Is it Okay to Grieve for My Pet?
Because pets live for a shorter time than us, pet owners are likely to experience the death of a pet or a number of pets during their lifetime.
As pet owners, we have a strong emotional bond to their pets. Pets often provide us with genuine and consistent unconditional love and acceptance, the sort of nonjudgmental companionship that can be hard for people to provide. Non pet owners may find it hard to understand these feelings.
Many pet owners see their pets as members of their family. Pets often enhance our quality of life. We are more likely to outwardly express affection to pets and animals can increase the amount of joy in a household. Pets can assume great importance during difficult or stressful times, like illness, death of a family member or family break-up.
Grief reactions
It’s hardly surprising then that you might respond to the death of your pet in the same way you would respond to the loss of a significant person in your life. The grief process typically starts with a sense of numbness and disbelief, followed by painful feelings of guilt, sadness and depression. Feelings of guilt may be greater if you feel somehow responsible for your pet’s death or that you didn’t do enough to protect your pet from harm. It is not unusual to feel anger as well, possibly directed at the vet if you feel he or she did not do enough to prevent your pet’s death, particularly if the death followed an illness. You may become preoccupied with thoughts and memories of your pet and find it hard to concentrate on other things. Over time, you are likely to feel more acceptance of the loss and eventually feel open to having a new pet.
Everyone is different however, and some people simply feel the loss more intensely or for a longer time than others. The circumstances of your pet’s death will also determine how it affects you. A sudden death may feel more intense than after a prolonged illness, or if you have made a decision to euthanize. If you have experienced your pet’s loss after a number of other losses, animal or human, this can compound your reaction. There is also some evidence to suggest that women may experience grief over pet loss more intensely than men, although both men and women bond equally with their pets.
If you are grieving for a pet, you should know therefore that it is perfectly normal to feel this loss as intensely as you would a family member or cherished friend. It is difficult when others are insensitive to this and don’t recognise the importance of your pet in your life. If you can, try to find people to talk to who love animals and can understand your feelings. The Internet can lead to you to wonderfully supportive communities of animal lovers if you can’t find anyone like that around you.
Grief involves wanting to maintain a connection with someone who is no longer with us. Although you can no longer have the physical connection, you can keep pieces of your beloved pet around to ease the loss. Place a framed photo on your wall or shelf, keep your pet’s collar and bowl. In time, you will look at them less and feel less pain when you do.
Go easy on yourself. Loving animals is a beautiful thing.
Jenny Jackson
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/is-it-okay-to-grieve-for-my-pet-397093.html
October 19th, 2009 at 12:05 am
Do you think its okay that Jack Tweed's got a new girlfriend? I mean you can't grieve forever. Life goes on?
October 19th, 2009 at 5:07 am
really? his wife died less than 24hours ago!
i hope you are joking
References :
October 19th, 2009 at 5:09 am
he’s got a new gf?! are you for real?!
References :
October 19th, 2009 at 5:11 am
Absolutely.
I mean, he mourned Jade for nearly a whole day.
Move on my good man….I know it’s hard….but you have to cope.
References :
October 19th, 2009 at 5:13 am
he got one already???
References :
October 19th, 2009 at 5:15 am
What a tow-rag. I hope he won’t benefit from Jade’s estate.
References :
October 19th, 2009 at 5:17 am
u have gotta be joking,
References :
October 19th, 2009 at 5:19 am
You must be been sarcastic there I think if that is true then it is apalling.
References :
October 19th, 2009 at 5:21 am
I think it would be outrageously unsympathetic if he did have a new girlfriend now when his late wife hasn’t even been gone for one day yet.
I think he needs to take time and grieve for Jade. It would be acceptable if he got one in the future, but not in the near near future.
References :
October 19th, 2009 at 5:23 am
He hasn’t got a new one, and if he had you would have provided a link about it
References :
October 19th, 2009 at 5:25 am
hardly has a girlfriend when his wife has not even been laid to rest yet…but if he had that would be disgusting.i think you need at least 1 year to grieve for a loved one-before you can start to get over them.
References :
October 19th, 2009 at 5:27 am
well, XD, he can hardly stay a widower for the rest of his life, he cant grieve for the rest of his life hes only young it wouldnt be fair on him!
good on him tbh, jade was selfish to let him marry her! cause she knew hed have to move on,and shes only made it harder for him to do so, with the fact that his wife died,
im glad hes mooving on, he dosent deserve to have to live with that fact that he was married less than a month, to a greedy cow,
a racist one at that too!
i dont think its funny that shes died,one good thing came out of it
jacks got loads of money, and on a more sirious note, shes raised cancer awareness in woman, but jacks doing the right thing, and i respect him for that, but do u think its a tad bit to soon XD
anyways
lol
byebye :):)
References :
October 19th, 2009 at 5:29 am
Well he`s grieved for 20 hours … fair`s fair .. time to move on ….
References :
October 19th, 2009 at 5:31 am
If he is wow that was so quick! But it is alright but not so fast..his kids must be sad…
References :
October 19th, 2009 at 5:33 am
That is so unbelievable but I believe it! What an a…hole!
References :
October 19th, 2009 at 5:35 am
I think you’re yanking our chains, TC! Anyway, that git won’t be doing too much mourning, will he? Well, maybe the fact that it’s 99.9% sure that Jade left everything to her kids. But can someone please tell me what a young, quite handsome guy saw in Jade please? I thought the same about Jeff Brazier and can’t quite get my head round it even now. I know looks are only skin deep but ffs! Then you’ve got the fact that Tweed only asked Jade to marry him AFTER he knew she only had a very short time to live. Am I being cynical or what? Nah, didn’t think so!!! But I digress. Just watch. It won’t be long before he’s got a new "love". Someone a wee bit older with plenty of dosh. Either that or he’ll be in the nick for belting someone.
References :
October 19th, 2009 at 5:37 am
Is it the one who was sitting on his lap when he beat up the taxi driver?
I’m glad that Jade apparently never got to hear about that, nobody deserves that when they’re dying though I suspect she knew what he was like and that was why she put the money in trust for her children.
Jack Tweed is a skank.
References :
October 19th, 2009 at 5:39 am
That’s obviously a lie.
Come on!
She only died about 24 hours ago.. they were married too!
References :
October 19th, 2009 at 5:41 am
Wouldn’t be surprised, did you see his body language around her…..what an as*hole.
References :
October 19th, 2009 at 5:43 am
Wouldn’t surprise me
References :
October 19th, 2009 at 5:45 am
Omg r people silly…
I think T C means in the future not now!!!
I do think it would be fine far in the future…
I’m not being funny but his a 21 year old lad… He will obviously always have Jade in his heart but loads of people who have lost partners get new partners.
Life does go on.
And Jade said she wanted him to find someone else too.
References :
October 19th, 2009 at 5:47 am
FF’s sake he hasn’t got a girlfriend! It’s people like you that make people like him lose it. Starting malicious rumours let him grieve for goodness sake. His wife has not even been buried
References :
October 19th, 2009 at 5:49 am
I really think this is in bad taste. The family is suffering don’t add to their grief by posting malicious content like this one.
References :