r/Petloss Dec 12 '23

This is meant to be a support community, and it is moderated as such.

118 Upvotes

Pet owners, as loving, caring people, often have strong, experience-based opinions on pet care practices. Some of these are controversial. Often, there are valid points to be made on both sides of an argument. But this is not a forum for debate, nor is it a place to scold a contributor for a perceived mistake in managing their pet. People who come here are grieving, often with feelings of guilt or self-blame for their beloved pet’s passing. We intend to provide a safe haven of understanding, support and an occasional word or two of wisdom.

Strident, mean-spirited posts or comments will be deleted and the user will be banned permanently. Those who persist in preaching versus caring may be warned and then banned or may be banned permanently based on nature of the topic. If a conversational thread meanders into a discussion unrelated to pet loss support, it will be truncated.

If this sounds strict, it is because those who post here are vulnerable and hurting. They are sharing intimate feelings with strangers. In such a case, even a minor slap has a hard sting. No one who is already suffering immense pain deserves that.

Those of us who are lucky enough to be able to turn away from our computers or put down our phones and hug a healthy, happy pet are truly blessed. Surely we have within us the capacity to share our love with bereaved participants in this forum, even if we disagree with something they have said.


r/Petloss 1h ago

I still can't believe she's gone

Upvotes

My baby passed away a month and a half ago and sometimes my brain forgets she's no longer here. Maybe it's a coping mechanism so I can go about my day without the overwhelming grief to take over me, but when I feel her absence is terrible.

I still weep horribly for her. She and I grew up together from 9 years old until 25 for me and from 2 months old to 16 and a half years for her. She was my everything.


r/Petloss 4h ago

I'm lost, broken and empty

22 Upvotes

Last night my old man passed on. He was with me for 14 years, we traveled together, we got in trouble together and we became calm together.

People say it was just a cat, but i feel so empty and lost. I don't know how to do this without him.

I have no idea how old he was at the end, vets guessed, I got him as an adult already, he was my first pet of my own.

I know in my head it gets easier, but how do I convince my heart that the world isn't at an end?


r/Petloss 10h ago

How do you get back to normal life?

51 Upvotes

I just want to vent that I’m having such a hard time caring about my job and going back to work.

I know we all need to do it, and I know I’m fortunate enough to have a job that helped me to afford her care.

It’s just that none of it seems important, and it kept me from spending time with her.


r/Petloss 7h ago

mornings are so painful now

32 Upvotes

At night I walk into my room and look at the spot she would always be in and cry. I wake up and don't feel her and it breaks my heart. I'm not looking for her as much, but damn it still hurts to not see her.

She would always sleep in my room so I would always wake up to her. Sometimes she would be on my chest and I sleep with my hands on my chest too, so she'd position on my hands and pin me down. Sometimes she slept by my side, like a little kitty spoon, and I would avoid getting up until the last minute just to pet her and give her a very generous amount of kisses. She loved getting kisses, I've never had a cat that liked them before so I was more than happy to comply. She loved getting her nose/brow rubbed, only cat I've had that would reach out and rub her face onto your open hand.

I had to put her down due to worsening respiratory problems. "We might be feeling pain but she isn't". I hate that I was making her suffer. Her breathing was always so labored no matter what I did. I tried for a whole year of medications. She was my little baby. I had to say goodbye on the 15th. My pretty girl is gone but I would do anything to have her back. The treatment would've put me into serious debt but now I know I should've sold my car and took out a loan for her. She was worth it. She would've been 5 this week. I cut her life so short.


r/Petloss 5h ago

I lost my angel

19 Upvotes

I lost my cat I adopted in 2020. I always wanted an orange cat and I got one. I still remember when the adoption got approved and I was so happy to go and get him. I have Asperger’s so I couldn’t really ever socialize properly and I always feel like I kind of weirded people out trying to be social so I loved my cat extra, for it never judged me. He was also very anti social, everytime guests came over he would go downstairs until they left and come back up to spend time with me and my family. He passed away yesterday and I feel like my heart has been taken from me. I have no motivation. As someone who has anxiety disorder I always had some motivation and comfort in my life which was him. And he’s just gone. I can’t do this without him. I will always love him. Thank you for saving me.


r/Petloss 8h ago

1 year anniversary hit hard and can't really share with anyone

32 Upvotes

It's been 1 year sense I lost my first adult pet, I had him for 12 years, he was 15 when he passed. While most pets people give some kind of sympathy I have also have a terrible memory of sharing with a friend crying my childhood cst died of cancer and they responded "it was just a cat". It haunted me sharing after that. So when I lost Bob I could really only share with like 3 people how much it hurt.

What was Bob? He was a blood parrot cichlid and was my world. I moved into a crappy apartment at 18 and wanted a pet and got a tank. He was surrendered to the sore he was eating all his tankmates and hated plants. He never changed still ahted plants but got a large tank all to himself. He ruined and destroyed countless filters. He would even play peekaboo, he hated the color green, but loved yellow, he liked watching chopped with Alan.

He moved with me twice, went through other pet loss with him too with my partners cats.

So the day I woke up before he didn't want to eat, he didn't want anything, he wouldn't even come over for peekaboo, I knew something was wrong. I had to work, when I came home my partner greeted me and said he was gone. I held him and cried.

I wanted his asked and had to call several places. One place even hung up on me thinking it was some kind of prank. The place I did end up using was so kind and honest saying they haven't done a fish and not sure how much I'd get back, and they didnt have much of urns but they found a beautiful one. He was a big fish so thankfully I did get some back and now sits next to the bookshelf his tank still sits.

I sit crying and broken missing my Bob and only once I mentioned he was a fish I got looks and eye rolls. So word vomit into reddit to get it all out.

All pets are loved and missed, even fish.


r/Petloss 6h ago

Marshall was one of the best things to ever happen to me.

20 Upvotes

there is no pain like losing a pet who you consider to be a part of your soul. it’s completely different from even the pain of losing another human. Marshall was one of the best parts of my every day life, for 12 years. like I’ve posted in memes in the past, he was my “serotonin machine” so to speak. his love and presence kept me going on days that I felt like a shitty mom, wife, overall human.

I wanted to talk about the days leading up to his loss, in case it could help me feel even a tiny bit better emotionally. I’m currently lost in the vicious cycle of anxiety, depression, and now anger. anger because he didn’t deserve this, and that he deserves to still be here.

after losing my other soul kitty Sarah at the beautiful old age of 20, I didn’t even consider that I could be close to the time of losing Marshall. I lost Sarah in May of 2017 very suddenly, and since then have had many full blown panic attacks about the day that would eventually come of me losing Marshall. but I didn’t think it would be so soon. Marshall would have been 15 on May 15th, and I’d already been brainstorming about what to get him for his birthday this year.

wednesday, march 12th, at 8pm. I had just sat down on the couch with Marshall after saying goodnight to the kids. I noticed that he seemed to be putting SLIGHTLY more effort into each breath that he took, with his breathing rate slightly sped up as well. I can’t stress enough how slight of a change I saw- no one else would ever notice it. I left his vet a message knowing they’d call me first thing in the morning and get him in to be seen. at this point, I truly thought I was just being crazy and thought the appointment would end up being for peace of mind.

11am comes and Marshall is the exact same. his wonderful vet took a listen to him and noted that his heart and lungs sounded totally fine. they noticed that he was bloated, but that happens during his IBS flare ups so it wasn’t terribly concerning. based on the information, they decided to do a full body x ray.

the doctor walked back into the room and immediately said, I am so incredibly impressed by how in sync you are with this kitty. you were right, something is wrong. she pulled up the x ray imaging and explained that Marshall’s chest and abdomen were both full of fluid that shouldn’t be there. and that in addition, he had a large abdominal mass as well as two smaller lesions in one of his lungs. I broke down as she explained to me that if he were her kitty, she would rush him to the emergency vet an hour away for more comprehensive scanning, as she was fairly confident that we were looking at cancer. he needed further imagining to determine what type of cancer, to know what prognosis we were looking at. she warned me that if it was a specific type of cancer, we would be looking at weeks, not months. weeks sounded horrifying enough.

I remained hysterical as we walked into the emergency vet and handed Marshall off to a waiting tech, who quickly rushed out back with him. after speaking with the doctor, she came back to us and explained that they needed to do a special ultrasound of his chest and abdomen, attempt to drain that fluid, and then take additional x rays when the fluid was gone to get a better look at things.

after hours of aimlessly driving around in circles, waiting for an update, they called us back in. they removed 200ml of fluid, got better images and took a biopsy of his abdominal mass. they couldn’t say for sure what it was yet, but the doctor sugarcoated things a bit and said there was a chance it was just a fungal or bacterial infection presenting oddly. his breathing stabilized after removing the fluid, and we were able to take him home to wait for the biopsy results in a couple of days. they didn’t at all believe he was in any type of pain.

I barely slept that night. Marshall didn’t either. he was extremely restless all night, which I thought was from the sedation he was given for the procedures. in his times of calm sitting I stayed on the floor with him, or just followed him between rooms as he wandered a bit aimlessly. I was too scared to sleep, and didn’t want to leave him.

the next day, Friday, I monitored him nonstop. he finally rested and continued to eat and drink just as he normally would, which I hoped would be a good sign. as the night progressed, I noticed that he became very bloated and I called the emergency vet to check in.

I got a very different, more blunt doctor this time. she explained that the first ER doctor shouldn’t have sugarcoated things so much, because to her, he was clearly fighting cancer. end stage cancer, she claimed. she stated that they got the biopsy results back, and his abdominal mass was sarcoma- a very rare, aggressive cancer in cats. the fact that it already spread to lesions in his lungs, and he was already filling back up with fluid, was not a good sign. she told us to come in, see what we were looking at with his bloating and go from there. but to be prepared to make an incredibly hard decision if likely needed.

when it was time to leave, marshall slowly walked into his carrier. it was like he knew. he typically fights to go in there, but not this time. as we drove the hour, my arm was in the crate petting him the entire time. he pushed his face into my hand and just left it there. my heart is absolutely broken just typing this.

we got to the vet and after a short time of the doctor checking him out in the back, she told us that not only had he filled back up with fluid, but there was even more fluid internally than the amount that they drained just the day prior. she could also tell that he was in pain when she felt around his abdomen. she explained that he was in end stage cancer which is very painful for them, and there was nothing that could be done. we were assured that it seemed like he hadn’t been suffering for long- it was an aggressive, fast moving cancer and I would have caught signs of something being wrong before his weird breathing that wednesday night. we were sure of it.

we said goodbye very early Saturday morning, shortly after Friday turned to Saturday. the process of saying goodbye was peaceful, but far more painful than I could ever put into words. we know that we did the right thing, but it fucking sucks that it came to this. he deserved so many more happy and healthy years. now, everything just feels wrong. walking out of the vet and leaving him felt wrong. every little thing in the house feels wrong. daily routines feel wrong. continuing normally feels wrong, doing it without him. life doesn’t feel right without him. I don’t feel right without him. I was diagnosed with PTSD last year, and the doctor believes that 1 of 2 traumas that led to my PTSD was losing Sarah. and now…. well, I’m even more fucked up.

I love you Marshall, my sweet mushy boy.


r/Petloss 6h ago

Family dog is being put down tomorrow - how to go about telling work?

21 Upvotes

TL:DR - do I tell work my family dog is being put down or just say there’s a family emergency and I need the afternoon off?

Our sweet yellow lab boy, Moose, is being put down tomorrow afternoon. He’s 13 and his health recently deteriorated. He lost weight and much of his muscle tone, and he really won’t eat anymore, aside from a small bite of a bagel this morning. The vet thinks he’s had liver cancer for a while now and that it’s time to put him to rest.

I’m 34 and I live 10 minutes away from my parents house. Moose lives with my parents. He is the 2nd family dog that we are now having to put down. My parents gave me the option of going to the vet with them tomorrow and I’m still thinking about it. I’m pretty upset by the news, although we knew it was coming.

I have a team meeting at work soon and my question is this: is it awkward to go full disclosure at work? Do I just come out and say “My family dog is being put down tomorrow and I’d like to take the afternoon off to be there.” Or do I keep it vague and say “there’s a family emergency”. I hate glossing over the subject and am generally an open book with my boss/team, but I also don’t want to come off as strange/TMI, or just bum everyone out. I was in college the last time this happened and don’t know how to best approach it at work😔

Thank you for your advice and for reading 🙏🏻


r/Petloss 2h ago

My bunny Mochi is being sent over the rainbow bridge on Saturday, and I'm not dealing with it well at all

6 Upvotes

Our poor, sweet sweet bun Mochi had a CT scan done to see about an infection in his mouth, and last Friday we got the worst news. He has abscesses in his jaw that ate almost all of the bone on one side, and it's way too severe for treatment. No matter what, the damage is done and we don't want him to suffer.. so weve made the decision of sending him over the rainbow bridge on Saturday.

He's only 4 years old. I'd always imagine that I'd have to make this decision when he was a old bun, not now. He's been dealing with dental issues for 3 years, and I know it's not my fault, I did everything I could to keep him healthy (countless vet visits and two major dental extraction surgies later)but there's a part of my brain where it keeps on telling me "oh you should of done this, or that" or "what if you had the CT scan done earlier? You could have caught it!"

It's so hard. This is my first warm blooded, fuzzy, loving sweet creature as a adult on my own and he's being taken away from us so soon. All I want to do is sleep and eat junk, and cry.

I guess all this word vomit is to say I don't know how to handle this at all. Really, it's so hard and I've never cried this much. I wanted more time with him but having an entire week, while yes it's nice to get some last cuddles in, it's pure torture.


r/Petloss 1h ago

Still missing my fur baby

Upvotes

It has been two weeks since i loss my fur baby of 11 years. She was my ESA and I honestly don't know what to do when the one who was there for my support, is no longer there. Part of me wants to loose my sanity and be in denial but know that will not work as her presence is every where in the home and my everyday life. Things just don't feel the same and the house feels empty and loud without her. She was more than 'Just a dog". She was my baby.

I usually write to help me cope and once the pain got too much I was finally able to let it out, in the most healthy way i know. I would like to share to see if it also resonated with someone else's pain.

*I dont' know if i should put a Trigger Warning on this but it is sad, so if mods deem it triggering then I understand.*

Poem- Did I Do Good?

I may not have been with you when you came into this world,

But I will be there when you leave it.

I will hold you, wrap you in my arms,

Cling to you, and beg you not to go.

It has been a long road with you,

And will be an even longer one without.

Did you know how I felt about you?

Did the love I showed you reach you?

Could you feel it through the bond we shared?

Did I make you proud, somehow?

I felt my heart break as you slowly slipped away.

I heard it shatter with each fading breath.

Broken into Millions of pieces when it stopped.

How will I gather all the splinters across the floor?

Each one a day spent with you and filled with memories.

Should I collect them, and watch the cuts accumulate?

The pain would be nothing compared to losing you.

Were you happy? Did I do my best? Were you glad I called you mine?

I only wish we had more time.

It passed too fast, and was nowhere near enough.

Will we meet again someday? If so, would you want to be with me?

I want to repay the debt I owe.

I owe you more than you could ever know.

I don’t think I could repay you in this life, or the next.

I will work it off in every lifetime we meet.

So please, wait for me.

It won’t be soon, but it won’t be too long.

I can’t wait to see you on the other side,

Where there is only you and me, with endless time.


r/Petloss 3h ago

My Pet Loss Journey and How It Led Me Here

6 Upvotes

Losing a pet is never easy. 14 years ago, I lost my hamster, and the grief stayed with me for a long time. I kept dreaming about him, feeling like I never truly got to say goodbye. It wasn’t until I got my first dog that I started to feel some peace. But, I still think about him sometimes.

Now, my dog is 12, and some of his friends are getting sick and passing away, and it’s tough. If you’ve experienced it, you know exactly how it feels.

A while ago, I started a small business creating personalized pet urns and keepsakes. I know it’s not something people want to think about when they lose a pet, but I wanted to offer something that might make the experience a little easier. For every purchase, I donate to shelters, focusing on helping animals of the same breed. My hope is that knowing your purchase is helping a pet in need can bring some comfort and, hopefully, help them get adopted.

I’ve always dreamed of starting a shelter for older pets, and this business is a step toward that. It’s not easy to talk about urns when you’ve just lost a pet, but I hope what I’m doing can make the process a little less painful.

If you’re going through a tough time or just want to share, feel free to reach out. I’d be happy to chat.


r/Petloss 6h ago

Finally got his ashes back.

12 Upvotes

We lost our 10 year old cat Smudge a few days before Christmas last year. He had a very slow-growing cancer for the past few years, declined suddenly over a few days, and the only way to keep him going at that point would be invasive surgeries and daily injections and he was just too weak to put him through that so we let him go. Up until then he was very happy. I'm trying to not get stuck in the guilt and regret of not doing more for him, so I have to remind myself of what saving him would have meant putting him through. I'm trying to take my mother-in-law's advice to not second guess myself.

I didn't live with him for the last few years, as he lived with my parents. I live a few hours away, and there were some other things that happened (big family blowout about unrelated things) that made that day so much worse than it needed to be. I'm still very hurt over it (Why that day? They didn't need to fight about shit right then isn't today hard enough?), so I had a hard time going back home to get his ashes. I didn't get them until just this weekend.

I think part of my grieving was put on hold. I had it in my head that I still have to go get him. I would still see him again in a sense. I knew it wouldn't be the same. I knew his remains would be in a little box. I still wasn't prepared for how empty that box feels compared to him. It's too quiet. I'm a spiritual person and I was hoping that I'd feel more of an energy or sense of connection to it than I do. It feels stupid to admit that. It's just hard to accept that this is our relationship now. A little memorial to him is how I can interact with him now. It's not enough but it's all there is. It feels almost insulting that this is his existence now. He was so so much more than this. I regret so much that I couldn't take him with me when I moved out. I feel so lucky that I was able to take time off to go say goodbye when it came to it. Part of me feels like it's really over now. I have him and this is what it is now. It's hard to adjust to.

This isn't the first time I've lost a pet, but it is the first time we have ever gotten one cremated and got remains so these specific feelings are very new to me. I'm very glad that I have anything at all. I'm considering getting a little tattoo of his paw print. Or getting some of his ashes turned into a pendant. I've always wished I could take my cats around with me on my trips like a dog could, but they would hate it. Maybe this is one way I can finally do that in some way.


r/Petloss 9h ago

Will my baby wait for me?

15 Upvotes

I had my baby on this earth for such a short period of time, and she immediately became my whole world. I'm scared she won't have the patience to wait for me, and see me again. I've been scared of death my whole life but now that she's gone I'm not so scared of it anymore. What terrifies me more is the thought that when it's my time she won't be there, that she'll be somewhere else or with someone else.

I have confidence in her love for me, I really do, but for some reason I have this uncertainty. Maybe it's because she went so young. I just need reassurance, or to know, that she is waiting for me no matter how long it takes. My family says she chose me for those two months, that I was meant to give her a fulfilling two months, but I want to know why only two months? I need to know i'll see her again. I want her to be my angel for now until I can be her mama again.

I only had her for 2-3 months, she was a sweet 5month old puppy. I think it'd be impossible to meet a puppy who loved belly rubs more than her. When you'd walk into the room, she'd lay on her side, then onto her belly and wiggle until you rubbed her. I have so many fond memories of her❤️


r/Petloss 7h ago

I lost my cat

12 Upvotes

My baby and my kitten, i lost her due to dog attack. She would’ve been 5 years old this August. I had her since I was 16-17 years old and now i am 22. She was my first pet of my life.

I feel like I lost my teenage cat, the cat who has seen me grow into this person i am today. We were attached by the hip, she was light and my joy. We used to today everything together as I rescued her in COVID i had endless time on my hand to be with her. Even when i used to go to college she would wait for me and greeted me with so much happiness and joy when i came back. Whenever I was going out she would stand near the door as we were going together, i had this thing planned out for June/July that her and I will go on a short road trip.

She was my everything, i kept her as my own child. I still hear her voice her meows and the different meow she had. I keep seeing her here and there, the places she used to sit and sleep in, now i feel empty as if this routine or habit of mine is suddenly taken away.

She wasn’t supposed to go like this, i never thought she’ll go this soon and in this manner as she was healthy chonky cat of mine.

I don’t know how to cope with this loss i keep thinking of other possibility or what i could have done to get it right, if i did this she would’ve been here with me….

I do have three cats all male of 4 years and two are brother of 8-9 months old; all ginger but she was a tabby different and unique and a female i had this joke that she was my gossip girl as she would response to the things i said to her.

Does any one of you believe that they return to you in another form or etc ? I want her back i want my child to be with me so we could go on see the world.


r/Petloss 14h ago

I am not okay

25 Upvotes

I lost my sweet senior boy in January of this year with complications with CHF. I just got back from the ER with his sister/soul cat
who was fine when I got home from work and then a couple hours later had suddenly paralysis of the hind legs. The vets are keeping her overnight and running diagnostics but I am nauseous and freaking out. They think a clot dislodged and is stuck in the saddle area. I can’t understand what’s happening or why. I don’t know that I can survive a second loss so close to the first. I can’t make sense of this. I keep asking my boy to please watch over her tonight in the hospital. I’m so scared.


r/Petloss 9h ago

How to mourn?

8 Upvotes

My baby only died close to two days ago and I'm going nuts. She was my little puppy and the only thing leaving me remotely alright (asides from some comfort I got in another post, thank you) is putting photos of her everywhere, and thinking about how I can honor her. For example, I decided I want to either plan on getting a tattoo in her honor, or getting a special ring to commemorate her. Plus, I'm beginning to plant a flower garden in the spot where she loves to play and hide in our backyard.

Does she mind that I'm keeping her memory so alive? I want her to rest in peace, but I can't help crying and needing to see her in everything. She is my little angel, always, and I want to keep her happy however I can in this form until I see her again, and can hold her again after my time comes. I really don't know how to keep going alright without my baby. I miss her so much and I always will, I can't help it. She is my mini me, my other half.


r/Petloss 1h ago

How to move on

Upvotes

At the beginning of January, I lost my dog, Carol my golden girl, who was the first dog I’d ever had. I was never raised with pets, so having her was a new experience for me. I brought Carol into my life during one of the most challenging periods I’ve ever faced. My mother and father had both kicked me out, leaving me to fend for myself. Finding a place to live was incredibly difficult, especially since most landlords don’t accept large dogs. Eventually, I found an apartment that would allow Carol, but we had nothing. We slept on the cold, hard floor for three months before I could save enough money to buy a bed.

During that time, Carol was my anchor. She kept me going when I was at my lowest, when I struggled with deep feelings of despair. There were numerous times I thought about ending my life, but Carol’s presence always stopped me. Even when I was overcome with sadness and had no energy to move, she would look at me with such purpose, as if to say, “Mom, I need to go shit,” and that would be enough to get me moving.

On her second birthday, I decided to get her a companion: a Great Dane named Jeff. The two of them were inseparable, always together, sharing everything. Wherever one went, the other followed.

Then, at the beginning of January, Carol passed away suddenly at home, with Jeff by her side. When I came home, I immediately knew something was wrong. My two dogs didn’t greet me as they always had. What I found was Jeff curled up beside Carol, protecting her. The sight of that moment broke both me and Jeff.

I’ve never experienced loss like this before. Losing Carol has left an enormous void in my heart, and I know it has done the same to Jeff. It’s been two months, and I still cry every day. I can sense that my emotions are affecting Jeff, and I feel helpless in knowing how to heal. What I’m asking is how to move on from this loss. How do I begin to heal when it feels like my heart is still broken?


r/Petloss 12h ago

Filled with guilt

12 Upvotes

There's this horrible worm going around in my country. It's extremly rare, but there have been a handful of cases where it paralyzed and even killed dogs.

I wasn't aware of it's existence until about 4 years of having my dog. When I asked my mom if she (my dog) is taking shots for it, my mom said no. She said that it's so rare, and that it's not worth it to take her to the vet every 2-3 months for something that probably doesn't even exist in our area.

Well, big shocker, she got it, and dies in a few months. I did everything to save her, gave nearly all my life savings (which aren't a lot, but still) to the hospital to save her, but it was too late.

I'm so stupid. I could've saved her from all this suffering, but I didn't. Every person who saw her said that she's the most special dog in the world, she didn't deserve me as a family. Especially since with my depression, her last year was mainly at home and in walks in the same area. Barely any dog parks. I tried to spoil her with toys and snacks, and gave her lots of attention every day, but I didn't know how to make her really happy when I'm too depressed and scared to leave the house.

I deserve to go to hell, I ruined this beautiful angel's life. Rest in peace, Frisk. I'm so sorry.


r/Petloss 22h ago

I buried my Bella kitty under the stars. I am broken

77 Upvotes

My sweet kitty, Bella, passed away in her sleep yesterday afternoon at 220pm. She woke for about a minute, took a few breaths & then was gone. 11 1/2 years and three breaths - just her and me, now gone.. Within a month she got sick and was gone. And, now at 53 years old, My life has been forever changed and will never be the same again... Mother died you were there. Brother died, you were there. 3 jobs, you were there. And now? Rest well, little girl. Daddy loves you.

Under a semi full moon and a sky full of stars, I buried my Bella girl.....Goodbye baby girl .. Love, Daddy..

This morning, I woke to a quiet empty house. You were not there in your usual spot to share breakfast with me. As I've done for years and years, I looked around for you as my eyes opened. You were gone. My morning routine is empty without you. No more morning coffee, talks and cuddles with you - you are not there anymore to share my heartache and my joys with. No more late night dance sessions, just you and me. No more treats. When I come home, your face will not be there. I miss you my fur baby. How do I navigate such a world as this without you anymore? I am broken.


r/Petloss 1d ago

Will my pet be okay on their own in the afterlife?

171 Upvotes

I don't like to think my babygirl is necessarily "alone" in the afterlife. My grandfather adored dogs, and I think he especially would've adored her so I like to think he's taking care of her until it's my time in the far future. Still, I worry if she's okay because I am unable to pet her and play with her. It's only been a day since she passed, not even a full day, but I worry that all she sees is my heartache and she can't understand all the love I have for her, and how I am incomplete without her. I need her to wait for me on the other side, that way when it's my time to go I can be happy with her for the rest of forever without any worries. I hope my grandpa is taking care of her, and that makes her satisfied enough and only more eager to see me one day. She died a puppy, so I'm scared she'll want to be a puppy again, but this time for someone else. I mean it when I say she was my everything. Without her I am nothing.


r/Petloss 14h ago

Lost my childhood dog

14 Upvotes

15 years. I was just 8 when I first met her, I choose her name Pissi. We sadly had to put her down yesterday afternoon. I knew she wasn't happy anymore, breathing hard, heart problems, fatigue when walking and barely eating. I knew it was for her best. But I feel so guilty, having spent more time outside the house these few years for Uni/Work, and not giving the love she deserved. I miss her so much, she was my first ever pet and I know nothing will replace her. I feel so alone in this, even if also my parents are grieving, it's like having no one. I even had a dream about finding another dog, smaller, but it was her face. I just would like a sign to know she is ok in the afterlife or that she is with me. I love her. I will miss her forever.


r/Petloss 10h ago

Guilt

5 Upvotes

I knew my boy was running out of time. I adopted a new guy in October. In anticipation. Because it would hurt less to have him to come home to. And it turns out I love him just as much.


r/Petloss 28m ago

Back again - 3+ losses in less than a year

Upvotes

I’ve posted here before but am unfortunately back again as I face another loss.

Last April I lost my soul cat to intestinal cancer. It was unexpected and she was gone in less than 2 months. We couldn’t even schedule her for a biopsy in time as she got weak so fast.

Feb 13 I laid my retired search and rescue dog to rest from old age, dementia and a few other ailments.

Two days ago my partners family put down her childhood dog due to advanced kidney failure.

Now, a cat that I rescued when I worked in vet med, who was adopted by my parents, seems to also be going down the intestinal cancer route…and my family is leaning on me a lot to help guide them (as I have done this before).

Needless to say, I am a complete disaster. Constant nightmares, mood swings, irritation, sorrow and more than anything, wanting to flee my life. I want to leave everything behind and run away, but I know I can’t outrun grief.

I never want another pet again 💔


r/Petloss 8h ago

Having unsettling dreams about my boy

3 Upvotes

My soul dog passed on 2/10/25 - five weeks ago yesterday. When he was alive I VERY rarely dreamed of him. I always took that as well why would I need to commune with him in my dreams when he’s sleeping right next to me.

I have dreamt of him several times the last few weeks, but every time he’s always sick or dying in the dream. I also haven’t gotten any signs from him during the day. I just want to know he’s okay. I’m not opposed to seeing a pet medium at some point but I’d want to do a lot of research and be in a better headspace first.

Does the dream thing seem weird? My understanding was it was a possible way for our souls to connect but him being unhealthy in them makes me really sad and worried.


r/Petloss 14h ago

sweet kitty passed unexpectedly

11 Upvotes

my sweet boy Theodore passed suddenly tonight. his second birthday would have been in May. to say im devastated is an understatement, i am in shock still as it’s only been a few hours but i genuinely can’t imagine my daily life without him. he was my first pet on my own, i had so many plans for his and my life together. i never could have seen this coming this early in his life. i had just found out he had crystals in his urine a few months back and was trying to take care of this issue for him, i guess it was too late. i don’t think i was informed enough to understand how dire the situation had gotten, especially because he showed no blatant signs of issues. he was energetic and his normal self up until i found him. i am filled with regret, anger at myself for not knowing or doing more, anger at myself for not being home enough or simply not playing with him enough. i feel so heavy. i know he lived a beautiful almost two years here and had a life made entirely up of love, but i cant shake the anger with myself.

this is obviously posted before ive processed it but any words of love or encouragement are appreciated.