The loss of a pet is never easy. We spend more time with our pets than with most people we know. They’re there for all the everyday moments of life. When they pass away, we experience true loss.
Mourning a beloved pet takes time and comes in waves. Here are five things you can do to cope with the loss of a pet.
1. Memorialize Your Pet
Your pet will live in your heart forever. Memorializing your pet is a way to honor the life you shared with them. One of the most straightforward ways to do this is to use the services of a pet funeral home. However, there are other ways to memorialize your pet. For instance, you could opt for a physical item of rememberance that can help you to focus your grief. You can choose between items like a mold of your pet’s paw print, an urn in which to keep their ashes, or a certificate commemorating your pet. You could even opt to memorialize your pet with a special tree or plant that is bedded into your yard, or with one of these Woolly Pet full body sculptures or keychains.
2. Look Through Photos
The next thing you can do to cope with the loss of a pet is to look through photos and videos of them. This can help you relive memories. Many pet owners have photos and videos of their pets playing, eating, getting into mischief, cuddling, and sleeping. Seeing your pet happy and well can help you focus on your pet’s personality and the way they lived their life. Looking through photographs of your pet might be painful, but it will also bring you some solace, helping you to remember the times you shared together.
3. Write About Your Pet and Your Grief
Even if you don’t consider yourself a writer, writing is cathartic: it gives you an emotional release. During the grieving process, you’re focused on your pet and your loss. When you write, you give order to your fragmented thoughts and overwhelming emotions.
You can write freely in a stream-of-consciousness style, putting your thoughts and emotions on the page as they come to you without editing. Or you can write something more structured, like a poem, essay, or story.
4. Talk to People Who Understand Your Grief
You aren’t alone in your experience of grief. Talking to other people can help you feel more connected, and sharing what you’re going through can help you heal. You can talk to a support group for pet loss, supportive loved ones, or online forums and communities that dedicate a space for pet owners to talk about their experiences with pet loss.
5. Take Care of Yourself
Don’t neglect your own self-care. In the pain of grief, activities like eating well, getting enough sleep, drinking adequate water, and exercising might not seem important. But these are all necessary for your physical and mental well-being.
Your pet is secure in your heart. Take care of yourself and move forward as your pet would want.
