You have spent years with your pet and have shared many experiences. You have had fun, you have kept each other company and you have taken care of each other. In some cases, the bond that is created with a dog, for example, is so close that it is considered one of the family. His death is thus the death of a loved one. And yet we do not allow ourselves to grieve. Do you want to know how long it takes to get over the death of a pet? There is a minimum time to mourn after the death of a dog, cat or other animal that you should respect.
Grief over the death of your pet
- Added to the problem of losing a very important point of support in your life is that in most cases you are not allowed to experience your pain over the death of your pet. It was just a dog, they’ll tell you. It was a dog, but it wasn’t just a dog, it was an integral and important part of your family. And, of course, likening that loss to the death of a family member makes you feel guilty.
- Andrea Moreno Alfaro comments on it in her thesis ” The grieving process after the loss of a pet: description and related variables ” for the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas (Madrid): “People can feel compelled to act in a normalized way (as if nothing would have happened) quickly after the loss, or they may refuse to share how they feel or ask for help if they need it for fear of being judged Not acknowledging grief after the loss of a pet could trigger the development of complicated grief or unsolved”.
- Thus, with the guilt of being so devastated by the death of the pet, you try to hide it and rationalize it. But the pain is increasing and if you don’t let it out freely it will express itself in the most inappropriate way. You have to let go of the pain over the death of your pet, even if they don’t believe you, even if they judge you, even if you don’t want to allow it yourself.
- Because the sooner you accept that the death of your pet is a terrible event, the sooner you will allow yourself the pain. And so, once you start to allow yourself the pain, the sadness, the anguish and the tears, you can start to move on from that loss. How long will it take you to get over the loss of your pet? Well, it depends a lot on each person, but in general it takes about six months to go through all the stages of mourning and consider that you have overcome her death.
- However, after that time does not mean that you have forgotten your pet or that you no longer miss it in your life. It means that the pain no longer stings you, that the anguish has become precious memories and that sadness has a cozy touch. And from this moment on, what are you going to do?
The ideal time to adopt another pet
- We ask you what are you going to do now because there will be many people around you who will be tempted to give you a pet so as not to see you so sad. But it is not advisable to adopt a pet right after the death of the previous one. After all, the one that has left was irreplaceable. And that’s why you feel that pain, because your pet was not a consumer good that when it breaks you buy another.
- There are special situations in which you can consider adopting another pet right away. If you are one of those people who do not have one pet but many, who are welcoming these animals according to the needs, one fine day in the middle of mourning you may find yourself adopting another pet because their situation is urgent and they need to find a home.
- But in other cases it is better to wait. Wait until you have completely overcome the duel, wait until you have resumed your life, until you feel comfortable in your life again without thinking that you have a gap or a lack to cover. Only then, when you feel full and happy again, can you consider adopting a pet after the same reflections that everyone should do.
Does having a pet fit into your lifestyle? Do you have enough material and emotional resources to give him all the care he needs? Because if you are going to adopt a pet, always do it with love and responsibility.
