Pets and People

Fre­quently asked ques­tions
Am I going mad?
If you have regarded you pet as a friend, fam­ily mem­ber, beloved com­pan­ion, then it is not unusual to be very dis­tressed at the death or impend­ing death of a pet.
Who can I talk to when he/she dies?
Talk to some­one who under­stands the bond you had and who also loves ani­mals.
When is the right time to euth­a­nize a pet? Your vet will be the best guide when it comes to your pet’s phys­i­cal con­di­tion. You will know the time, also when he or she no longer eats or responds or seeks you atten­tion or is in obvi­ous pain.
What do I tell my chil­dren? Chil­dren need to be told clearly and sim­ply that the pet has died– that all things are born, live a life and die. Young chil­dren can become anx­ious about going to sleep if you say that the pet was “put to sleep”.
Will my other pets missed the one who has died?
Ani­mals grieve too. Keep rou­tines reg­u­lar and be patient and atten­tive to their need for atten­tion and com­fort.
When should I get another pet?
It can be best to wait until your emo­tions have set­tled, how­ever, some peo­ple just want and need another ani­mal to love. Be guided by your needs and the readi­ness of fam­ily mem­bers..
Is it OK to feel dif­fer­ently about a new pet? Each ani­mal is dif­fer­ent. It is best to try not to com­pare but allow your­self to dis­cover the unique per­son­al­ity of the new one. Ani­mals have a way of “get­ting into our heart” if we are patient and give them pos­i­tive attention.