HOW TO COPE WITH THE LOSS OF A PET

Losing a companion animal is always hard, but now, when life feels so worrying, it’s particularly awful. Emma advises how to recover

During lockdown, animals have given many of us a sense of connection that has been a godsend, so it’s understandable to feel devastated at their loss. Grief is grief, and you can feel exactly the same level of sadness for an animal as you can for a friend or family member. Ritual can help. When I’ve lost a pet, I’ve taken a snip of my pet’s fur, to place it in a box with other sentimental reminders of them. I also had them cremated, as it felt like a respectful send-off. If you bury your pet, plant a shrub where they are, so you can always feel close to them. If you have kids, don’t shield them from the death of the family pet. Saying goodbye will help them start coming to terms with the loss. Avoid telling young children that they have gone to live somewhere else or have found new friends, as this causes more pain in the longrun. Let them spend some time with the animal’s body, perhaps wrapping it in a blanket or placing flowers around it, as it will help them feel they have looked after them. It will be painful for you to watch your children in distress, but it will be laying the foundations for future coping. Reach out to friends and family who have also lost a beloved pet, as unless you have experienced this type of bereavement, it is hard to understand the love you feel as an owner. Finally, while you can never replace a pet, it can be helpful to allow yourself to consider bringing a new animal into your family when you’re ready, because a pet makes coming back to an empty house feel like coming home.