It’s hard to lose a pet; we know that. It’s hard to know if anything will ever make you feel any better about it. You miss their personalities and the way they brightened your day. No one is saying you won’t still feel sad or lost, but helping you along the way is important.
Although your pet is gone, here are some ways to honor their memory and maybe make yourself feel a bit better.
1. Pet portraits
Getting pet portraits done is a good way of remembering them. Placing the picture in the living room or beside their old favorite spot is a good way to remind yourself of them at their best.
Maybe take your favorite picture of them you ever took and get it printed and framed. Looking at them every day is a good exercise in accepting that they are gone whilst remembering them for their best attributes.
2. Relive their old routine
There’s no doubt your pet had a routine to their day; maybe it is involved a walk through the park or having dinner at a specific time. Reliving their old routine and pretending your pet is still with you will help those positive memories win over the negative.
Not just for dogs either, if your cat used to like a certain food, why not make a human version of it. Fish and chips are always good! Reliving their old routine may also jog fond memories of your time spent together.
3. Ask others what they remember
Asking your friends and family to discuss their memories of your pet will help you remember them at their best. Often visitors see a snapshot of life with your pet and can see what makes the relationship between owner and pet so special.
Why not call a friend and ask. They might be able to jog a memory or a feeling that makes you smile despite the grief.
4. Make a scrapbook
Why not get all the pictures you can find and arrange them in chronological order – that’s in order of date. Surely you have pictures from when you first got the pet, right up until the end. Celebrate their life by making a permanent record of them. Cut and stick pictures into a scrapbook template.
Why not add pictures of their favorite food, a favorite spot in the house, and their favorite destination. Remembering all these little details will help you remember them well; after all, remembering your pet at their happiest is key to you feeling best about the situation.
5. Talk to them
Now I’m not saying contact a medium to communicate with the dead. But for me personally, saying things out loud that I would say to my dog helps me remember those same feelings I had when saying them for real.
For example, many pet owners have a certain way of talking to their pets. Like baby speak, owners lovingly address their pet. By repeating those same things, the positive feeling you had for that pet is exercised. Try it now; you may find yourself smiling!
Acceptance
Overall, accepting that your pet is gone is the best thing you can do. This may sound hard but accepting that your pet had a good life and you shared those times will help you come to terms and move on positively.
You loved your pet, and he/she loved you. No one can take that away from you. You have the power to honor them. They passed away, still loving you. Remember that.
