Pets and Adults

Your Pet Bereavement Journey

It is important to remember that your pet bereavement journey is unique, and that there is no ‘normal’ way of doing it.

There is no standard length of time that it will take until the feelings start to subside. For some it may be weeks or months, for others it may take years. It is important to give yourself time to grieve and allow your pet bereavement journey to take place gradually at your own pace. Try not to ‘bottle up’ your emotions, if you really feel that you can’t talk to someone about the loss of your pet then perhaps you could write it all down in a journal. It is important not to ignore these feelings, you are not weak and there is no need to be ashamed, you have lost a member of your family and you will need to grieve. Not everyone understands Not everyone will understand your loss, people can have some very strange ways of dealing with death, some people will simply not like to talk about death, others may feel that a loss of a pet is somehow less important than losing a person, especially if they have never had a pet of their own. You may need to find people outside of your usual circle to talk to who do understand the love and companionship that having a pet brings, those who realise the enormity of your loss and can help you to talk about your grief. If you can’t find people to talk to you might want to consider getting professional bereavement counselling, a trained counsellor can help you through your bereavement journey and will be able to refer you to a medical professional if you need help for depression.