand and sympathize. It helps knowing that it’s ok to mourn them and to cry.
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I have to share this story to tell that grieving can work both ways. Years ago, one of my dearest friends invited me to a party. It was a wake for his dog, Ramsey. Ramsey was a 16 year old Rottweiler who had developed stomach cancer. Her time was running out, he decided to throw her a party and have all her human and animals friends come and say goodbye. Her once massive 110 lbs. frame down to 52 lbs. It was a great party, she loved it. The next day,she was put to sleep. About a year later, my friend decided it was time to let a new dog in his life. He adopted Lisa, a standard poodle. He and Lisa became as inseparable as he and Ramsey were. They went everywhere together. my friend was disabled and was therefore home all the time with Lisa his ever present shadow. Earlier this year, my friend died in his sleep at the age of 48. When hs sister called me to tell me, my first though was: Lisa? I volunteered to take her in with my 2 dogs and 2 cats but his sister said no, she would take her in. 3 weeks later, Lisa was dead. She refused to eat in the 3 weeks since her master’s death and died of a broken heart. When the estate was settled, I was left with 3 things, the ashes of Ramsey, Lisa and my dear friend with the instructions and the fulfillment of a promise I made many years ago on a beach in St. John, USVI, the promise that I will keep.. to scatter them all together, forever, on that same beach. I have already bought the ticket. Love and grief go hand in hand. We love our dogs and they love us til the bitter end.
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2 weeks before my little brother died of cancer 6 months ago, he asked that I put his dog of 12 years to sleep because his dog was also very sick and could barely walk. I had both my brother and his dog creamted and continue to spread their ashes together at their favorite places.
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In response to Karen:
My prayers go out to you. One thing I did was have an artist friend paint a picture of my old best friend, Mozart, and it now hangs in the kitchen, which was his favorite place to be. It gives me a smile everytime I see it and allows his memory to be kept alive.
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She was a slave dog, destined to live her life on the end of a chain. Somehow she escaped to freedom with the the chain grown into her skin. She was eating our garbage when I first spotted her. She didn’t run from me, instead she rolled over to accept the blows or kicks she expected to get, she closed her eyes. I picked up the skin stretched over bones and carried her into the house. Three hours of emergency surgery later the chain was no longer part of her neck. She was never able to completely forget the first part of her miserable life but she had moments of total abandonment from any horrible past memories and she ran and played and became part of our family. We had no idea what her age was, the Vet said she’d had more than one litter of pups by the time she came to us. She loved her life with us so much she stayed with us for almost eleven years. When we were forced to have to have her put down because of cancer, it was at our home, on her bed with everything she loved surrounding her. Am I over her? No. But, I am so happy she left this world so much better off than how she could have lived in it her entire lifespan. I know she knew what love was when she licked my face as the needle went in. That one gesture told me I am a good man and my wife tells me when I die she will have ” He loved his dogs ” on my grave marker when it’s my time. She was a good dog.
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First of all you must realize that pets/animals do not live as long as people; so you love them, enjoy them and cherish them for the time they have. I had a dog who lived to be 22 years old which is unspeakable and when her time came she was like an old 100 year old person. I had to release her; she knew how much I loved her and I had to let her go. I tell myself she is in doggie heaven. I have had many pets since then; a dog who I had to put down at 15, blind, no teeth, skin just awful, she smelled like she was already dead; not a pretty picture and she was suffering, so I did her a favor and let her go. I had a cat 15 who fought with a squirrel and her mouth inside was badly scratched. She got such a severe infection it ravaged her body. I did the pills, intravenous drip and could not save her. She was slowly dying and I had to let her go. So I guess it is a mind-set that you have to get to with pets. I still get pets and can not imagine my life without them. They are a gift from GOD to us and they give back 10 times what we give to them. Make peace with this and move on and give another little kitten or puppy a wonderful home and lots of love. They deserve it and so do YOU…..
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My 3 month old puppy Skip passed away from some type of congenital neurological defect. This was not the first dog I had ever owned, but it was my husband’s first dog. We had Skip for only a month before he passed away. He went from being a seemingly healthy, active little puppy to lethargic and suffering from severe neurological deficits in a matter of days. Me and my husband were devestated. We did not blame the vet, who did everything he could to save our little puppy, but in the end it was more than Skip’s little body could take. He was in so much pain that we had to let him go.
While some pet owners will not advocate getting a new pet right away, it was what helped me and my husband heal from our loss. We picked up our new puppy Champ the day after Skip passed away. While he will never replace Skip, he did fill our time with his own love and antics. He helped fill the hole in our hearts left by Skip and we will be forever grateful to Champ for bringing such joy to such a difficult time in our lives.
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I thank the University of Athens for giving me two extra years with my baby boy. When the time came, it was extremely difficult, to say the least.
My friend suggested the book “Cold Noses at the Pearly Gates” and it was a mental lifesaver. I now recommend it to all my pet grieving friends.
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Bob,
I’m really sorry about your brother. My condolences to you and your family.
Charles
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I have lost several pets. Some from illness and one from car accident. I now have four dogs. They sleep on our bed whenever they want. I buy them fresh cuts of lean meat and cook it for them. They go for a ride at least once a day and sometime more. I keep them clean and I brush them while talking baby talk to them. You know we are basically what we give away. And in my many years of sharing my life with animals, I will say you don’t hold a candle to the love and devotion they give you. I tell people my new car is a scruffy dog that I rescued from an existence to living at the end of a chain. If people had the qualities of animals they would be made saints. I have lost several dogs and I believe that there is a heaven, and they are waiting for my arrival.
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Simon our wonderful nine-year-old yellow lab had to be put to sleep two days ago. One minute he was out in the yard prancing around like a puppy with my husband and a few hours later he was having trouble breathing and walking. A trip to the emergency vet revealed that he had a very large cancerous mass on his spleen that had ruptured. Surgery would have only bought us a very short time and we made one of the most difficult decisions of our life. Our home now feels so empty. Pretty much all our activities had been interwoven with him … he went everywhere with us and was always very intuitive of what we needed. We don’t know how to make it through this terrible heart-breaking pain. Simon was the best dog ever … and everyone who knew him (and a lot of people did) loved him and he loved them unconditionally. Love you dogs while you have them … give them the best homes they could ever want … their lives are too short. I belive that we will see him again in heaven. God would not have made such special creatures and given us such close bonds to end it all without a reunion in heaven.
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Thanks, doglover, for making me cry this early. Good thing I don’t wear mascara.
Wow, so many posts and not one “it’s just an animal, people are better” post yet.
I have lost pets and people close to me. You grieve for both, but it’s a different kind of grief.
A lot depends on how the pet died, and whether it was young or old, if it had been with you a while, etc.
I think we grieve harder for pets because pets, unlike people, never judge us or really disappoint us–they definitely don’t do it on purpose.
Death is a part of life, and grief is, too. Everyone grieves in a different way.
All my pets have been cremated, and I have some of the cremains, and have scattered some. Deceased Pet Care is a great company; I have dealt with them for years and they are always professional and pleasant. I know my partner wishes they would handle my cremation if I predecease her.
remember, there are always a lot of pets waiting for loving homes. You can never replace your pet, but I like to think he or she would want you to have that furry love again.
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We had to have our precious boston terrier put to sleep on August 25, 2008 on his sixth birthday. He was such a good boy and the light of my life. We tried so hard to save him, even feeding him from a dropper when he stopped eating. but sadly it was not enough. He had cancer. I just can’t accept it. I cry all day every day. I would gladly have changed places with him.
I know that someday we will be together again but I miss him so very much. I have never felt such grief even for a human being. Hegave me so much and was there for me when I found out my husband was in love with his much younger secretary. To my baby, I will always love you. Your mommy
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cyoo, thanks-following is from my friends at N. GA. PET CREMATIONS:
Just this side of heaven is a place called RAINBOW BRIDGE
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to RAINBOW BRIDGE. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our fireinds are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You been spotted , and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross RAINBOW BRIDGE together……….
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You definitely never get over it, but I believe it gets easier with time. We didn’t get another dog for 3 years after my beloved Connor died - my husband just couldn’t face it. But then Reilly came into our lives and that’s all she wrote. He will never replace Connor but he has filled the hole in my heart with his love.
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My husband and I lost our beloved Whiskey, a Golden/Red Chow/G. Shepherd mix, in February 2006, due to cancer. We had almost 12 wonderful years with her, and to this day, miss her dreadfully. We got Brandy, a Golden/German Shepherd mix in July 2006. While we love and adore Brandy just as much as we did Whiskey, she does not take the place of our first beloved mutt. Brandy did help us get beyond the massive hole we both felt. When Brandy goes, it will hurt just as much. Animals may not be people, but they love us unconditionally and that means something.
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I lost my 3 year old soul mate in canine form in Feb 08 very suddenly. He and my other dog ripped open a bag of chicken jerky treats from China that held a silica freshness gel pack. the other dog was fine, my younger dog collapsed shortly after I arrived home. After walking into the EClinic, he crashed and could not be brought back.
How do you get over it? I never will. Despite having two other dogs in my home and four cats…no creature will ever share the bond with me that this dog did.
We did adopt another dog a couple of months after he passed, because our puppy was so depressed without a playmate…I love all of my pets…but that one dog was one of a kind and there will never be another like him.
I almost lost my father this year to illness as well…and while he pulled through, there was a time we thought he might not. I knew that losing him would be 100 times worse than losing my dog.
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Hi
well this forum has the total giving look which makes it a well informer website or web blog. Thanks for making such a beautiful blog
————–
smith
Homes For Sale By Owner
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We were faced with the horrible decision of putting down our 12 year old cat, Noodle, on July 16th. She became gravely ill very suddenly - we took her to the vet on July 14th and were told she had advanced liver disease and a belly full of fluid. She would no longer eat at all and drank very little. They gave her fluids and sent us home with fluids for her and told us to get baby food to force feed her. She fought us like a lion with what little spunk she had left. We decided not to put her through the stress of it all and had her humanely euthanized. I still cry for her a few times a week. It helps, though, that we still have her litter mate sister, Cricket, and her three canine sisters Libby, Frannie, and Millie. Cricket has begun thinking that she is a dog and has been integrating herself into the pack since then. Millie still looks for Noodle every day.
On her last day with us, Noodle sought out a sunbeam via the window. My sweet husband took Noodle out into the front yard so she could get the ultimate sunbeam. She really perked up and enjoyed herself - she basked in the sunshine, gnawed on some blades of grass, and seemed to really relax. That afternoon, we took her to the vet. I held her on my lap in a baby blanket for the drive. We stroked her and cried and thanked God for giving us such a wonderful girl while Dr. Reese administered the injection. We wrapped her in her baby blanket and again I carried her in my lap and we went to Deceased Pet Care where we were able to place her in a cradle and say our final goodbyes to her physical form. We are taking her cremains to my family’s farm in October. We will bury her cremains and plant an evergreen to mark her grave.
We still miss Noodle each and every day. She was such a wonderful girl from the time we got her at 7 weeks until the day of her death.
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Our little baby boy Buster passed away on 10/2/2008 - he was a 4 lb. mini-yorkie and was our child - he was in surgery for 12 bladder stones, one of which was lodged in his urethra. We also found out the day before that he had an enlarged heart. The only symptom he had was urinating longer and more frequently - he was not in any pain. When he was in surgery - he was doing well. They x-rayed him toward the end to check if they got all the stones - and found stones in his kidneys as well. His little body was fighting off infection from the stone in his urethra - and the night before the surgery, he threw up blood. The doctor suspects that there was something wrong with him that we don’t know about. We had no choice but to do the surgery because he would have suffered kidney failure. He went to heaven when his heart stopped beating as the doctor was putting in the last stitch. We went and said our goodbyes to him and he looked so peaceful. We take comfort in the fact that all Buster knew is that he was going to sleep - and he just simply never woke up. He didn’t have to suffer through weeks of recovery - before his heart would possibly give out. The road ahead of Buster was going to be a rough one - and he would have probably suffered from congestive heart failure. And I know that God knows that myself and my husband would not be able to make that decision to put him down - and that to watch him suffer the remaining years of his life would be even more heart-breaking. We were blessed to have him in our lives for eight years. We have arranged to have him privately cremated - and later, we will have friends who knew and loved him over to say their goodbyes to him. He deserved nothing less than to have his memory cherished and honored. He lived a very spoiled and happy life and we think that God appreciated the life that we gave that little dog - so in exchange He took him from us all within 24 hours - so we never saw him suffer - and he was a bright spark right up to his last day with us.
We miss you, sweet baby boy!
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To Jimmie
Please go to your nearest pet shelter and adopt another cat in memory of Bart. There could be no better way to honour his memory. I did this when I lost my beloved cats.In fact I would say they made me do this as they did not want me to be so sad. I spent months grieving, and so unhappy. I still hurt of course - But I adopted three cats, I named two of them, after my pets as they looked the image of them. I am also getting on in life,but life,without a pet in it,is not an option I cherish. I have given a good, secure, and loving home to these lovely creatures. If you do not feel like taking a kitten on,there are so many older cats in shelters that would love to keep you company. God bless you & think about what I said. Let me know. love Zara.
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I cannot imagine ever NOT having a pet to love and to love me back. You never forget the ones you have lost and no other pet can replace them. I think that is one reason I always have more than one, so if one get’s sick and I lose them I still have one to grieve with. Believe me they grieve for their adopted brothers & sisters as much as we do. In April of 2007 I took my 9 year old female, Toni, to the vet for her regular check-up. She hadn’t been sick, although she had lost a couple of pounds over the last 2 or 3 months It didn’t concern me because I had been trying to watch her food intake because she had gotten up to 17 lbs. When I took her in she weighed 15.5 lbs and they found a mass in her abdominal area. They could not tell if it was a hairball or something worse. I had to take her to another vet that had ultra-sound, it was not a hairball, they did a needle biopsy. By the time they got the results of the biopsy back, I knew I was going to lose Toni, she could hardly eat, most of what she did came back up. The results, she had a rapidly growing, deadly form of liver cancer, the only thing we could do was give her morphine and keep her as comfortable as possible as long as possible. By mid-May she was in so much pain it was cruel and selfish to try to keep her alive. The night before I cooked her a piece of flounder and handfed her what she would eat. She ate it like it was the best thing she had ever tasted, but she only ate about 6 or 8 bites. The next morning I gave her two doses of morphine, she was in so much pain it hardly seemed to help. Then I wrapped her in a baby blanket and held her in my lap while my husband drove to the vets office. I scratched her favorite spot on her forehead and told her what a good and pretty girl she was while they slid the needle in. Then wrapped her back up and brought her home the same way. We buried her in the back yard in one of the “islands” that has a couple of trees and bushes there. We put her in the center and I planted lillies around her grave and around the outer edge of the island. We also put a birdhouse up on one side of it and I am going to get a statue to put out there. We call it Toni’s Garden.
The end of July when I had taken my three year old cat for his check up they brought out some kittens to show me that they had been fostering because the mom had been abandoned there right before they were born. I brought both of them home with me, to fill the void that my baby girl left. I still miss her and think of her often. She had the most beautiful green eyes.
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I don’t believe that anybody truly gets over the death of there furry friend. I remember when my cocker spaniel had to put to sleep. I picked out one of my baby blankets because I didn’t want Sandy to be cold, and I made sure my Mom wrapped her up nice and snug, then we buried her. I still think of Sandy and how she was always so happy to see me. I was just a kid when she passed and I never got really attached to any other pet. 9 1/2 years ago I got Grady, and although he is getting older I’ve come to realize that the piece of hot dog isn’t that bad for him, just as long as he is happy. I have been blessed with the fact that Grady hasn’t had any health problems and has lived a VERY comfortable life. He is my buddy and I know that when he passes I will dig out one of my baby blankets again and wrap him up tight with his big bull and make sure both are snug and rest comfortably. Pets have a funny way of sneaking into your heart when you least expect it and paw a place out and live there forever.
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I am a pet lover. I have 2 dogs and had 2 cats. 2 yrs ago we lost one of our cats - 16yrs old to mouth cancer. It was hard to get over. Yesterday, we lost his brother 18yrs old. It is truly sad but we can be thankful pets do not have to suffer. One thing we all need to remember is no matter what kind of day we have, when we get home, our pets are there to greet us with happiness. They are a blessing to anyone who has one. They are family. We need to hold them close to our hearts.
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I had to have my best friend Samson my Chow Chow put to sleep last Friday he was 13 years old and we got him when he was 12 weeks old and my heart is breaking. It truly is pain, pain I have never felt in my life before I just hurt so much, I know he is in no more pain and I am being so selfish to want him back with us. But I know he is looking down at me and saying mommy you gave me the best, now let me rest.
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Hi,
Well I’m Lisa I lost my pet named butterscotch.She was a hamster.I loved her so very mutch.I played with her and had extrermly great times with her.But the thing is it has ben over a year and a half ago t=since she passed and yet I still cry my self to sleep at night.Is there any advise you can give me?
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just a week ago i had the nicest, sweetest cat in the world put to sleep because of nerve damage. It really sucks because she was only 3 years old, and never deserved to be put to sleep. I thought she was a cat living off of miracles, because she got lost for a week from a storm, but came back, then she could have gotten gangreen from her tail, but she didn’t, then she could have died from her tail removal sugery, but didn’t. Believe it or not the one thing she couldn’t survive was being put to sleep. It’s one of the most difficult things i’ve ever had to face, partially because her twin brother is all alone now, and that doesn’t seem right. But it definately helps to tell people, and to know that she is in heaven now, where she can’t get harmed.
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Today I lost a real friend. He was brought home to me against my wishes back in 1993. I told my wife and daughter they could have him if they fed and took care of him. He was just a puppy of about 2 or 3 months. He was a beautiful black Labrador retriever/Cocker spaniel mix. I was never allowed to have a puppy as a young boy, my father was just too strict and did not want any animals. I’m not sure he wanted any children either.
I decided that I wanted to be a different father to my children than mine was to me, so I allowed it, as the years passed I watched my son and daughter grow up right along with Buddy until my daughter Kristen moved away. He was never a problem, even though he was sent to two dog obedience schools, he graduated both Magna Cum Laude. It is said that dogs develop character like their owners and after 15 years of having him around I couldn’t agree more. After his schooling he didn’t need a leash. I could walk him outside without one. I know he wouldn’t stray far from my side as we felt a bond between the two of us few people experience. When I took him outside, he always seemed to look at me when getting close to leaving our property, I would tell him to come back into our yard and he always did. When taking his daily constitution he would always seek my approval as to the location that he went. He was terrified of thunder and lightning, we always new when bad weather was approaching because he started breathing heavily and my arthritis always starting bothering me at the same time .It was difficult to get him to go out when it was raining, one blast of thunder and right back to the garage he went. He knew we didn’t want mud or wet carpet so he walked around the car in the garage until his feet were dry. He even developed a sense of humor (my picture of him in the basement with the chew bone in his mouth like a an old man with a cigar) confirms it. Both of us grew old together and both suffer the daily aches and pains that you get as old age creeps up on you. I like to remember the happy times when I took him for a ride in the car, he sat in the front passenger seat just like a human and was quite a site for others to see when sitting at a traffic light. But as he and I grew older both of us required medication. He was always happy to see anyone come home, his tail wagging and barking. When Kristen came to visit he would just not leave her alone as he loved her so much and was so glad to see her. When she left he would lay at the top of the steps almost looking forward to the next time he would see her. The last 2 or 3 years he spent with a new addition to the family. Tucker, who was saved from the side of the highway. He and several other newborn pups were in a cardboard box found with the mother dead and two puppies dead, only two survived, He was a great companion to Buddy, I believe that Tucker enriched the last few years of Buddy’s life because of the way they played and ripped through the house. I know of times when Buddy was sick in the middle of the night it was Tucker that would nudge Jeanne from her sleep to let us know that Buddy needed attention or to go outside. I may seem cruel and unfeeling but I don’t remember crying when my father died, I don’t remember crying when my brother died, but today I put Buddy to rest and my wife Jeanne and I both cried in the parking lot at the vets office.
I know he was ready to go, this morning when I took him out, right after his business he went over to the passenger door of my car and sat there like he knew it was time to go. Every time we took him to the vets office he always barked so much the employees would let us wait outside and call us when the doctor was ready to see him. Today he was different he didn’t bark but I could tell he was shaking just a little as he knew what was in store for him. I’ve heard that when someone passes over to the next world, they will never die as long as we remember them in our hearts. Buddy will never be forgotten.
I find it very strange that through the 15 years Buddy spent with us, he never spoke a word but developed a bond that few can share and with his passing he has taken a piece of our hearts with him forever. Now two weeks after his passing, Tucker, my other little dog is lost without him. They spent every moment together. I can tell he is depressed he spent the first week walking around the house looking for Buddy, now he just wants to sleep all the time. Any suggestions on how to get one little dog over the loss of his lifelong companion ?
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Hello all. My wife and I had to put down our Golden Retriever this past March. She was 11 and the best friend anyone could have. We are still missing her terribly. I am a Fire Rescue Captain with DeKalb County and as a suprise Christmas present for my wife I would like to get her a Golden puppy. I don’t have a lot of money but could go to $250 and AKC registration is not important to us. We will have her spayed and she is to be one of the family. If anyone out there can help or knows of non registered puppies to be given away or for sale at a lower price please contact me at tmcordel@co.dekalb.ga.us. Thanks and I hope all of you have a great Christmas. Capt Tom
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My Yellow lab is 13 years old and is going on to 14 in 2 weeks. I have done some research and found that she is only supposed to live until 12 and i am very depressed just thinking about the fact that one day i mghit come home from school not to find her greating me at the door. Murphy (my dog) was born a year before me and has been my life companion ever sence i was born. Right now i am 11 years old so it will be really hard to let her go sence i have known her my whole life. She has been having a hard time coming up the stairs i know that labs suffer from hip disorder so i think that her time is going to come soon.
So with me being 11 and all i would just like to get some web sites from all of you to try and help me when her time comes.
I know this story was pretty confusing but i would just like to say that Murphy is still with us and is happier than ever!
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Your story isn’t confusing and it is well written. It is likely that people of any age feel exactly as you do. You are not alone in this.
I have tried to live my entire life according to a specific way of thinking and it is this: To live a life with no regrets. And also to live in the moment.
So make decisions in your life that you will not regret. Make good and healthy choices. If you choose now to love your precious Murphy every day-then there will be no regrets in the future about loving this friend. Focus on the fact that Murphy is alive and well today. And that you are all happy today. Trouble comes when we live in the past or the future. If you live in the moment-you can handle that.
So today-Murphy is doing fine. And if something changes-take care of it then. We cannot handle future events.
If Murphy became sick you would then have something called “Anticipatory Grief.” That’s anticipating the passing of a loved one. There are so many good websites all about pet loss. But that time hasn’t come yet.
Go now and play with your precious and beloved Murphy and enjoy the love between your spirits. Love and live today and you will never regret it.
Live in this moment. The past and the future are illusive-they don’t exist. All that exist is right now.
So go and be the wonderful 11-year old you are and have a great time with this great friend!
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