Member Advice on Pet Death

Ciao, despite everything we say about it, does sometimes get its categorisation right. At least, that’s the thought that struck me when I found this topic listed under “Member Advice on Relationships and Family” rather than under “Member Advice on Pets”. A pet is a family member and the effect of a pet’s death on a family can be profound. I approach the writing of an opinion on this topic with some trepidation. In the first place, I am far from sure that I have any useful advice to offer others on how to cope with the death of a pet; I can only relate how our family is currently coping with ... more

A year ago I sat and wrote about the death of my cat Shadow. It wasn't by any means a conventional opinion, or a well-planned piece of writing; it was an expression of emotion straight from the heart because that's all I could manage at that time. A year on, now, I smile when I think of her. That's not to say it doesn't make me sad too, but she lived a good and happy, albeit brief, life as part of our family. On the 10th of December 2002, Shadow had her breakfast, and sat a while with Paul on the settee. She then climbed the stairs to her favourite spot on the landing and lay down alongside ... more

Pet Bereavement All seasoned pet owners are only too familiar with the strong, emotional responses suffered, upon the loss of their pet, be it mouse, dog, cat or donkey. This review is mainly about those responses and how we deal with them; and may well be more useful to none-pet owners, in that they may understand the exceptionally strong emotional reaction to a beloved pet's death. I shall not be describing the demises of my own dear, faithful ones - so put those tissues back in the box and save another tree. Because my episodes of bereavement were over the losses of my dogs, I will be ... more

Today we had to do one of the hardest things we have as a family have ever done. We decided to let our pet go. We only knew on the same day he was put to sleep. Forgive me for plonking this here as this isn't strictly in the right catagory but not knowing where else to put it -my view is one that is emphatically humanly selfish but- that is definately the right view for the ANIMAL. FOR anesthesia when an animal a beloved pet has passed the point of return is the kindest thing in the long run. But that's my opinion. You are entitled to yours but- It is selfish to keep an animal alive when their ... more

13 July 2004 I started to write this at 5.30 am this morning, I feel sick, miserable beyond belief in fact I am finding it very difficult to put how I feel into words. The thing is you see we are going to lose a treasured member of our family today and it is our own choice that we are letting this happen. I should tell you that the family member is an animal but to us it makes no difference, it literally means as much as a loss of a child to all of us. Koko is a Siberian Husky cross and is very large and very white, the problem is she thinks she is still a young thing and yet she is nearly 15 ... more