Losing a pet is so much more painful than most people realize. It can even end in “broken heart syndrome.” Here’s how.
The Agony of Losing a Pet
When a pet dies, the family who loved that fur baby is grief-stricken. Pets are family members. They are there when we wake up, and beside us when we go to sleep. They see us sick, happy, angry, sad, and they never pass judgment. Our pets see the truth of who we are and they love us in spite of ourselves.
Isn’t that what family is supposed to do? Be there in good and bad times, offering support and unconditional love? Some may say they don’t even get that kind of care from their human families.
That’s why Scientific American says we should take pet loss seriously.
The aching hearts of those who lose a pet are often lonely hearts. After her dog died, a woman suffered from a terrible condition called “broken heart syndrome.” SA explains, “It can happen when the response to grief is so severe the person exhibits symptoms that mimic a heart attack, including elevated hormone levels that can be 30 times greater than normal.”
Essentially, the author says when you’re in anguish after this kind of loss, you need to reach out and let people know how badly you’re hurting.
“We need to seek social support from people we know will understand and sympathize with our emotions and not judge us for them.”
I think as a society we can always do a better job of supporting each other.
Crossing the Rainbow Bridge
You were used to morning purring to wake you up and now it’s quiet. You and your good boy always went for a walk before heading to bed. Now the leash hangs still.
When you open the front door, no one runs to you. At night all you can think about is how long it been since you slept in a bed without a four-legged friend taking up all the space.
That’s why the rest of us should show up, be loving, supportive and continue to be so for as long as it takes. There is no timeline on grief.
“It is time we gave grieving pet owners the recognition, support and consideration they need. Yes, it is up to us to identify and address our emotional wounds when our pet dies, but the more validation we receive from those around us, the quicker and the more complete our psychological recovery will be.” – Scientific American
If you’ve lost a pet, I want you to know how sorry I am you’re in pain. Tell us about them in the comments. What made you love them so? Did they have a favorite toy or a sweet way of showing you their love?
Don’t hesitate to reach out to a therapist to help you get through.
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249 comments on “The Agony of Losing a Pet Is Worse Than People Know”
My sweet girl died Monday. My heart is broken into pieces. Nothing is as it should be.
I lost my Siamese cat, Pandora, in June of 1991. The pain is still fresh. I loved her so much. I was away from home for the first time working to save money to buy a c ar. She became ill with kidney failure. My parents did not tell me because they knew I would come home. The week she died, my mom kept telling her to hang on, that I was on my way. She held on for 6 more days. When I saw her, she was so sick, smelled, of dealth, and bleeding from her gums. I was so angry and upset. But I put my emotions away and had one more beautiful night with her curled up by my side. Her head resting on my arm. She did exactly what she was asked to do. She held on until I got there, so we could both have on more night. She crossed the Rainbow Bridge the next morning. I have missed her every day for 29 years. She was mine and I was hers. My baby girl, my Pandy.
I had to put my cat Tommy to sleep .it was very painful I thought about killing myself that was two years ago I am now better
My cat died on November 25 it hurt me so bad she was 18 years people say u will get over it but u dont
I lost my precious girl 7-12-19. It kills me every day that she is not here with me. Her and I were besties till the end. Losing her was worst than losing my parents. I miss her every second of the day. People ask if I’m gonna get another dog…… I say no… never again. The heartache I have every day is so emotional. My only wish is that other folks would get it… losing a pet is heartbreaking and it takes time!
Sandy, How long do you get over this sadness of losing your beloved pet?
My Shorty died 2 days ago and I want to die with him.
There is no depth to the agony I feel…
Of the loss of my yogi
We lost our 9 year old golden retriever Bernard. Such a sweet boy. He was always there for me through my own cancer . We miss him running to the door with his blanket to greet us. We loved everything about him, it is going to take time for our hearts to mend ❤️
Callie was 10 when I lost her in 2014 to bladder cancer. She kept having blood in her urine, and all the kept saying it was a uti. Well after having exploratory surgery they found her bladder was like jelly. I wound up having to make the hard decision putting her to sleep. I’m still hurting. I have been thinking a lot about her and cry a lot. She was an Austrailian shepherd, and her whole shook when she wagged her nub. She was always so happy when I walked in the door everyday. She picked me when I was looking at her and her litter mates. She came to me before any of the others. I love her and miss her so much.
Smokey my sweet 10 year old fur baby, so much more than a cat,for a decade he was my family. He left me March 11th 2019. He was not sick, no symptoms,no warning, he just was having trouble catching his breath for seconds,then just stopped breathing in front of me, literally there one moment and gone the next, I was in shock I still am in shock, I just don’t understand how that can happen, why that happened, he didn’t have any known health problems, he was a big boy, not fat just big. I miss him so much my heart completely broke in half the day he left, I am still mourning Smokey, I honestly don’t know if I will ever get over it, he was just too special to me. So many memories, he was My faithful friend and my fur baby. The child I never got to have. That unconditional love helped with that void of not having children now he’s gone…
I just lost my 13yr old basset hound. Leo monster was my furbaby and snuggle monster. There wasn’t anything that he didn’t make funny, a crazy adventure every day! It’s hard to come home and not have him greet me. I raised him from a 6 week old puppy, his mom kept kicking him out of the box they had for mom and the whole litter. He was also the runt. Leo was a small boy, never got as big as my previous bassets, only weighed 38lbs but he was all muscle. Loved to play tug, flip his toys around and amuse himself. Miss him so much.
My dog Jack passed June 11, it is now Dec1and I miss him like it was yesterday. He was 20 yrs old & was my best friend. Your article is right