Pet Loss: Dealing with the Silence

After losing a pet, the stillness and silence in a home can be painfully and weirdly loud. The once familiar noises of your beloved pet are not circulating throughout your home and it is deafening. I remember that feeling and bracing myself to go to certain parts of my home and tell myself he's not there. I’m not going to hear him perk up for a treat when I turn on the dishwasher. It was a weird habit my significant other created that was annoying at time, but now I would do anything to hear my baby boy one last time as I press the start button.

The quietness feels surreal or like a dream you can't wake up from. A home filled with so much life and energy, now silenced by death. So many times, all I can say is “this sucks”. And it truly does suck. The suckiness, to put it bluntly, won't be forever, but it won't fully go away either, but it doesn’t have to. Some of the grief is the measure of the love we had, so in time we can find a way for our lost pet to come back into our lives and spaces. Maybe through recalling fond memories of your pet while talking with a friend. I personally like watching little videos of my little guy on my phone. Or maybe, some day welcoming a new pet to love into your life who continues the legacy of love we had for our other pet (of course that is something a person must chose for themselves and they alone will know when it is the right time). Also, a new pet is not a replacement. You do not just replace a loved one. You bring in new life to continue the love you had and still have for your beloved pet.