Pet deaths

[Marc1901]

Today I had my dog put down due to old age. She was a 13 year old Labrador ( sorry if spelt wrong ). Had her for 13 years and I managed to cope with it well but still gutted at the same time. Other members in my family have struggled with they're emotions and feel like it's a big hole
in the family gone. How do you cope with losing pets if you have has they for so long?

 

[Smithy]

Sorry to hear that. I had a cat which got killed some years ago. Basically, time is a healer.

 

[clippedgull]

It's always sad losing a pet.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

My old cat Smudge was put down at the ripe old age of 19. She was a battler. Still miss her, but it did help that I moved away at the same sort of time, so I wasn't expecting to see her everyday.

Difficult times, but as said above, time is a great healer.

I don't know how my parents are going to cope with the next ones. Monty and Percy (brothers) live for each other and when one goes...

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

I cried like a girl when my parents terrier died.

 

[Gav1901]

It's definitely hard i know that because my kitten/cat (only a year old) could've been put down the other week and as sad as it sounds i found it pretty upsetting.

 

[Marc1901]

I had two cats for about 11 years, 1 got run over and killed and the other had a kidney failure and had to be put down and I wasn't really close to them as much as my dog and I cried alot more!. I got told that it will sink in soon and then I'll start to hurt. It may sound abit sad to some people but it's like losing a family member.

 

[Gav1901]

I had two cats for about 11 years, 1 got run over and killed and the other had a kidney failure and had to be put down and I wasn't really close to them as much as my dog and I cried alot more!. I got told that it will sink in soon and then I'll start to hurt. It may sound abit sad to some people but it's like losing a family member.

It can be like using a family member you're right there.

 

[brakespear]

it's kind of strange though....the only pet I had when I was young was afemale rabbit which was mental and would scratch anyone who came near her, the only emotion anyone felt when she passed on was one of relief........but we now have two guinea pigs, ostensibly for the kids, and I know when they go in a couple of years I'm going to be in bits about it (and indeed resisted the getting of pets for the kids for some years secretly because of this).

 

[Harry H]

Labradors are nicer than people.
I'm grieving with you.

 

[Grassman]

There's no 'can be like losing a family member' about it. It is like losing one. Had my beautiful lab for 12yrs, he died this summer and I miss him like mad. I also still miss my cat who I had for a decade who was run over about 5yrs ago. Some people are more sentimental about these things I guess.

 

[Spanish Seagulls]

Condolences I can't imagine how painful it is to lose what in effect is a member of the family. I have a Cocker Spaniel called Floozy who sleeps with us & is the child we never had ( I have a 25 year old daughter). I always thought people were retarded having a pet that was spolit but when I found her in a cage at a pet shop in Spain I just couldn't walk away so had to buy her & ended up living in Spain as we couldn't just bring her back. It's fair to say she has changed our lives & I dread the day she passes almost as much as I do a family member & perhaps more so than some members of my family!!!

You can never replace them but I would definately get another dog when it happens although probably not straight away. They must leave a gap which I imagine could be partially filled with another dog. Thats just my take on it.

 

[seagullsdaz]

I've lost 2 guinea pigs and 2 cats and i gotta say i cried every single time!

Not ashamed to admit that either!

 

[Laughing Gravy]

I had a fluffy ginger cat called Billy and every morning when i woke up he was lying on the bed looking at me. He would follow me everywhere.
I had him for 10 yrs, but sadly he had cancer and we had to have him put to sleep.
It broke my heart and i still miss him so much.

Just try to think of the good times.

 

[ryeseagull]

I think the answer often is to get a new pet. The excitement helps fill the void.

 

[bhaexpress]

One of our hairy beasts recently went to that great lamppost in the sky. She was old, incontinent and frankly just not interested in life at all. I was sad but felt a lot better to see an end to her suffering. However, we still have the very happy other one and we also have the arrival of a pussy cat and the two of them hit it off straight away which is great fun. She's gone, not forgotten but life has gone on and now the cat has added new pleasures to the enjoyment of our pets.

 

[tonymgc]

My dog had to be put down about this time lat year. He seemed to have a stroke during the night as we got up the following morning he couldn't walk & he was being sick everywhere.
Having to put him in the car & take him to the vet was probably the hardest thing i've ever had to do in my life. Whenever i'd get stressed or fed up i'd take him for a long walk & he'd love it. Even though sometimes in the summer i'd have to practically drag him back!!
He was a rescue dog too so at least we gave a good life after the suffering he had in his early life.

 

[Gus Poyet's inner FLAIR]

People often raise an eyebrow in a Roger Moore style when I talk about Girl Pants, because she was a rat and not a 'proper' pet like a cat or a dog (and she had an odd name). She was almost three when we had to have her put to sleep last year.
We buried her in the garden and planted a tree for her, which is nice.
She really was part of the family. All of us were devastated.
I swore that we'd have no more pets...
Somehow we have ended up with four chickens.
I swore we wouldn't humanise them...
They all have names and we have all noticed their different characters. I now spend much more time in the garden pottering about and I can't help talking to them.
I've done it again haven't I?

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

One thing that makes it harder when the time comes is that its like they know.

I remember when I was about to have my 14 y/o greyhound put down looking into that dogs eyes I'm sure he knew his time was up.

A year earlier i'd been in the same position but the look in his eyes that time was quite different.

The second time and it was almost like a "I'm tired and in pain, I've had enough".

Have had to have other animals put down, but that old greyhound was the hardest by a long way.

 

[HackneyMan]

I had a beautiful, affectionate and very adventurous Female West Highland Terrier ( Westie ) who died aged 16. It was a mistake only having one as another Male Westie ( Sammy ) stayed with me for the last 5 years of her life and rejunenated her. THey were great playmates and companions.

Within a week or so I got a Family of 3 and picked them up at Brookmans Park, Worthing and then the Owner of Sammy said that she was also divorcing her husband ( like the owner of the other three ) and so I had 4 who are now Alice and Phoebe both 8, Max ( 10 ) and Sammy (nearly 13 )..4 Westies !

YOU WILL NEVER REPLACE YOUR WONDERFUL DOG BUT GETTING ANOTHER ONE SOON ( PREFERABLY 2 ! ) WILL HELP FILL THE VOID !

You will still have all your great memories of your original dog but the new dog will occupy your time. Please take this advice M8 and good luck!