Like anyone else who has suffered a blow, people whose animals have died are vulnerable. One follow-up study of individuals who were mourning the loss of a companion animal found that in the weeks immediately after the death, more than 90 percent of the owners experienced some disruption of their sleep habits or had difficulty eating — both symptom

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

tried to console her as best I could, but sometimes words are not enough. She asked to stay over that night so she wouldn’t be alone at her apartment. She lay down, ready to go to sleep, and what happened next amazed me. My dog, Grish, jumped in bed, laid his massive black Lab head down on her stomach, and stayed there all night. He has never done