Grieving Our Pets Part 2 of 2

Part two of two: Grieving Our Pets

Part one of two: Grieving Our Pets

The key thing in all of it is doing what is best for you and your family. Some people walk away from the death of a pet saying that they will never own another one. “My pet was my best friend and we have had him/her for 15 years, there will never be a replacement!” Guess what, that’s a natural response and you’re right, there will never be a replacement, which leads me to my next thought.

Replacement… Some people start looking for a new pet the very next day and others would feel guilty doing so. I am not going to say that response is wrong either, but I am going to ask that you truly think with your head and not shear emotion before making that decision quickly.

Are you making this decision because you want to replace the emotional void you have inside now? If so, be cautious, because like I said before, the new pet will never be the replacement to what you had and all too many pets end up going from home to home because they are not the pet the “owner” expected or wanted.

If you have a family be certain that the family makes the decision as a whole. I would also caution bringing it up to your family too soon, because where one family member might want to get another pet tomorrow another may not. You do not want to turn the idea of getting a new pet from something that should be joyous into a battle between members of your family and something negative.

Make sure your family is on the same page and that the timing is right for everyone involved. In our case, I was ready to adopt another pet in just a week. My wife didn’t feel the same way at first, and that is ok. Do not feel that you need to pressure anyone, because when they are ready things will come together. My wife and I talked it over and eventually made the decision together that in Snort’s honor we would adopt again. We decided together that we would give another amazing guy a stable, safe loving home that he had never had, just as we did for Snort.

So starts our journey with a new bundle of joy named Teddy. Has Teddy replaced Snort? Not at all… Would I ever want him to? No way… We still miss Snort immensely. As my wife and I laid in bed last night, nearly two months after Snort’s death, we cried once again. The pain doesn’t go away and life can’t stop so we have learned how to cope as we all must do. Snort would be proud of us though and I know your pet would be proud of you too. Never be afraid to grieve as you need to and never be afraid to move forward when the time is right.

 Part one of two: Grieving Our Pets