Customer Reviews

Coping With Sorrow on the Loss of Your Pet

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this book and read it after my beloved cat, Dexter, passed away after 14 wonderful years. I was devestated and didn't know how to deal with the intense pain that I felt. Reading this book was such a comfort to me. It let me know that it was alright for me to cry when I needed to and that crying was an outlet so that my sadness wouldn't build up inside me. Also, it helped me deal with others who didn't understand my sorrow and would say things like 'it was just a pet and you can get a new one'. And most of all, this book let me know that I was not alone - it was full of wonderful advice from other pet owners who had lost a pet on ways to deal with the loss. It was nice because it offers many different opinions on how to grieve for the loss of your pet so that you could find the one that works best for you. It made me focus on the good times that Dex and I had and to remember him that way rather than just remembering that he was gone.

I bought this book after losing two beloved pet house rabbits in just 3 weeks. I found it hard to even talk about to others but Ms. Anderson's book is written intelligently and with great understanding about the feelings of pet owners toward their pets. The chapter on emotional reactions to pet loss alone really helped me explore the guilty and angry feelings I felt and is worth the price of the book. I recommend this book to animal lovers who have suffered a devastating loss.

Ms. Anderson's book describes the emotional turmoil a person may feel upon the death of a pet. Through the use of case histories and personal observations, the normal grieving process is discussed and coping mechanisms are explored. Complications to the healing process causing additional anxiety and pain are identified. Common issues are addressed such as close friends or family not understanding why someone is so upset ("it was just a pet"); positive methods to help deal with feelings; euthanasia issues and when the time is right, how to prepare for a new pet. This book played an important role when dealing with the death of my pet companion of over 15 years.

I recently experienced the death of my 9 year old Bichon due to a sudden illness. After reading several books about pet loss. I feel that this is the best book all around. It offers compassion and comfort as well as facts about the stages of grieving and all the aspects pertaining to the loss of a pet. It offers advice to promote healing from the grief of losing a pet. I recommend that every pet owner get a copy of this book and read it even if their pet is young and healthy. It has a good deal of information on preparing for all kinds of situations and advice on being a more responsible pet owner. This book really helped me feel better and is a wonderful resource for caring for future pets.

Ms. Anderson understands what people go through with the loss of a close pet. She speaks from her heart and in a way that the reader knows to be true. Her words are comforting. She explains how you feel and why, and how to cope with the anger, grief, and guilt. Anyone who has lost a pet, or will be euthanizng a pet in pain, should read this book.

My best friend died 1.5 years ago and I still miss her terribly - she was my 15 year old cat. This book was very useful to me during my time of intense mourning. While I know that her loss was a significant and horrible event in my life, recognition of the death of animal companions is not common in our society. This book helped me to see that I was not alone in my grief and that it was okay and normal to feel such grief. I actually purchased several books on this topic and found this one to be the best.

Those who have never become attached to a pet; a very loving yet cantankerous male Dacshund in my case, will never be able to fathom the emotional pain and anguish that comes when you loose your companion. When Hanzie died very suddenly after a short illness at the ripe old age of 16, I was really quite devistated. In fact I think I was in shock for the first week or so. After I began to come out of my fog, I realized I would need some help in getting a grip on my depression and feelings of loss. Since I had no access to support groups in my area I found this book to be very helpful in making me understand that there was not something wrong with me; that the feelings and pain I was experiencing were normal when you loose a loved one. If you or someone you know has lost a beloved pet this book will help to get you through a very difficult time. You need to realize that the pain you are feeling is no different then what is felt by those who have lost a child. Yes; believe it or not it can be that intense. Do yourself a favor and buy this book. You won't be sorry.

I did find this book helpful, but it told me everything I already knew. Sometimes it is good to just hear the things you know stated again and this book does that. I wanted more however. I wanted to know my baby was okay. I recommend this book for help in healing, but for comfort, I found books like Cold Noses and Fido much more helpful.

A thoughtful, non-condecending book about the reality of pet death. I highly recommend this book. I am a 48 year old woman who has had pets all her life and was shocked at my reaction of the recent death of my 14 year old dog, a grief that lasted many months. This book showed that my reaction may have been about the bigger picture of my life at this time and that logic made me less confused on the length of my grief. I am not some person who has a distorted view of pets and I needed to find out why this particular death affected me so much more than others in the past. It was comforting, logical and insightful. I highly recommend this book.

The chapter on emotional reactions helped me understand I was stuck in guilt.I had hung on to my beloved dog longer than I should have. Until I read the chapter I couldn't get past the self recriminations. The Coping Strategies showed me how to honour her by remembering the wonderful times and the bond we shared and to keep coming back to those memories when my guilt and remorse threatened to engulf me. Choosing a final resting place ended my mental torment about what to do with her precious body. I know I want "pet preservation" so that when I die our bodies can be together. When that can be done, I will at last feel at peace with her death. I still find comfort in the book 9 months after her death.