Losing a Pet Can Be Just as Hard as Losing a Loved One

Losing a pet is not easy for most people. Pets — or what researchers call companion animals — are most often seen as a fellow member of the family today. It is not surprising then to learn that most people grieve a pet’s passing as much, and sometimes even more, than the passing of a human friend or family member. What makes the passing of a pet so hard? How can we better cope with it? Some people think that it’s silly to grieve over the loss of a pet. Those people either never had much of an attachment to any pet, never had one growing up as a child, or never really experienced the unconditional love and affection that only an animal can provide. Whether they died from illness, an accident, or had to be euthanized, losing a cat, dog, or other beloved animal is a traumatic event. Even if the death was expected due to old age, the loss of their constant companionship is hard to put into words. It’s like a large hole is in your heart, and nothing in this world will ever be good enough to fill it as your lost pet did. Having our companion euthanized can be especially difficult, even when we know it’s time and it’s for the best to end their pain and suffering. In a study conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania (Quackenbush & Glickman, 1984), it was discovered that individuals were at the greatest distress and at greatest risk for experiencing extreme grief when having had to euthanize their pet. Sadly, many people ...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: General Grief and Loss Source Type: blogs