How to cope with the death of a cat

Losing a pet can be profoundly upsetting, and yet the average lifespan of a pet means that we may experience many such losses in our lifetime. How are we supposed to cope?

Allow yourself time to cope with the death of a cat

The feelings you have may surprise you, and it could take longer than you might expect to come to terms with life without your cat, but the good news is that pet bereavement and the affect it has is being taken seriously. Veterinary professionals have accepted that some understanding of grief is essential in order to support their clients, and there are counsellors specifically trained to help those who are grieving over a pet.

Sometimes the loss of a pet can be a trigger for thinking back to other experiences in life and bring feelings long forgotten about back to the surface, perhaps even connected to human loss. That it is a 'fact of life' does sound like a cliche, but it's one of the ways that Robin Grey, professional counsellor and author of 'Coping with Pet Loss' suggests we view the loss. He says it's about allowing time to grieve and to recognise that each of the different reactions are perfectly normal.

Accept that your feelings about the death of your cat are real

The reactions of those around you can be less than helpful and you may have to block out comments like 'it was only a cat' or ' why not just get another?' Accept that your feelings are perfectly real and valid and allow yourself to come to terms with what has happened.

Robin says that loss is viewed as a process that has several phases, although not everyone experiences the same - or in the same order; life is never that neat! The upset does eventually give way though, and the experience can provide an understanding of what the relationship was all about. The stages of grief include shock, denial, bargaining, searching, anxiety, anger, guilt, depression, and finally acceptance.

Denial can follow quickly on from shock, and is an instinctive way of blocking out reality. Bargaining may seem like a strange expression in this context, but it's about wishing, wishing the pet would get better, wishing you had done something differently, with an attached condition. For example, it can be an attempt to strike up a deal: 'If there's some way of curing him, I would promise to spend more time with him.'

Bargaining will help to keep some hope alive. The possibility of a 'another chance' is a way of holding back the eventual loss. Robin says: "If you are supporting someone who is in the bargaining phase, it is important to recognise that hope is part of their eventual acceptance. To be confronted with too much truth about the inevitable too early on can be unnecessary and may interfere with the loss process."

Here's how one pet owner summed up her feelings: "I was trying to reconcile my wish to keep him with my wish to let him go in peace. My vet helped me to see that the illness he had was affecting his quality of life so much that letting him go was the best thing to do. I spent so much time hoping for a positive outcome; that he would get better or that the cancer would somehow disappear. But I had so much weighing up to do in my mind between keeping him and letting him go. In the end letting him go was best for both of us, but it was hard to see it at the time."

When is the right time to say goodbye to your cat?

"When people have to make a decision on euthanasia it is a very tough decision to make," says Robin. "Vets will say, in many cases, that it is to alleviate pain and suffering. Yet although they can give advice, it is up to the owner to make the final decision. Some people keep their pets going for 'a bit longer' then have doubts about whether they should have done."

Robin says: "It's a difficult decision because it goes right to the core of the bond between you and the pet. Sometimes people prefer to make the decision on their own while others like to have the input and support from family."

The message is be honest with yourself, take advice from your vet and approach this situation in the way that you feel most comfortable.

Robin sums up by saying: "It's about love and life. The main point is that it is inevitable if you own a pet that this is going to happen. It is really important to recognise that it happens but not to let it colour the whole experience of having a pet. Accept it as a process; it's part of life.

"People sometimes feel that their loss is too acute and hold the belief that they will not be able to face having another pet for fear of further loss at some time in the future. However, in time many pet owners find that they can welcome another pet into their lives. This is not to suggest that their former pet is forgotten but more that they can eventually reach a state of acceptance around the loss, which allows new life to come in."

Read more about when is the right time to put a cat to sleep.

Whatever your age or experience, you don't have to suffer alone. Robin says: "It is important to get help if you feel it is getting too much for you."

That can simply mean finding someone sympathetic to talk to - and often it is easier with someone outside of your family or circle of friends since they won't offer up a judgement on how you are feeling. The Pet Bereavement Service has a telephone service in which you can talk or correspond with a trained counsellor. For details, see Useful contacts.

Useful contacts to help cope with the death of a cat

Blue Cross offer a Pet Bereavement Support Service (PBSS) which is open from 8.30am to 8.30pm every day. Calls are free from UK landlines, completely confidential, and all calls are taken by trained, experienced volunteers. To contact the PBSS call 0800 096 6606 or email [email protected]

Cats Protection offer a free support service which is available to help grieving owners cope with the loss of their cat. So whether your cat has gone missing, is nearing the end of their life or has had to be reluctantly rehomed, Paws To Listen is here to help. To find out more, please visit www.cats.org.uk/grief or to speak to a volunteer on the Paws to Listen phone line, call 0800 024 94 94. The line is open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays.

The Your Cat Guide to Bereavement e-book

If you need more help with bereavement, you may find some useful advice and comfort from our e-book. The Your Cat Guide to Bereavement covers everything from how to cope with the death of a cat, to learning to love again.

Download your copy HERE.