Do the other pets know? (how)

[Goldnstar]

Yes it sure will take a lot more time. Like you, every time I think I'm doing better.. I break down again.
It's like a vicious cycle. (((hugs back)))

[movin'on]

My heart just breaks for everyone in this thread. The morning I had to put my Teddy to sleep, he just wanted to be with the cat. I tried my best to get him to spend time with me, but the cat was his best buddy. I just sat in the room on the floor to be close to him. My cat lost weight and I know he was grieving. In fact, he would run after me and bite my ankles, he was so upset. At any rate, now my cat lives with two Shih Tzus who will be one the first week of July. My pups love my cat dearly, and I'd say my cat "tolerates" them, but you should see things when my pups decide to shower my cat with affection. Quite interesting.

The point is I will always miss my former angels, but life goes on and I'm blessed with two more fur babies to take care of that deserve a mommy who will love them as much.

[3chidogs]

movin'on,

I'm so sorry about your Teddy. I know how it hurts. I have other little ones too, including one we adopted after we lost my Nugget. It does help. Our little boy dog still misses her though, as the new member just doesn't play "right". Breaks my heart when he just stands there waiting for the response he was used to getting.
Anyway, take care, my thoughts are with you in your loss.

[wild_spirited_elz]

I think the other pets will know.. My George passed away yesterday morn and we buried him today..
After we buried him, the other cat Squeak came and sat on his grave and the sweetest thing happened.. I said aloud "George, if your here and can hear me now, please come down and let us know your ok" and from nowhere, a beautifull white butterfly came and sat next to Squea on George's grave. Squeak looked at the butterfly so sweetly and we both knew that was George, then the butterfly flew away up into the sky... We both knew he was ok
i know how much it hurts, im crying right now just thinking about my king George and how life will never be the same.. Im sure the pain will go away slowly for both you and I. All we need is a little time and some laughter to lift our spirits and to remember our beautifull pets when they were really happy xxx

[dreamofmonterey]

Ithink they do...they grieve like people do.

[Mtn. States Resident]

Originally Posted by wild_spirited_elz

I think the other pets will know.. My George passed away yesterday morn and we buried him today..
After we buried him, the other cat Squeak came and sat on his grave and the sweetest thing happened.. I said aloud "George, if your here and can hear me now, please come down and let us know your ok" and from nowhere, a beautifull white butterfly came and sat next to Squea on George's grave. Squeak looked at the butterfly so sweetly and we both knew that was George, then the butterfly flew away up into the sky... We both knew he was ok
i know how much it hurts, im crying right now just thinking about my king George and how life will never be the same.. Im sure the pain will go away slowly for both you and I. All we need is a little time and some laughter to lift our spirits and to remember our beautifull pets when they were really happy xxx

Dear wild spirited elz,

Thank you for sharing such a moving personal experience with us. I have no doubts George wanted to send you a message in anyway he could. I've read books and talked to many who have had similar experiences. You had something extra happen to help you when times are the roughest for you or family members.

I am positive other pets know when one dies, or one is getting sicker. Having raised litter mates together, I had the survivor who was so lost, so confused when her sister fell to the ground and didn't get up. For more than 4 months, when in my back yard, she would run exactly to the spot where Holi dropped and stand and look for her sister in every direction.

Additionally, her surviving sister literally sat on the couch and wouldn't engage in playing or much of anything for almost 3 months. We discussed using an anti-depressant on her, but I wanted her to have the time she needed to make sense of something that made no sense in her world, having her best friend and litter mate sister suddenly gone.

Because they were litter mates, I made sure each had a different color of leash and collar, plus fleece togs etc. The surviving sister found a lot of comfort in smelling her sister's old togs from the winter prior to her death.

I literally had to invent new games to play with the surviving sister, which wasn't easy. My "new games," - activities the two sisters never did together, along with the help from some superb veterinarian technicians, helping me with further socialization, got the surviving sister interested in life again. It was hard, I have to be honest. It was very difficult seeing and knowing how depressed and lost her surviving sister was. Somehow, I became the substitute playmate and best friend to the surviving sister. That is how their veterinarian summed it up and it makes sense to me.

No one from the veterinary team, to family members, to others involved doubted what her sister knew. Her sister would compensate as Holi's heart disease started to show some symptoms and she couldn't run as fast or as far. Instead, they ran their figure 8s in a smaller area They spent most of each day together, with the exception of hospitalizations for dehydration and surgeries. Her sister ALWAYS let Holi eat first, as her tremendous need for the extra glucose and energy.

I do know people have experiences with their pets after they are deceased. I find it refreshing that some are willing to talk about them. To this day, Holi's surviving sister still leaves about 2 bites of food in her dish or plate. Her sister use to eat some of her food, given how fast her metabolism was working hard to pump blood throughout her body.

Just like with humans, I've personally witnessed that it takes time for animals to adapt. And just like humans, I know the animals must grieve in their own way.

Thanks again for sharing this special experience with us, wild spirited elz. May healing and blessings come to the humans and pets who loved George and now hurt missing him.

MSR

[Mtn. States Resident]

Thank you for your prompt response Keeper! I sincerely appreciate your prompt attention to an earlier post, which you removed.

I agree with you, it was appropriate for you to delete my post as well, given that I addressed what I felt was a very inapprorpiate post earlier.

Hopefully, this thread can remain focused on the subject of individuals sharing their own experiences with the loss of their pets.

Best wishes everyone as you travel your own journeys of recovery from losing your furry friends/family members.

MSR

[nightbird47]

When my sheltie died, I wasn't home. She was very old and got in the backyard and couldn't find her way back to the room. Her death was very traumatic. It still hurts so much that she had to die the way she did. But my beagle kept running back and forth to the yard, even after we found her body. Cleo would sit under the orange tree near where she died and I'd have to carry her back in during the winter. I could feel Fluff there, but it was cold and I had to have Cleo inside where she would not get sick.

Now Cleo is getting weaker, with her medical problems looming worse. The cat, whom I found when she was four weeks old, was protected like a puppy by Cleo and she grooms the dog. But she seems to sense something different. My new dog, too, does seem to see that something is wrong.

We think in symbols and language but in other ways too. We sense things with no name. Animals have that sense much more highly developed, and in the end must deal with their own grief in their own ways.

Give your furrys all the love you can, and let them share their sadness. In the end you help to heal each other.

[ouijeewoman]

Three weeks ago today my cat Titi died. He was 14 and very sick. There was nothing else I could do for him. I had to make the decision to put him to sleep. The first time I've ever had to do that. I prayed that he would die at home so the other 4 cats could say goodbye. Six years ago when our cat Mac died, it was on Christmas Eve and very peaceful. I picked up each cat and took them over to see her and say goodbye. I believe they knew and it seemed to help them and me. This time none of them got to say goodbye. My 16 year old cat Gizmo is grieving. Every day he goes through out the house looking for Titi. It breaks my heart. They were best buds. Our youngest cat now sleeps in Titi's bed. My husband wanted me to put away the bed because it makes him so sad to see it. He now gets comfort seeing Angel in Titi's bed. I am just so worried about Gizmo given his age. So yes I believe that the other pets know and that they grieve too.

[Arkie4Life]

Boy, I am glad I read this post! Now I know there are a lot of animal lovers in this world. Seems the most things you see in the media are when people are cruel to them.

I am also glad to know there are others who loved the "babies" so much they gave them a proper burial instead of sending them off. I have a little Yorkie, Rosie, who died a tragic death at 2 1/2 years of age. She loved to sit under a plum tree in our back yard, and you guessed, that's where she is buried. Complete with a headstone, flowers, and little squirrel statues (she loved to harasss the squirrells!)

Tough, aint it?