The loss of a pet or an animal to which one has become emotionally bonded can be an intense loss, comparible with the death of a loved one. Whilst there is strong evidence that animals can feel such loss for other animals, this article focuses on human feelings, when an animal is lost, dies or otherwise is departed.
Grief over the loss of a pet is often trivialised, and people who have not experienced it themselves may add to the problem by making insensitive remarks such as “It was just a cat” or “You can always get another”. A further complication is that the owner may feel guilty over having chosen to have the pet euthanised.
Beliefs about animal death
Materialists believe that when a being dies physically, its life ends. Religions are divided as to whether animals are believed to have souls, reincarnate or none.
In the absence of a common belief, many pet owners have adopted feelings towards the Rainbow Bridge, a metaphorical or mythical place of reunion where pets that die live in a paradisical version of limbo, rejuvinated and free of pain and suffering, until their companion humans or other animals arrive in the course of time. At this point, they enter heaven as companions and loved ones, never to be divided again. In many pet-related communities, pets who have died are often referred to as being At the bridge or ATB.
Copyright: Wikipedia information about Animal loss – This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Animal loss". More from Wikipedia