Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet

The research showed that individuals who lose a cat may have a more severe grief reaction and need greater follow-up than those who lose a dog.

There is not a beast on earth, nor fowl that flieth on two wings, but they are a people like unto you, and to God they shall return. — The Qur’an (Surah 6, Al. An’am, or The Cattle)

When we got home, it was almost dark. Our neighbor waited on the walk. “I’m sorry, I have bad news,” he said. “Your cat, the gray black one, is dead. I found him by the garage an hour ago.” “Thank you,” I said, “for letting us know.” We dug a hole in the flower bed, The lilac bushes overhead, Where this cat loved to lie in spring And roll in the di

Do not stand at my grave and weep. I am not there, I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glint on snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn rain. When you wake in the morning hush, I am the swift, uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circling flight. I am the soft starlight at night. Do not stand at my

Routines are important to people, too. For this reason, it is not usually a good idea to make any major decisions in the period immediately after a loss. Our judgment frequently suffers when we are under stress. If possible, postpone making any big changes in your life. Stick to the familiar. This is probably not the moment to replace your pet, for

When I begin to worry excessively, my dog, Chinook, can pull me out of my brooding and help put my problems in proper perspective. If I become too serious, he invites me to join in frolicking and play. Because animals have wants that are few and basic, they can teach us to slow down, simplify, and concentrate on the essentials.

She had trusted me and thereby had made me trustworthy.

The Jataka tales, for instance, tell of the Buddha’s previous incarnations in animal form, as antelope, monkey, elephant, dog, peacock, and many other creatures. Throughout these stories, the animals act as teachers and exemplars to the human characters, as in the fable of the unselfish stag that saves the life of a king who once hunted him. “I mys

“Until one has loved an animal,” wrote Anatole France, “a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.”