If you’ve ever lost a pet, you know exactly how heart-wrenching the process can be. Many compare it to the feeling of losing a member of the feeling. But researchers have recently discovered that losing a pet is actually tougher than losing a loved one.
The reason behind this is that our bond with our pets actually mirror the bonds that we have with other people, in that they make us feel loved by the connection that is created between the two. Psychologist Julie Axelrod claims that it’s not just losing a pet that is difficult; it’s losing that source of love, comfort, and a friend.
In addition to simply losing a deep companionship, it can cause huge disruption and disturbance to someone’s daily routine. Most pet owners form their daily schedules around their pets, and when that pet is taken away, it can mess up someone’s entire schedule and often have them feeling lost and unsure what to do.
A common thing for pet owners grieving the loss of their pet to do is to interpret certain things as if it were their pet communicating with them. For instance, if something randomly falls over in a room or they hear pet-related sounds, they might interpret that as their pet trying to communicate with them from the other side. Whether you believe in this or not, we all have hope!
Guilt is another huge topic when it comes to pets. More often than not, pet owners may have to choose the best option for their pet who is enduring a lot of pain and suffering and put them to sleep. It is the most humane option, but it doesn’t make it any easier to say goodbye. Some pet owners may often feel grief after having to put their pet down.
Some pet owners who feel any amount of guilt may be feeling this due to the fact they think they could have done more to help their pet live a longer life.
While most people can safely say they are ‘pet people’, whether you’re a dog person, a cat person, or everything in between, expressing one’s grief for a pet is still misunderstood and people often end up too embarrassed to show their grief for their pet that has passed on.
Simply remember that it is totally normal to feel the amount of grief and pain that you are feeling and it is even more normal to express it as needed!
Please SHARE this article for anyone who might need to cope with the grieving period of their pet.
Check out the video below on why losing a dog feels like losing a family member based on what one person experienced.