Treat everyone with the same level of respect you would give to your grandfather and the same level of patience you would have with your baby brother.
Surviving pets can experience loss when a pet dies, or may become distressed by your sorrow. Maintaining their daily routines, or increasing exercise and play times, will benefit them and may help to elevate your outlook too.
Preparing a memorial, planting a tree in memory of your pet, or compiling a photo album or scrapbook, can create a legacy to celebrate the life of your pet.
A funeral can help you and your family members openly express your feelings for a lost pet. Ignore people who think it’s inappropriate to hold a funeral for a pet, and do what feels right for you.
When you’re grieving, don’t let anyone tell you how to feel. Your grief is your own, and no-one else can tell you when it’s time to “move on” or “get over it.” Let yourself feel whatever you feel without embarrassment or judgment.
Some people assume that pet loss shouldn’t hurt as much as human loss. The best support for your grief may come from outside your usual circle of friends and family members, and may be able to tell you how they got through the grieving process.
Locking away grief doesn’t make it go away. Express it. Cry, scream, pound the floor, talk it out. Do what helps you the most.
If a family member has died, it is important to be honest about your feelings. Don’t deny your pain, or your feelings of anger and guilt. Only by examining and coming to terms with your feelings can you begin to work through them.
Depression is a natural consequence of grief, but can leave you powerless to cope with your feelings. Extreme depression robs you of motivation and energy, causing you to dwell upon your sorrow.
Guilt may occur if you feel responsible for your pet’s death. It is pointless and often incorrect to burden yourself with guilt for why your pet died, and makes it more difficult to resolve your grief.