Psychologists suggest that when a person loses a pet that they pass through stages of bereavement similar to those experienced when losing a beloved human. First of course it will take some time to simply absorb the fact of what has happened. What comes after that? Many pet owners want to retreat within themselves and handle their grief alone. Some do not want to feel like a burden when they try to discuss their emotions with others. And some think they cannot act on what they are feeling and instead try to push their suffering aside and skip the grieving altogether.
If you feel like you can relate to any of these feelings, we want you to know that there are plenty of places to find comfort when your pet has just passed. Instead of being alone, look at what other options you do have:
1. Find comfort in family and friends.
The place to always go for any type of comfort is your close family and friends. They may not completely understand what pet loss feels like, especially if they have never been pet owners themselves, but they do understand you on a personal level and your needs when you’re feeling melancholy. These are the people that want to be there for you, so don’t feel as if you are burdening them with your feelings. They want to help lighten the load.The ones who had their own relationships with your pet, those who were petsitters for a weekend can understand your loss better than others. They can talk and smile with you over cherished memories--yours and theirs.
2. Find comfort in other pet parents.
Sometimes we simply need the comfort of others who know what we’re going through through their own experiences. The place to go is the comfort of your pet owning friends, especially those whom have seen the entire process through to recovery. They will be able to relate to most of what you are feeling and share their own ways of coping. They are examples of the peace that lies ahead.3. Find comfort in support groups and counselors.
All the stressful feelings and behaviors that tend to go hand-in-hand with grief may put you in a place where you feel defeated and not in control of yourself. The place to go to understand this human process is a pet loss support group. They will be able to help you understand normal human responses and how to ease the pain especially when you have to work or handle a family.4. Find comfort in your pet service provider.
When you have to take the next step of notifying your pet service provider that they should remove a deceased pet from their kennel management software, it could provide you with an opportunity to open up to a professional who has spent time with your pet. Many pet service providers are aware of the pain of pet loss and want to comfort their clients to the best of their ability. Their services aren’t limited to the time between check-in and check-out. The best of them have worked their way to becoming your friends and you should not hesitate give them a call because, as pet lovers themselves, they will understand.5. Find comfort in asking for all the details.
Some places of comfort may even seem uncomfortable at first—like asking “What happened?” Asking any questions that are nagging at your conscience, especially those revolving around guilt, will help you find relief. You may even find yourself wanting forgiveness for any role you feel you played in your pet’s death. PawLoyalty pet resort software’s Pet Health Record can help flesh out the events prior to your pet’s passing. Inform your vet of their behaviors and diet during their stay at a facility. Pet service providers can add special notes, which will give a vet insight as to how odd behaviors and lack of appetite may have been indicative of illness. You can only discover real closure when your mind can finally make sense of any unclear details.Grieving doesn’t have to leave you in solitude. You have several people who genuinely care about you and will help you pick yourself up during a difficult time. Have the courage to seek them out and offer your own shoulder to other pet parents who are just starting their own grieving process.
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