Loss of a pet is hard. If you are a pet lover, you know this. Your pets are members of your family. Bringing great joy, occasional frustration, and pain when they are gone. I have had to deal with that loss 3 times before in my life. Today makes number 4. It doesn't get any easier.
Our family cat, Houdini, had to be put to sleep today. He was 15 years old. He was actually my housemates' cat, but he was a member of the whole family. He was a beautiful, independent, and unique orange calico cat. She had him since he was a kitten. He was gentle, playful when he wanted to be, and wasn't afraid of anything.
I have had to say goodbye to 3 other pets in my life. Ashlee was a black lab mix that came to us as a rescue dog. She was not the typical rescue dog; she was found on the side of an interstate 2 states away. She was given to us by the person who found her. He was driving to Rochester to visit a mutual friend when he found her. He could not take her home with him, so we took her in. She was the perfect dog, other than digging holes. No one is perfect, even animals.
Before Ashlee was Toa. He was a mastiff/rottweiler mix. A massive dog we took from a couple of friends of ours, who had adopted Toa and his brother. Once they started to grow, they realized they couldn't handle 2 dogs that size, so they gave us the chance to take one. We took Toa. He was a beast. We couldn't contain him, but he was as protective as I've ever seen a dog. He always found a way to escape his containment. Too smart and too big for his own good.
Then there was Hunter. A black and gray mixed-breed cat. That was my one housemate's first cat. He was gentle and loving. As with all cats, he was independent. He was definitely my housemate's cat. Very loyal to her. He loved doing all the things cats love to do. Play, sleep, play, eat. But his personality was first-class.
There were others, and they were all precious. They were all loved. They all brought joy in their own way. Losing any pet is tough. But we must carry on, keeping their memories alive as best we can. Sometimes the best way to deal with the grief is just to let it out. I am heartbroken today. We all are. Time will heal the pain, but the memories will live on.
Have you lost a pet before? How did you deal with the grief? What pet memory still makes you smile through the tears? I'd love to hear it.
—Daniel