The most difficult part of grief over the death of a pet is that probably no one except you understands your grief. Somehow or the other, the death of an animal is hard for people to compare with the death of a human being. It is only you and your family who understand how close a companion the pet had been. Grief on the death of a pet is normal and the extent largely depends upon your bond with the pet. Children are especially fond of pets and it affects them the most.

How the child is affected by the death of a pet also depends on the age of the child. Up to a certain age, children are unable to understand the permanency of death. They are likely to keep asking questions about the absence of their loved pet when they do not see him around. It is only after they are explained that they realize that the pet is gone forever. Managing pet grief in children is all about explaining irreversibility of death if the child is old enough or simply by hugging and holding just as you would when the child is disturbed due to another reason.

There are different stages of grief and the first stage is usually that of denial of the loss. This is followed by various emotional responses like anger, frustration and sadness and ultimately ends in a resolution of grief. While the duration of each stage varies with each individual and depends on cultures as well, a sense of closure is necessary for resolution grief.

There is a marked difference between what transpires during human death and that of a pet. There is an absence of a memorial service or mourning rituals in most cases. These rituals are meant to provide support to the bereaved person and promote a sense of closure for the grief. A quick resolution of pet grief may also be difficult in the event of equivocal loss due to the pet running away or voluntary surrender to humane shelters.

It is a proven concept that expression of grief leads to emotional healing. If expression is held within, it is liable to delay the healing process. Such a situation may also lead to unresolved grief that can cause mental and physical illnesses. Talk with someone close to you how you feel and express your sadness. You can also do certain things to help you in coping with pet grief.

* Plant a tree in memory of your pet.
* Make a donation to a charitable institution for pets.
* Frame a photograph or get a clay sculpture made of the pet.

In fact, anything that you can do that will remind you of the good days spent with your companion will go long way in coping with pet grief.

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Reference:

http://www.pet-loss.net/

Originally posted 2008-11-03 18:58:56.

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