The English novelist George Eliot said “Animals are such agreeable friends. They ask no questions and pass no criticisms.” A wonderful statement that describes the unconditional love that these wonderful beings give us. And when we lose them the grief is as much as you would feel when you lose a person close to you.
It is no wonder that people experience intense grief at the loss of a pet and the feeling of grief following a loss is completely normal. There are several ways that pet owners can help themselves and move forward after the loss of a pet.
1. Get back to your daily routine
You probably wake up and take your pet out on its routine walks , continue that routine and also when you have specific schedule for your pet’s need,replace it with an alternate routine to get over it. Sometimes pet owners are used to a schedule that was based on their animal's needs.
2. Farewell ceremony
If you have friends who also have loved the pet and have played with it ,you could have a farewell ceremony and have talk about him/her and have them share a few things which would help you feel better.
3. Photos or videos
There are many ways you could preserve your pets memories alike photos, scrapbooks, home videos & collages. The latest being the Facebook and Instagram where you can permanently share your pets pictures in the digital form.
4. Help Children cope with the loss
A child is devastated with a loss of pet and the best thing to do is to be honest with him/her about the death, depending on the age of the child. Assure them that the pet has moved on and is no longer in pain and if the older ones are there just spend some quiet time with them reassuring them.
6. Get another pet
This again depends as to how the previous pet has passed away. If it was sudden then it’s better not to get a new pet, as the grieving would take time and you can’t focus on the new one. If the pet has aged and passed away then you could consider and get another one to replace the pet and move on.
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