Category: Pet Loss

What matters to me most? It is the ones that I love.

22/4/2018

It has been two weeks of emotional stress. A good friend was so kind to bring me a plant as a late birthday gift.

What we both didn't realize or knew was that it can be a fatal idea to bring a lily into a household with pets.

Our cat got sick. First we didn't realize how serious it was. She vomited. She had the shakes. And then she stopped eating.

That was the moment I took her to the vet. When I told the doctor about all the symptoms she immediately asked: Do you have any lilies in your household?

The answer was unfortunately yes.

The blood and kidney levels had to be checked. The results were bad. I had to bring our cat to the emergency clinic. And she had to stay there for two days on IV fluids to flush out the toxins.

Then she came home and every night we had to put her back on the drip to get 150 ml under her skin. (Not a pleasant experience for all of us.)

Our cat is now much better and soon we can stop the regular IV drip. She does eat normal again and is enjoying the outside.

Why do I tell you this story?

The anticipatory grief was sometimes overwhelming. Blaming myself that I didn't know about the harm lilies can cause didn't help either.

I was reminded how fast a life can be lost. How fast a situation can change. That I can't keep everyone safe.

It also made me realize again what matters to me most. It is the ones that I love.

If you know what I mean go and give your loved ones a hug.

Tell them that you love them.

And keep lilies away from pets.

Take good care,
Jacqueline

PS: Do you know how many poisonous house plants there are? Here is an impressive list.

Is it possible to grieve the loss of a pet?

18/4/2017

Do you miss your companion? Feeling grief after the loss of a pet is normal. HealingForGrievingHearts.com

If you are a pet owner or you have lost a pet in the past your answer is probably yes.

Often we are hesitant to show our grief openly about a pet loss because we think we might be judged by society.

We might hear:
How can one seriously be so sad about the death of a pet?

Living with a pet means that we are living with a special companion. We can share anything with them. They don’t walk away from us when life gets tough. We can tell them our deepest feelings and know that they won’t repeat it to anyone else. They become our confidants. They never judge or criticize us. They stand with us no matter what happens in our life. Pets might even soften difficult family relationships.

So why would we think that we will feel different than losing a human family member or friend?
Why would we diminish what we feel, or hide it, or even be ashamed?

It might have to do with the fact that often society doesn’t value the connection to an animal as equal as to a person.

The most common advice grievers might get are:

You can get a new dog.
It was only a cat and she was old.

You know better.
Grief is grief no matter what the cause and it hurts.

If you lost a pet recently or a long time ago, my heart goes out to you.

Surround yourself with people you can share your feelings with. Talk about it so that you can acknowledge what you have lost and start healing your broken heart.

Love to you,
Jacqueline

What matters to me most? It is the ones that I love.

Is it possible to grieve the loss of a pet?

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