Discover healthy ways to cope with pet bereavement. Learn how to heal, honour your pet’s memory, and provide pet bereavement support to others.
As an integral source of comfort and companionship over long periods of time, the grief of losing a pet is often felt just as profoundly as saying farewell to a fellow family member.
And while nothing can truly prepare us for their passing, there are healthy ways of coping with the grief so we may begin healing while easing the heartbreak.
In this blog, we provide compassionate support and guidance to help you through your own challenging journey of pet bereavement.
With 51% of UK households owning a pet, losing a beloved companion is something half of us will all experience in time.
But despite this commonality, coping with pet bereavement is often overlooked and misunderstood, with 30% of pet owners experiencing intense grief during pet bereavement, according to an academic study.
Because they carry the “best friends” status, dog bereavement is one of the most frequently experienced forms of pet loss, alongside cats. But regardless of species, pet bereavement can be deeply emotional and challenging to navigate.
Therefore, we’ve set out six clear pet bereavement coping strategies to help you manage the grief and begin healing:
According to the Kübler-Ross model, “5 Stages of Grief”, stage one is denial. When it comes to pet bereavement, denial can feel even more complex. Many people experience a dual conflict, with the deep emotional impact of losing a beloved companion coupled with uncertainty over whether that grief is justified because it’s the loss of a pet rather than a person.
This can essentially cause doubling down on your denial. But only by acknowledging the full weight of your emotional devastation can you take that first step toward healing.
Your grief is real and warranted. Whether other people don’t share in the significance of the loss of a pet is besides the point. What it is to you is what matters, and coming to terms with this is the first step.
Coming to terms with pet bereavement begins with accepting the reality of what’s happened, and that acceptance starts by finding the right way to say goodbye.
Starting this process can rely on making some personal choices, such as having a pet cremation or burial.
Although this decision can feel overwhelming at first, each offers a different way to honour your pet’s life and connection. The choice will also guide the type of service you may wish to say goodbye, whether that’s a pet funeral service or an intimate garden burial.
Taking this step can mark the beginning of a healthy grieving process. One that helps you move beyond denial and into healing.
Once we know how we wish to say goodbye, we can begin thinking about how we want to honour our pet’s life with memorials and tributes. For example, if you choose a pet cremation, you might select an urn, while a traditional burial would suggest a casket.
Taking this step can prove immensely difficult. It’s important to be kind to yourself, take your time, and remember that creating a memorial for your pet is not a rejection of their life but a healthy way to honour their memory and begin the journey toward convalescence.
Beyond these memorials, keepsakes such as inkless framed pawprints, tribute boxes, or jewellery can help preserve cherished memories, offering comfort and a lasting reminder that, though no longer with us, your pet’s spirit lives on in your heart.
Grief rarely follows a linear path, and pet bereavement is no exception. Like all forms of heartbreak, it has its own route and will unfold in unpredictable ways. One day you may feel okay, and the next, overwhelmed with sadness. This ebb and flow is completely normal.
Taking it one day at a time is often the easiest way to cope. There’s no right or wrong progression from loss to healing. Focus on the present moment, even if that present moment is pure sadness. Dwelling on yesterday’s sorrow or worrying about tomorrow won’t help you deal with your reality in a healthy fashion.
Time is the true healer, and our healing can’t be rushed or measured. There is no set timeline for recovery. It simply takes as long as you need it to.
It seems the only constant we have in life is change. And the permanent end to all things in life is what unites us all as living beings.
It’s a hard thing to accept, especially when our connection to our pet is so deep, but in many ways, the power of our grief reflects the strength of our love. The closer the connection, the happier the memories, and the harder it is to let go.
But it’s important to remember that this pain shows the level of joy and companionship our pet brought into our lives. The depth of our sadness is simply the measure of how much they mattered.
If, after giving yourself time to grieve, you still find the pain overwhelming in your day-to-day life, it may help to seek pet bereavement counselling.
Speaking with a professional can ease the emotional burden by providing a safe space to share your feelings. Over time, they’ll get to know you and your pet bereavement, allowing them to offer coping strategies tailored specifically to your personality and experience.
If someone close to you has been made bereft by the loss of a pet, we recommend reiterating the former points above in this guide.
However, it’s important to recognise that all pet bereavement is unique to the individual and there is no right or wrong way to ease the suffering. Everyone has the right to grieve in their own way. It’s not always about having the answers or a solution; it just matters that you’re there for them.
Knowing that they’re not alone in their pain is the first step to helping them heal. It enables them to talk to someone and not feel isolated.
If you’d like further advice on helping someone with their grief, we recommend taking further pet bereavement support with groups and initiatives, such as Blue Cross pet bereavement.
At Marley Hall, as a family business of devoted pet lovers, we understand pet bereavement first-hand and the huge impact it can have on our lives.
There’s no right or wrong way to experience pet bereavement, only the way that feels true to you. By providing respectful, compassionate, and dignified cremation services, we’ve helped many of our clients with their pet bereavement through our care, professionalism, and understanding.
If you’d like to learn more about how we can help you with your pet bereavement, explore our services, and get in touch if you have any questions.
We’re here for you. Contact us today to find out more about our dignified individual pet cremation services.
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