Coping with Pet Loss at Christmas
How to Deal with the Death of Your Dog or Cat During the Holidays
Dec 16, 2008
If you’re dealing with the death of your pet dog or cat during the holidays, you may find it difficult to get excited about Christmas preparations, parties, and presents. These five suggestions may help you balance mourning when your cat or dog dies with a joyful Christmas experience. Plus, below are several tips for helping children cope with pet loss during the holidays.
Coping with Pet Loss at Christmas
1. Spend time with people who understand. If you talk about the death of your dog or cat at holiday parties or family functions, don’t spend time with people who can’t relate to your feelings of loss. You’ll feel worse if you feel you have to defend yourself, which will increase your feelings of grief. To cope with pet loss at Christmas, find support in people who have experienced similar situations.
2. Let yourself grieve. If your dog or cat has died during the holidays, you need time to mourn. Give yourself permission to do less, because the last thing you need to worry about is sending cards on time or baking your special gingerbread cookies. Coping with pet loss at Christmas is about giving yourself more down time – and focusing on things that are really important.
3. Find a creative outlet for your feelings. To express your feelings of grief – which will help you grieve your pet loss at Christmas – find ways to be creative. Journaling, painting, or scrapbooking a memoir of your pet’s life can help you deal with the death of your dog or cat.
4. Get out of the house. Research shows that volunteering improves your emotional and physical health, and it’ll take your mind off the death of your dog or cat at Christmas. Consider spending time with adults with disabilities, seniors who need company, or kids who are hospitalized. If you want to be with animals, check with your local shelter – they might need extra help over the holidays.
5. Let yourself grieve in your own way. Tune in to how you grieve. Do you withdraw to spend time alone? Do you talk about your pet and the circumstances surrounding the death? Would you prefer to listen to how others coped with pet loss? To cope with pet loss during the holidays, figure out what your grief process is and accept it – without letting others tell you how you should cope with pet loss at Christmas.
To Help Children Cope with Pet Loss at Christmas:
- Talk openly about the death of your dog or cat, and encourage your kids to discuss their pet with friends and family, at school and in the community. Feelings of sadness and grief are often lightened when shared.
- Share your own feelings of sadness and loss. Coping with pet loss sharing your grief, confusion, and even anger.
- Answer questions as honestly as possible about how your dog or cat died.
- Have a memorial, whether it’s a burial, moment of silence in the yard, or a walk in a special place where you have memories of the pet. Grieving your pet’s death at Christmas might involve a formal grief process with several friends and family members.
If you found Coping With Pet Loss at Christmas: How to Deal With the Death of Your Dog or Cat During the Holidays helpful, try:
- Grieving at Christmas
- Creating New Christmas Traditions
- When Your Dog Dies: 11 Ways to Grieve the End of Your Pet's Life
- When Your Cat Dies: How to Move on After a Sad Pet Loss
- 10 Ways to Reduce Children's Stress at Christmas
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