Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I agree... and have never understood replacements.. be it human or animal. you cant replace.... but sometimes having a new pet can be a comfort...
I think all of us who have lost a beloved pet have all said " Never again, I will never go through this again". But, after losing Scooter and Sniffy, one day Lucky came into my life when my son found him under a car at a traffic light. I planned to take him to the shelter on Monday, but by the end of the weekend I had fallen in love all over again.
He is not a replacement pet, but simply another chapter in my life. I look at it as I gave him a warm, loving home , and, in return, he has given me so much love in return..........and a million laughs. Right now, he is sitting on my lap, and I would not have this if he were not in my life.
Maybe wait awhile, and it might be appropriate to save another little animal and give them the same wonderful forever home you gave to your other dog.
Whatever amount of time YOU need is NORMAL and nobody gets to say boo about it.
It is true that we all have different time tables for surviving a loss. But extended grieving is not always normal. Especially if a person is not able to carry on with a satisfying life, is incapacitated from normal activities and if this is still true a few years after the loss, it is time to seek professional help, I think. There is such a thing as getting stuck in a grief reaction, and people who find themselves in that situation owe it to themselves, and often to their loved ones, to see if something else is needed to set them on a path to enjoying life again.
have you done something like a memorial for them, to give you some closure?
maybe a special shrub planted where they used to hang out in the yard, or a piece of art, or a grave marker.
Something that you can place and look at and feel like you're remembering them.
because they'll always have a special place in your heart.
My Shih Tzu Zachary died at 13 1/2 from congestive heart failure. I had him cremated and put the little urn inside his favorite sock toy and laid it in his bed surrounded by his other toys. Before I lay my head on my pillow at night I say, "Goodnight Zack".
My last loss was a 2 yr old spirited papillon that I couldn't save despite desperate efforts. I was devastated and wailed for months. Several foster dogs came and went and I still cried daily until another papillon came to stay with me for two weeks. For the first time in four months I didn't cry.
You will grieve as long as you need to grieve. Where there is deep grief, there was great love.
I lost my two Maltese sisters five weeks apart My friends came over we had lunch and I had two helium balloons and left notes in them and I let them up in the air. I still miss them so much. A year later I adopted a dog, she is completely different from my Maltese, she is Chihuahua and Papion. It took me almost two years to bond with her and now we are inseparable. She is actually the smartest dog I have ever owned but the most stubborn.
Sorry, I didn't read all of the posts. My mom adopted puppy mill dogs (eight, I think) and a couple of strays. They were all weird. The most hard core dog--the Westie--was a sweetheart. He was my best friend for a while.
I'm glad to read this as I still haven't gotten over losing my beloved pet over 7 years ago. We only had her a short time, but she was THAT special. We both had pets for decades that didn't affect us as much as her. She's the only one with a tomb stone....and a "memory book". Losing humans wasn't as difficult....
Pets are like people, some we love more than others and when they pass it can really hurt.
We had cocker spaniels and they were both good dogs but the younger one by 2 years was and is full of character while the female that passed away was not as outgoing and personable. We were sad when she died and shed some tears for her but I know I'm going to be a real mess when my little buddy dies. My wife feels the same way and we also feel a bit of guilt that though we loved the one that died we seem to love the one we have more because of his personality.
I say take the time you need and don't feel silly about your grief.
When my cat died suddenly last year, I was so devastated beyond belief. I sobbed like i never sobbed before. Even after a few months, I would cry suddenly.
I'm still not over it completely and miss him terribly. I did get another kitty and it has eased the pain and helped me heal.
I was like this when our Brittany died suddenly. It’s the shock of the suddenness that makes it harder, I think. When a pet is sick for awhile, we’re more prepared. A favorite cat got hit by a car once, and both Dh and I sobbed for days and mourned for months.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Right now, he is sitting on my lap, and I would not have this if he were not in my life.
