HOW TO DEAL WITH PET LOSS.

This is my baby Chiquita. ❤️

She passed away on September 28th, 2023.

Her collar had gotten stuck on our patio table and she had passed away by the time we found her. I only went to shower for 10 minutes and I can’t even begin to tell you guys how many what ifs and scenarios of what I could’ve or should have done that day and what it would be like today if I had done something differently. 💔

At first, I felt angry with myself. I told myself “you shouldn’t have showered”, “you should have showered faster”, “you should have brought her in beforehand”. Etc. For me, the backyard was the safest place she could have been at the time. And it normally was, she would lay on that table for the last 4 years and not once had her collar gotten stuck. So I knew I wasn’t neglectful in regards to her environment. That helped me understand that I made sure she was safe and it was just a bizarre situation overall.

Next was honestly just seeing her food bowl, where I found her, her bed, and mostly her collar. I just felt so angry, and heartbroken. But my husband would comfort me and tell me that it’s okay to feel how I feel especially since this all happened less than a week ago. I didn’t want to erase her from my life. But what I could do instead is honor her life. I started cleaning her area with starting with her cage, bed, and then food bowl. It helped me not having to see how empty and gloomy it all looked without her.

As of right now, I am not “happy” but I am okay. I know she wouldn’t want me to be sad. But I lost my best friend. She saw me graduate high school, she was there when I took my finals (during the pandemic), went to college, she was there when I got my first job, my first car, my first boyfriend, and she was there when I got married. I have my other fur baby Calliope that Chiquita helped me raise. I never noticed until now how she does some little things here and there that Chiquita would do such as sleeping on her back or she would sit just like her. Calliope has noticed Chiquita isn’t coming back and I know she is sad. She looks for her and it breaks my heart 💔. I regret not taking Chiquita on a walk the day before, I regret not telling her how much I loved her and I especially regret not snuggling with her one last time. But sometimes we never know when that last time will happen. So for all of you reading this with your fur babies at home. Hug them tightly and tell them how much you love them. I am going to be making a little garden where I buried her. She loved jumping on my dads flower bed so I’m gonna make sure she gets her own. I love and will forever miss you Chiquita. You are and will always be my best girl. ❤️

#pet #dogsoflemon8 #petloss #griefjourney #healingjourney2023 #love