Mourning the Loss of a Pet

Posted by Mia Carter Sep 8, 2008

The death of a pet is probably the worst, most difficult part of pet ownership. A few days ago, I lost one of my menagerie. A pink hairless rat named Milo - a.k.a. "Mr Nibbles." Mr. Nibbles was just over one-year-old, which is really only middle aged for a rat. But he suddenly came down with a respiratory infection linked to the chronic mycoplasma virus that affects most rats in the United States. And despite improving dramatically over the course of two weeks that were filled with vet visits, hand-feeding, expensive antibiotics, oxygen breathing treatments and subcutaneous fluid injections, Mr. Nibbles died.

Deciding on whether to opt for euthanasia, watching the life slowly fade from an animal's eyes, and coming downstairs to find your animal has passed - there is perhaps no worse or more difficult part of pet ownership. The death of a pet can be devastating to many people, so much so that many people who have lost an animal will opt to go without a new pet, sometimes for years, and others never adopt again. And the thought of this seems just that much sadder to me.

The loss of an animal is terribly sad, but it opens a new door - we now have room for one new rat, a rat who may otherwise end up unloved, unadopted, or worse - snake food. So like many things in life, one door closes and another opens. I think of all the happiness Mr. Nibbles brought us and no way can the sadness of his death erase that. So to close our home and our hearts to another animal would be cheating ourselves of the happiness I know we'll find with a new animal. Nobody can ever replace Mr. Nibbles, but we can find a different type of happiness with a different animal and I think that's key. Mourn your pet, but then consider opening your heart and your home to a new one - you'll find happiness in a new way. I promise.

For people who have lost a pet, consider this pet loss support site.