Some believe that when a dog or cat dies, one must immediately take another one so as not to suffer much from the loss. Others think that grief should be overcome before adopting a new dog. How long do you have to wait after the death of your pet to welcome a new one into the family? In this article we will reveal it to you.
How long to wait after your pet dies?
This is a very common question among dog and cat owners. The death of such an important being is not taken lightly and one suffers incredibly. For this reason, many think that it is right to wait until you have overcome this terrible situation.
The grieving process after the death of our friend changes depending on the person and many factors influence it. It is important to understand that it is not possible to replace one animal with another, as each of them is unique and unrepeatable.
If, for example, there are small children in the house, we often try to make them immediately forget the animal that has left by taking another one. While we think it’s good for the mental health of little ones, this is a factor that can actually cause trauma. The dog or cat that arrives in the house will bring memories of the old animal and this may cause more crying than laughter, at least during the early days.
This is why it is better to accept the death of the dog or cat before adopting another one. The feeling of sadness that invades us when a pet dies can be as great as what we experience when any other loved one dies.
It is important to give ourselves the opportunity to express our grief, cry if that is what we want, and go through grief as we see fit. Nobody will be able to remove from our mind or heart the memories we lived with our pet (which was an integral part of our family) and the anguish is understandable. A period of time before adopting a new animal is useful to be able to welcome it in the right way and not carry the pains of the past with us.
Don’t replace it
Bringing home a new pet is not a decision to make at a time when we are very sad for those who have left us. We need to think carefully and analyze the pros and cons of welcoming this new being who will become part of our family.
It is not strange to decide to welcome an animal similar to the one we have lost. Why? Well, we probably want the latter to come back to us and we also want to stop suffering so much for the loss suffered. However, this new animal will only be similar in appearance to the one that is no longer there, and that could also depress or distress us.
We must never try to replace a dog or a cat, nor want it to behave in the same way or have the same character and the same habits as the previous one. Each animal, just like people, is unique and irreplaceable.
Once the bereavement is over, the next step is to adopt a new friend. There are various associations from which it is possible to adopt abandoned dogs. Organizations of this type are present everywhere and you will be welcome when you show up with the intention of taking a dog home with you.
If you have decided to no longer have pets after your dog’s death, you could still help by making some donations to these entities, or welcome pets for short periods of time that need to heal or find a new home. Adoption experts say this can be a good therapy to overcome the death of your faithful friend. Maybe it could be a way to get back in contact with these animals, so that you realize that those who look at you from up there might be happy if you give an opportunity to those who do not have a home.
