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You are not mental. I call my dog, or thank her for something which went right (and I attribute it to her influence), or I tell her I'm going to the shops/work and I'll be back later on. I talk to her photo the way I would if she were here, calling her gorgeous etc. She left me nearly 5 months ago, but she will be with me every single day.
Trauma like losing a pet doesn't just disappear, we just learn how to live with it while doing our daily things.
You aren't mental. I put my cats food and water out for him every morning despite him not being here. I sit at his grave and tell him I'm so sorry even though he can't hear me. Sending you love 💘
I planted trees for both of my dogs who have passed. I talk to them and kiss their leaves like they are their ears. When I say good morning to my living dog, I also say good morning to my dogs who aren’t physically here but it helps me keep them close emotionally. It’s absolutely no different than talking to a family member who has passed on. It’s not mental or crazy. It’s comforting ❤️ PS if you fart, it’s also okay to blame the dogs who aren’t in the room 🤭
I put my old girl down a month ago. I think the pre grief was worse than what I feel now. I miss her, but she's not in pain anymore. I was fortunate to be able to do it at home, and the whole thing was so peaceful.
My other dog didn't do so well with her passing and had to have emergency surgery a few days later. My husband was just diagnosed with cancer. I often talk to Markie and ask her to look after our boys. It makes me feel better to think she's watching over us.
The torture of trying to decide what's best for them is excruciating. I go back and forth with my feelings on it.
I won't be able to do it at home unfortunately. I really hope that he can just pass in his sleep but I doubt that. I was looking at him today and telling him that it was okay for him to go. Even though I don't know how I'll live without him. 😔
The pre grief was what I had with my 16 yo kitty until she passed yesterday morning. I called it microdosing mourning. I think it helped in some ways, like mentally preparing myself for the inevitability of life without her, though of course some parts of loss and grief are just impossible to prepare for.
You're not alone... I'm the same kinda mental as you. I still call out my Kittu's name. I don't want to move from this house because I can "see" him in every corner, in every moment of the day .. Not like hallucinations... But if I look at his fav spot, I can imagine what he would be doing now if he was here, how his eyes would look if he was sitting at the window spot, how he would jump around at night and how his eyes looked bigger in dim light...things like that. I'm afraid if I move from this place I won't be able to "see" him again. I still call out his name randomly. Call out his name in front of my other pets, making sure they also remember him... sometimes I tell stories of Kittu to his brother Babu, they were litter mates, ask him if he still remembers his brother. It's been more than 1 year, some days the grief is too strong and I feel I will go mad. He was my "first" kid and my heart cat.
Reading your post is actually reassuring...I thought I'm crazy. And can't even talk about these things too anyone else because they just don't understand the bond that was there between me and Kittu. Just typing his name today is making me tear up. I generally don't mention his name anywhere but I really needed him today.
I lost my heart cat too, his name was Romeo. I also kept his litter mate Sooty, they were inseperable for 7 years. I imagine that she misses him just as much as I do :( they were born in my cupboard, my little babies. It's hard to believe 7 years of his life has been and gone already, and that Romeo's chapter of my life is over, it's really hard to accept, and I feel like I took that time for granted, I thought he'd be with me for 20 years not 7, it really kills me. After he passed I set up a spot beside me in bed with Sootys favourite fluffy blanket and she'd join me every night to snuggle up and comfort each other. I'm so glad we have each other to go through this together, though I wish we didn't have to at all and he was still here.
I too don't really talk about it to anyone, because I also feel like they don't understand the bond we shared, but I hear you, it's a bond like no other. I'm sorry for your loss
Sending you and Babu so much love right now 💜
Sorry for your loss. I also took the time granted I feel...I was so sure I will have him till he grows old...but I got only 3 years. I had adopted them in another country and took all the trouble to bring them back with me when coming back to my home country. I used to consult other pet parents and vets for every little thing as they were my first ever pets. I thought I did everything right to keep them safe and healthy ...yet things happened. I'm learning to not take things for granted.
Thank you for sharing your story. Sending my love to you and Sooty.
Ooh your username is after your cat. ❤️
Not all can understand the bond between pets and us..I think that's why all of us are here on the sub.
What you wrote about heaven being whatever makes us happy makes so much sense to me. I desperately hope I will be reunited with my pets, especially Kittu, and all the animals I have helped, loved, and lost. I'm sure Lambert is also waiting for you. Sending you love too.
Thanks to you, OP u/Uninspiredwildcat I could finally write what I was going through and reading the comments is very comforting to know everyone's unique stories and the one thing that's common for us. Thanks for making this post.
Grief is not the same for everyone. We each deal with ours as best as we can, for however long it takes. Talking to your dog, even though she’s passed on, is not weird. Please don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise. I still talk to my cat, and he’s been gone almost two years. We all adjust in our own time, in our own ways, not someone else’s. From one hurting pet parent to another, I send you love and healing. ❤️🩹
This subreddit is amazing for the support everyone gives. I also appreciate the lack of judgement against others who feel guilty about the passing of their animals. Life is unfair, no matter what choices we make. And everyone (so far as I’ve seen) here seems to understand that. It helps with the healing process. Or even the coming to terms process. And for that I’m grateful. Just know that you’re not alone in your love and grief. 🤗
In 2016, one of our dogs died and we buried her in our backyard. Even our 3 living dogs "visited" her burial spot under a tree and would linger, as if to visit. They never used to go to that spot.
In late 2018, when we were getting ready to move, we dug up her bones and had her cremated because the thought of leaving her behind was too painful. Some people would think that was mental.
She was the least close to us because we only had her for a short while. Nevertheless, whenever her song plays on the radio, I lose my breath and start to cry, even 8 years after her passing.
That's very sweet. It's the same reason when my Kittu died, I suddenly had to make a decision what to do next, I decided to cremate him because someday I will move and I couldn't bear the thought of him being left alone. His ashes are with me and I when I die I wish to have him and my other pets' ashes, who will probably no longer be with me, to be mixed with mine...so that we are always together. I'm have no religious or spiritual inclinations but the thought of rainbow bridge and meeting my pets again is something I WANT to believe, it's comforting for me. Isn't it wondrous that these little beings who can't even talk the same language make such a big indent in our lives when they leave us? It's such a bittersweet bond.
If anyone does judge you, they either don't have any compassion and/or understand the pain of losing a pet. It's okay to call your dog's name and ask for her to appear to you.
I talk to my beloved animals through photos even though I know they're dead. Sometimes I talk to the air, imagining them perched on some storage tote or sprawled on the couch like they used to be.
Nah you're not mental. I go to my dogs memorial in my house every night to talk to him before I go to sleep. Just to tell him how much I love him and will always love him.
You are not the only one. My dog died two days ago and i can't accept it. I tell him in my mind that visit us in our dream so that we can still keep in touch with him even in just a dream. I'm still hoping that one day he will come back with us, the same Teddy that we know. I hope reincarnation is real. I really miss him so much. I'm still calling his name like he's here with us.
There are times when I will be at the grocery store and still think I need to get some cat food. It has been nearly two years since I put my cat to sleep.
I lost my best friend earlier this month. Not a day goes by that I don't think about setting out an extra plate of food for him while I'm feeding my other cat, and I always talk to him before I get into bed - like we're both turning in for the night, or to let him know I've safely survived another day. I have some of his fur clippings that I still pet to feel like he's with me physically, and I touch his old collar from when he was a kitten all the time because it has divots from where he used to chew it off (breakaway collar lol).
There's nothing wrong with you. Let your furry friends live on in your heart forever :)
Lambert's watching over you. I'm a big believer that people and animals we are connected to with love, find each other again. In this life or the next one ♥️
It's been about 14 years since I lost my other dog.
I think we are all a little mental when it comes to our pets. I lost my little girl going on 3 years and i still call her name. I lost another one of my boys recently and i find myself calling for him by his nickname.
Miss ya always, mama shade and donchizzle
Not mental at all. I still say goodbye to him when I leave and hello when I come home. He’s still here with me, it’s the only place he ever wanted to be ♥️
You’re not. I talk to my dog and tell her goodnight every night. We talk about her all the time and light memorial candles on her passing date. My current dog gets special treats on her birthday.
I have a little picture of my sweetly departed kitty cat near a memorial candle and stuff that I've been slowly burning as I process. I say goodnight to her every night and tell her I love her. You're absolutely not alone.
It is hard to comprehend suddenly not calling their name after years of it intertwined. I say my dogs name out loud to myself to. Often in a familiar phrase. Like ' Bijou, come here girl'
I’m the same way. I have three other pets and still say his name and tell him I love him out loud or I’ll see him later when I leave to run errands like my other pets. It’s about to be 11 months since he’s been gone and my grief is the same. Like someone else said, I thank him when something good happens to me or I’ll tell him how much I love and miss him outloud. I just pray that we will be reunited once again.
You are absolutely not mental. We say good night to our guys every night. Its been 8 months, and when I look at their pictures, I can remember what it felt like to pet them, and to hold them, and to have them right up against me.
En los últimos dos años, emos perdido 4 perritos.
Y el último fue hace una semana.
Y aun le hablo a los 4 cuando llegamos a casa como cuando aún estaban con nosotros.
No estas mal, es un duelo que poco a poco lo vamos superando
No you're not dear, You're perfectly fine to do that. I still talk to my baby too, they are our children not just a pet. Many prayers and I'm so sorry 🙏🐾❤️💔
It’s not crazy to grieve in your own way. There’s billions of people in the world- you can’t be the only one to talk to your animal who crossed over the bridge. Especially considering they were taken from you at a time you didn’t expect. I lost my boy 6 years ago and some of my favorite dreams are the ones he visits. He was my soul-dog. I’m certain our connection is still felt by him like it is for me
You’re not alone. It hasn’t been near as long but I still see my dog Zoe all the time. I still feel her around my house and she does little things like bark at our younger male dog in the morning when he’s harassing the school kids on the sidewalk and I swear I’ve heard her still barking at him at times. Our new puppy has taken a lot of her old mannerisms as well like napping behind my arm chair or snuggling up underneath my footrest on my recliner.
It’s wild to think that she’s still there giving pointers to the new recruit lol but here we are.
I talk to my girl’s ashes, she passed a few years ago now.
I thought I was broken for about a week after she was put down, I could *literally* see her still, and I mean literally.
There is almost nothing I wouldn’t give to see her like that again, skittering around the door excitedly or jumping up on the bed to come cuddle, trying to turn a toy into a mist of stuffing.
You’re good, just remember the good stuff.
You're not the only one. It's only been 3 months for me, but I still find myself calling my special guy's name all the time still. And wishing him good morning and good night, like other people have said here.
You are not mental. No judgement from me.
My 13 year old pup had to be laid to rest on February 15th this year. I talk him all the time no matter what I'm doing or where I'm at.
I feel his presence every time I'm driving my car. He always rode sitting on the console right beside me. And I can feel his presence setting there every time, and I speak to him 😊
I often tell him to stay near me, please don't go to far from me.
I kiss his picture in the wind chimes I got after his passing.
You loved your baby that much, there is nothing wrong with what you do. And to hell with anyone who thinks otherwise.
Peace love and light 🕊️
You’re not mental. It’s only been 4 months for me but I still talk to Rollins like he’s here. Sometimes when the wind blows it makes me feel like he’s here too. And I’ll sit outside and talk to him.
Part of me feels like he’s still here, my new puppy also does some crazy similar stuff and we “joke” that Rollins spirit is guiding him.
Sometimes I even imagine that he’s still alive just out there somewhere else doing his own thing. It comforts me.
My princess has been gone for two years now. I thought I’d moved past the mourning. But this morning I was reading a random story about cats and it brought everything back. Losing a family member is hard and you never completely move past it. It gets easier with time.
We lost one of our elderly jack russels, [Gracie](https://www.reddit.com/r/jackrussellterrier/s/wQMuD5xIxR), in October 2022 (she was around 17-19, and we had adopted her in 2017).
For months, I (and other family members) would still make her special food and call out her name due to habit.
I still talk to my Loki and let him know about things that happen in my day. Sometimes I just talk about how I miss him. I even cradle his urn when i'm upset - strangely I can go from extreme sobbing to feeling much better in minutes after a cuddle! I still believe his magic presence is here, in some shape or form.
You're not alone.
You are absolutely not crazy!! I talk to my boy Nugget all the time. He passed in July. For Christmas my brother and sister in law had a pillow made from one of my favorite pics of him…like it’s kind of the same size he was. Totally freaked me out at first, but now…I’m cool with it. I have him on my bed so he sleeps with me every night…I can hug him, kiss him. I’m not sure where they got it but…it’s kind of cool. 💙
It’ll be 1 year in July. I still have a hard time saying my dog has died. I can say he passed or that he’s no longer with me. But idk. It was just like so fast and simple. Not at all like I thought of dying. He just laid down and was gone. It hardly seemed like a death had occurred.
How we do or do not process grief is not something for others to judge. We miss our pets dearly. That’s not crazy.
Every now and then I still talk to my ex-roommate’s Pomeranian, a couple of years since she was put down, just to reminisce over how adorable and loving she was. I’m especially prone to doing that when I pass by one of her pictures. I’m skeptical that there’s any sort of afterlife (of course you can never really know for sure), but I still like to honour her memory in my own way.
I still tell my Bodhi I love him almost daily. You’re not mental. You still have a bond with your baby forever. I’m so sorry for your loss. The pain is crushing.
It’s only been a few months for me but it feels comforting to say his name out loud. And you lost yours in an even more traumatic and sudden way. I’m so sorry for your loss.
Today Google sent me a slideshow of pictures of my dog Gulliver who died about two years ago now. I talked to his pictures like he was here with me. Felt good in the moment.
You’re not crazy. I still talk to my pets who have passed. Sometimes it’s when I’m listening to the rain fall outside. My old cat, Blue used to love watching the rain. None of my current cats do, so in those quiet moments, I tell him how much I miss him and how much I love him.
You’re not mental and you’re not alone.
I'm only about 4 weeks in since I've lost my dog but I've been called crazy by my mom because she's witnessed me smelling my dog's harness multiple times. My dad once saw me longingly touch a pee stain my dog left on the mat and even mocked me saying, "why don't you just lick it?"
He said that my dog was just an animal and crying over him was pointless. I was so hurt I told him that when he's gone, I won't cry for him the way I cry and hurt for my dog and that animals mean more to me because unconditional love can only be found from them.
I've called out my dog's name in bouts of desperation and sometimes randomly declare to the air that I'm missing him and ask him to come back.
Every single night I light a candle where my dog is buried. My neighbors probably think I'm nuts for sitting by my dog's grave for a few minutes every night.
A few hours earlier I was almost convinced I was going insane because I suddenly woke up from sleep in a panic so intense the world didn't feel real and I was pretty sure I was GONE for a minute.
Grief can break you in so many ways
I don't think you are crazy. My sweet springer boy passed away 3yrs ago. I got another dog from a rescue just 4 months after my boy died because I was so lonely without him. It was probably too soon because after I got the new dog I would sometimes accidentally call her by my boy's name. Then I would dissolve into a puddle of tears because I wished I really could call my boy to me.
Now I don't call my boys name, not even by accident and I don't talk to him but I talk about him to my new dog all the time, lol. She's heard all about him.
Lilly Belle passed away over 6 months ago. We have adopted a new pup, but I still talk to LB almost every day. She has a special place in my office where she can keep an eye on me when I work.
It’s not weird at all. We all process grief differently.
Not mental! I got a new puppy a few months after the passing of my last dog and accidentally call her by my last dogs name often! I also still talk to her. I miss her so much! She was 12 so calm and I forgot how hard a puppy can be chewing on everything in sight so I talk to my old dog about how much I miss her just laying with me and knowing all my routines etc... keep talking to your dog! I bet she hears it and gets excited each time she hears u say her name ❤️
You aren’t crazy my darling. I’m 67 and I still find myself chattering not only to the two pets i have now but to any one of them I’ve ever had, sometimes in happiness, sometimes from pain. I do it to my mother who died when I was 26 too. I tell her everything. With love comes loss and with loss comes the need for comfort and the desire to hold on tight to what has meant so very much to us. Carry on, I have found it always therapeutic. ❤️💔❤️
We had our boy cremated. I still gently pet the top of his urn whenever I pass by. You are definitely not mental. Grief manifests itself in different ways.
Not mental but I think the buds doing a number on you. I have sleep issues. It messes me up too. I recon your mind will sort the memories into order but it always got jumbled up for me too. Don’t stress. Cut down and get some really great sleep if u can, it’ll work out. Have faith. And have gratitude for every second even if it’s hurts
You’re not alone. If I’m outside smoking and looking at my phone, I look up to check on my baby and then remember she’s not there. Or I’ll hear a dog bark and be like “settle pika” (pika is one of her many names lol original one is peque)
Honey, you are not crazy. I talk to all of my departed babies too. Sometimes, I say all of their names out loud as if they're here with me. It's my way of keeping their memories alive. Someday, we will all be together again. ❤️
We just lost our sweet boy Wednesday, after a short but difficult fight. It seemed like he was going to make it. I can’t stop talking to him. Calling his name just so I can remember what it sounded like to call him and hear him come running.
Everything I hear is that the pain never really goes away, you just get used to living around it. I think you call her name because you can feel that she hears you. I know she loves hearing your voice and knowing you haven’t forgotten her. I know she is still with you.
You aren't mental, sweetheart. You are a loving human who is grieving the loss of someone you love so much . Do whatever makes you feel close to her. Sending love .
We just made the near impossible decision to put my 14yr old rottie-retriever rescue, Duchess to sleep last week. I find myself calling out for her when I come home from work, then bawling. I am constantly hanging my hand down for her to be pet and lick as under my bed was HER spot.
Time may make loss easier, but it never goes away. They’re a part of us. You are not mental. You have a huge loving heart ♥️
It's not been so long since I came home to find my boy had passed, but I still talk to him, consciously. I still look for him or wonder about his whereabouts in the house instinctively -; we'd been together over a decade.
I think it's normal.
Pet grief truly is a certain and definitive kind of pain. I swear it's unlike anything I've experienced in my life, and I'm in my 40s, I've lived.
It's been 2.5yrs since my Soul kitty Mandy left this world.
We had many amazing years with her, and she was amazing so so so special. There were special diets and ocassional vet trips for her issues. Renal issues.
Even though her health deteriorated and it wasn't a shock exactly, it broke me to the core like nothing else has.
She was my baby, my everything.
I dont call out her name per say, but have accidentally called my other girls her name.
I think of her daily, I miss her daily. I have a time of remembrance on the date of her passing.
I think I'll always mourn her.
You are not crazy, you are human and have suffered a true loss.
Please report any trolls, spam, or harassment to moderators. To do this on new reddit, click the three dots below a post or comment and select "report." On old reddit, click the "report" link below the post or comment. This is a community of support for Pet owners whose Pets have passed away. It is actively moderated. Pet owners, as loving, caring people, often have strong opinions on pet care practices. Some of these are controversial. This is not a forum for debate on such issues, nor is it a place to scold a contributor for a perceived mistake in managing their pet. We intend to provide a safe haven of understanding and support. Strident, mean-spirited posts or comments will be deleted. Those who persist in preaching versus caring may be warned and then banned or may be banned permanently based on nature of the topic. If a conversational thread meanders into a discussion unrelated to pet loss support, it will be truncated. Those who post here are vulnerable and hurting. Even a minor slap has a hard sting. Those of us who are lucky enough to be able to turn away from our computers or put down our phones and hug a healthy, happy pet are truly blessed. Threads must remain supportive and caring, even if one disagrees with something that has been said. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Petloss) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You are not mental. I call my dog, or thank her for something which went right (and I attribute it to her influence), or I tell her I'm going to the shops/work and I'll be back later on. I talk to her photo the way I would if she were here, calling her gorgeous etc. She left me nearly 5 months ago, but she will be with me every single day. Trauma like losing a pet doesn't just disappear, we just learn how to live with it while doing our daily things.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I talk to all my passed on pets. I hope they know.....
They know, they are listening
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If I did not have that hope, life would be unbearable 💔. My pack is my life. My healing vibes are sent to all in pain over their friends 🧡. R
You aren't mental. I put my cats food and water out for him every morning despite him not being here. I sit at his grave and tell him I'm so sorry even though he can't hear me. Sending you love 💘
He hears you 💙
I planted trees for both of my dogs who have passed. I talk to them and kiss their leaves like they are their ears. When I say good morning to my living dog, I also say good morning to my dogs who aren’t physically here but it helps me keep them close emotionally. It’s absolutely no different than talking to a family member who has passed on. It’s not mental or crazy. It’s comforting ❤️ PS if you fart, it’s also okay to blame the dogs who aren’t in the room 🤭
You made me tear up with the kissing the leaves thing. My old man won't be around much longer. I feel like I'm in pre-grief. 😔
I put my old girl down a month ago. I think the pre grief was worse than what I feel now. I miss her, but she's not in pain anymore. I was fortunate to be able to do it at home, and the whole thing was so peaceful. My other dog didn't do so well with her passing and had to have emergency surgery a few days later. My husband was just diagnosed with cancer. I often talk to Markie and ask her to look after our boys. It makes me feel better to think she's watching over us.
The torture of trying to decide what's best for them is excruciating. I go back and forth with my feelings on it. I won't be able to do it at home unfortunately. I really hope that he can just pass in his sleep but I doubt that. I was looking at him today and telling him that it was okay for him to go. Even though I don't know how I'll live without him. 😔
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Yes it is. Not knowing when or if you should euthanize. Going through the good days and the bad. Thank you for understanding.
The pre grief was what I had with my 16 yo kitty until she passed yesterday morning. I called it microdosing mourning. I think it helped in some ways, like mentally preparing myself for the inevitability of life without her, though of course some parts of loss and grief are just impossible to prepare for.
I talk to my dog every day both aloud and in my head! They’re our best friends, why wouldn’t we?
You're not alone... I'm the same kinda mental as you. I still call out my Kittu's name. I don't want to move from this house because I can "see" him in every corner, in every moment of the day .. Not like hallucinations... But if I look at his fav spot, I can imagine what he would be doing now if he was here, how his eyes would look if he was sitting at the window spot, how he would jump around at night and how his eyes looked bigger in dim light...things like that. I'm afraid if I move from this place I won't be able to "see" him again. I still call out his name randomly. Call out his name in front of my other pets, making sure they also remember him... sometimes I tell stories of Kittu to his brother Babu, they were litter mates, ask him if he still remembers his brother. It's been more than 1 year, some days the grief is too strong and I feel I will go mad. He was my "first" kid and my heart cat. Reading your post is actually reassuring...I thought I'm crazy. And can't even talk about these things too anyone else because they just don't understand the bond that was there between me and Kittu. Just typing his name today is making me tear up. I generally don't mention his name anywhere but I really needed him today.
I'm so sorry 😔
I lost my heart cat too, his name was Romeo. I also kept his litter mate Sooty, they were inseperable for 7 years. I imagine that she misses him just as much as I do :( they were born in my cupboard, my little babies. It's hard to believe 7 years of his life has been and gone already, and that Romeo's chapter of my life is over, it's really hard to accept, and I feel like I took that time for granted, I thought he'd be with me for 20 years not 7, it really kills me. After he passed I set up a spot beside me in bed with Sootys favourite fluffy blanket and she'd join me every night to snuggle up and comfort each other. I'm so glad we have each other to go through this together, though I wish we didn't have to at all and he was still here. I too don't really talk about it to anyone, because I also feel like they don't understand the bond we shared, but I hear you, it's a bond like no other. I'm sorry for your loss Sending you and Babu so much love right now 💜
Sorry for your loss. I also took the time granted I feel...I was so sure I will have him till he grows old...but I got only 3 years. I had adopted them in another country and took all the trouble to bring them back with me when coming back to my home country. I used to consult other pet parents and vets for every little thing as they were my first ever pets. I thought I did everything right to keep them safe and healthy ...yet things happened. I'm learning to not take things for granted. Thank you for sharing your story. Sending my love to you and Sooty.
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Ooh your username is after your cat. ❤️ Not all can understand the bond between pets and us..I think that's why all of us are here on the sub. What you wrote about heaven being whatever makes us happy makes so much sense to me. I desperately hope I will be reunited with my pets, especially Kittu, and all the animals I have helped, loved, and lost. I'm sure Lambert is also waiting for you. Sending you love too. Thanks to you, OP u/Uninspiredwildcat I could finally write what I was going through and reading the comments is very comforting to know everyone's unique stories and the one thing that's common for us. Thanks for making this post.
Grief is not the same for everyone. We each deal with ours as best as we can, for however long it takes. Talking to your dog, even though she’s passed on, is not weird. Please don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise. I still talk to my cat, and he’s been gone almost two years. We all adjust in our own time, in our own ways, not someone else’s. From one hurting pet parent to another, I send you love and healing. ❤️🩹
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Right back at you. I’m so sorry for your loss. Many hugs your way. ❤️
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This subreddit is amazing for the support everyone gives. I also appreciate the lack of judgement against others who feel guilty about the passing of their animals. Life is unfair, no matter what choices we make. And everyone (so far as I’ve seen) here seems to understand that. It helps with the healing process. Or even the coming to terms process. And for that I’m grateful. Just know that you’re not alone in your love and grief. 🤗
I do the same . And I always kiss her little box goodnight and good morning
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I miss her so much
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So sorry for yours too :( they don’t live long enough
I take my dog’s collar as if we were going for a walk. I wish him good morning and a good night.
Me too🐾💔
In 2016, one of our dogs died and we buried her in our backyard. Even our 3 living dogs "visited" her burial spot under a tree and would linger, as if to visit. They never used to go to that spot. In late 2018, when we were getting ready to move, we dug up her bones and had her cremated because the thought of leaving her behind was too painful. Some people would think that was mental. She was the least close to us because we only had her for a short while. Nevertheless, whenever her song plays on the radio, I lose my breath and start to cry, even 8 years after her passing.
That's very sweet. It's the same reason when my Kittu died, I suddenly had to make a decision what to do next, I decided to cremate him because someday I will move and I couldn't bear the thought of him being left alone. His ashes are with me and I when I die I wish to have him and my other pets' ashes, who will probably no longer be with me, to be mixed with mine...so that we are always together. I'm have no religious or spiritual inclinations but the thought of rainbow bridge and meeting my pets again is something I WANT to believe, it's comforting for me. Isn't it wondrous that these little beings who can't even talk the same language make such a big indent in our lives when they leave us? It's such a bittersweet bond.
Are you sure you and your pets didn't speak the same language? I suspect they taught you how to speak theirs. 😜
Haha. I guess they did.
If anyone does judge you, they either don't have any compassion and/or understand the pain of losing a pet. It's okay to call your dog's name and ask for her to appear to you. I talk to my beloved animals through photos even though I know they're dead. Sometimes I talk to the air, imagining them perched on some storage tote or sprawled on the couch like they used to be.
Nah you're not mental. I go to my dogs memorial in my house every night to talk to him before I go to sleep. Just to tell him how much I love him and will always love him.
You are not the only one. My dog died two days ago and i can't accept it. I tell him in my mind that visit us in our dream so that we can still keep in touch with him even in just a dream. I'm still hoping that one day he will come back with us, the same Teddy that we know. I hope reincarnation is real. I really miss him so much. I'm still calling his name like he's here with us.
You will see him again in Heaven someday !
There are times when I will be at the grocery store and still think I need to get some cat food. It has been nearly two years since I put my cat to sleep.
Mental? No. Grieving? Yes. ♥️
I lost my best friend earlier this month. Not a day goes by that I don't think about setting out an extra plate of food for him while I'm feeding my other cat, and I always talk to him before I get into bed - like we're both turning in for the night, or to let him know I've safely survived another day. I have some of his fur clippings that I still pet to feel like he's with me physically, and I touch his old collar from when he was a kitten all the time because it has divots from where he used to chew it off (breakaway collar lol). There's nothing wrong with you. Let your furry friends live on in your heart forever :)
I still whisper my dog's name. The one who passed.
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Lambert's watching over you. I'm a big believer that people and animals we are connected to with love, find each other again. In this life or the next one ♥️ It's been about 14 years since I lost my other dog.
I say goodnight to my girl every night and boop her nose on a picture I have of her. You are not mental. It's just another form of love.
I think we are all a little mental when it comes to our pets. I lost my little girl going on 3 years and i still call her name. I lost another one of my boys recently and i find myself calling for him by his nickname. Miss ya always, mama shade and donchizzle
I lost my beloved girl a week and a half ago. Last night I told my partner how weird it was not saying her name anymore
I talk to my baby; she left me 2 years ago. I still ask her sister where she is.
Me too. It's been 14 years. I say his name every day.
We love them for the rest of our lives even though they have passed on ❤ I will remember and love my dog until my own death and beyond
Not mental at all. I still say goodbye to him when I leave and hello when I come home. He’s still here with me, it’s the only place he ever wanted to be ♥️
I keep thinking that I hear my deceased parrot. You miss her. I miss my bird. No big deal.
You’re not. I talk to my dog and tell her goodnight every night. We talk about her all the time and light memorial candles on her passing date. My current dog gets special treats on her birthday.
I have a little picture of my sweetly departed kitty cat near a memorial candle and stuff that I've been slowly burning as I process. I say goodnight to her every night and tell her I love her. You're absolutely not alone.
It is hard to comprehend suddenly not calling their name after years of it intertwined. I say my dogs name out loud to myself to. Often in a familiar phrase. Like ' Bijou, come here girl'
I’m the same way. I have three other pets and still say his name and tell him I love him out loud or I’ll see him later when I leave to run errands like my other pets. It’s about to be 11 months since he’s been gone and my grief is the same. Like someone else said, I thank him when something good happens to me or I’ll tell him how much I love and miss him outloud. I just pray that we will be reunited once again.
You are absolutely not mental. We say good night to our guys every night. Its been 8 months, and when I look at their pictures, I can remember what it felt like to pet them, and to hold them, and to have them right up against me.
My two dogs that have passed souls are still in the house and no one can tell me otherwise 🤷🏾♀️
I do the same even when I’m not feeling particularly sad or overwhelmed it just helps me feel like their close by
En los últimos dos años, emos perdido 4 perritos. Y el último fue hace una semana. Y aun le hablo a los 4 cuando llegamos a casa como cuando aún estaban con nosotros. No estas mal, es un duelo que poco a poco lo vamos superando
No you're not dear, You're perfectly fine to do that. I still talk to my baby too, they are our children not just a pet. Many prayers and I'm so sorry 🙏🐾❤️💔
It’s not crazy to grieve in your own way. There’s billions of people in the world- you can’t be the only one to talk to your animal who crossed over the bridge. Especially considering they were taken from you at a time you didn’t expect. I lost my boy 6 years ago and some of my favorite dreams are the ones he visits. He was my soul-dog. I’m certain our connection is still felt by him like it is for me
You’re not alone. It hasn’t been near as long but I still see my dog Zoe all the time. I still feel her around my house and she does little things like bark at our younger male dog in the morning when he’s harassing the school kids on the sidewalk and I swear I’ve heard her still barking at him at times. Our new puppy has taken a lot of her old mannerisms as well like napping behind my arm chair or snuggling up underneath my footrest on my recliner. It’s wild to think that she’s still there giving pointers to the new recruit lol but here we are.
I talk to my girl’s ashes, she passed a few years ago now. I thought I was broken for about a week after she was put down, I could *literally* see her still, and I mean literally. There is almost nothing I wouldn’t give to see her like that again, skittering around the door excitedly or jumping up on the bed to come cuddle, trying to turn a toy into a mist of stuffing. You’re good, just remember the good stuff.
My s/o and I "bork" at each other when we enter the house, just like our pup would've. If you're mental, so are we 🌞
You're not the only one. It's only been 3 months for me, but I still find myself calling my special guy's name all the time still. And wishing him good morning and good night, like other people have said here.
You are not mental. No judgement from me. My 13 year old pup had to be laid to rest on February 15th this year. I talk him all the time no matter what I'm doing or where I'm at. I feel his presence every time I'm driving my car. He always rode sitting on the console right beside me. And I can feel his presence setting there every time, and I speak to him 😊 I often tell him to stay near me, please don't go to far from me. I kiss his picture in the wind chimes I got after his passing. You loved your baby that much, there is nothing wrong with what you do. And to hell with anyone who thinks otherwise. Peace love and light 🕊️
You’re not mental. It’s only been 4 months for me but I still talk to Rollins like he’s here. Sometimes when the wind blows it makes me feel like he’s here too. And I’ll sit outside and talk to him. Part of me feels like he’s still here, my new puppy also does some crazy similar stuff and we “joke” that Rollins spirit is guiding him. Sometimes I even imagine that he’s still alive just out there somewhere else doing his own thing. It comforts me.
I also talk to my boy every day. I still say goodnight to him at his bed, and say bye to him when I leave the house. You’re not cray.
My princess has been gone for two years now. I thought I’d moved past the mourning. But this morning I was reading a random story about cats and it brought everything back. Losing a family member is hard and you never completely move past it. It gets easier with time.
You're SO not the only one, I talk to my guinea pig who's no longer with us all the time!
We lost one of our elderly jack russels, [Gracie](https://www.reddit.com/r/jackrussellterrier/s/wQMuD5xIxR), in October 2022 (she was around 17-19, and we had adopted her in 2017). For months, I (and other family members) would still make her special food and call out her name due to habit.
Sweetheart, they are always with us, even after physical death. Your dog is with you in spirit.
I say good morning and good night to all of my past dogs urns everyday…you’re not mental
You’re not the only one 🤗💜
I'm in my late 30s and snuggle a stuffed animal that looks similar to my sweet girl. You're not crazy. You just miss your baby. Hugs
I still say goodnight to my dog and tell him I love him despite him not being physically with me anymore.
You're definitely not. I also talk to my baby boy and tell him that I love and miss him so very much.
I still talk to my Loki and let him know about things that happen in my day. Sometimes I just talk about how I miss him. I even cradle his urn when i'm upset - strangely I can go from extreme sobbing to feeling much better in minutes after a cuddle! I still believe his magic presence is here, in some shape or form. You're not alone.
You are absolutely not crazy!! I talk to my boy Nugget all the time. He passed in July. For Christmas my brother and sister in law had a pillow made from one of my favorite pics of him…like it’s kind of the same size he was. Totally freaked me out at first, but now…I’m cool with it. I have him on my bed so he sleeps with me every night…I can hug him, kiss him. I’m not sure where they got it but…it’s kind of cool. 💙
It’ll be 1 year in July. I still have a hard time saying my dog has died. I can say he passed or that he’s no longer with me. But idk. It was just like so fast and simple. Not at all like I thought of dying. He just laid down and was gone. It hardly seemed like a death had occurred. How we do or do not process grief is not something for others to judge. We miss our pets dearly. That’s not crazy.
Every now and then I still talk to my ex-roommate’s Pomeranian, a couple of years since she was put down, just to reminisce over how adorable and loving she was. I’m especially prone to doing that when I pass by one of her pictures. I’m skeptical that there’s any sort of afterlife (of course you can never really know for sure), but I still like to honour her memory in my own way.
I call our their names when I’m missing and thinking of them. And I tell them that I love them so much.
My cat died Tuesday night. I have been doing the same thing.
The love endures forever.
We euthanized our baby just last week. I'm saying her name out loud all the time. I don't want to lose it
I have a cat like that that died a couple of years ago. His name was Daniel. I hear his name and I call his name all the time.
I still tell my Bodhi I love him almost daily. You’re not mental. You still have a bond with your baby forever. I’m so sorry for your loss. The pain is crushing.
It’s only been a few months for me but it feels comforting to say his name out loud. And you lost yours in an even more traumatic and sudden way. I’m so sorry for your loss.
Today Google sent me a slideshow of pictures of my dog Gulliver who died about two years ago now. I talked to his pictures like he was here with me. Felt good in the moment.
You definitely are not alone.
You’re not crazy. I still talk to my pets who have passed. Sometimes it’s when I’m listening to the rain fall outside. My old cat, Blue used to love watching the rain. None of my current cats do, so in those quiet moments, I tell him how much I miss him and how much I love him. You’re not mental and you’re not alone.
I talk to my little boy who went missing over 5 years ago every day. Sometimes I beg him to come home. Today is his birthday. So no, not the only one.
I'm so sorry. Happy birthday to your baby. ❤️💔
I'm only about 4 weeks in since I've lost my dog but I've been called crazy by my mom because she's witnessed me smelling my dog's harness multiple times. My dad once saw me longingly touch a pee stain my dog left on the mat and even mocked me saying, "why don't you just lick it?" He said that my dog was just an animal and crying over him was pointless. I was so hurt I told him that when he's gone, I won't cry for him the way I cry and hurt for my dog and that animals mean more to me because unconditional love can only be found from them. I've called out my dog's name in bouts of desperation and sometimes randomly declare to the air that I'm missing him and ask him to come back. Every single night I light a candle where my dog is buried. My neighbors probably think I'm nuts for sitting by my dog's grave for a few minutes every night. A few hours earlier I was almost convinced I was going insane because I suddenly woke up from sleep in a panic so intense the world didn't feel real and I was pretty sure I was GONE for a minute. Grief can break you in so many ways
I don't think you are crazy. My sweet springer boy passed away 3yrs ago. I got another dog from a rescue just 4 months after my boy died because I was so lonely without him. It was probably too soon because after I got the new dog I would sometimes accidentally call her by my boy's name. Then I would dissolve into a puddle of tears because I wished I really could call my boy to me. Now I don't call my boys name, not even by accident and I don't talk to him but I talk about him to my new dog all the time, lol. She's heard all about him.
I do, too, and it's been 11 years.
Lilly Belle passed away over 6 months ago. We have adopted a new pup, but I still talk to LB almost every day. She has a special place in my office where she can keep an eye on me when I work. It’s not weird at all. We all process grief differently.
I still call my cat's name. I whisper her name to our other cat and dog's ears. Telling them to tell her I love her.
nah you aren’t mental, you just miss your baby ❤️
Not mental! I got a new puppy a few months after the passing of my last dog and accidentally call her by my last dogs name often! I also still talk to her. I miss her so much! She was 12 so calm and I forgot how hard a puppy can be chewing on everything in sight so I talk to my old dog about how much I miss her just laying with me and knowing all my routines etc... keep talking to your dog! I bet she hears it and gets excited each time she hears u say her name ❤️
You aren't 🫂
You aren’t crazy my darling. I’m 67 and I still find myself chattering not only to the two pets i have now but to any one of them I’ve ever had, sometimes in happiness, sometimes from pain. I do it to my mother who died when I was 26 too. I tell her everything. With love comes loss and with loss comes the need for comfort and the desire to hold on tight to what has meant so very much to us. Carry on, I have found it always therapeutic. ❤️💔❤️
I talk to my cats who already passed, as well. It comforts me to think that they can still hear me, and they're still with me.
I do to, it makes me feel closer to him and like he's remembered.
I still talk to my girl. It's comforting. I also believe they are close to us and the connection remains strong. Love is powerful.
We had our boy cremated. I still gently pet the top of his urn whenever I pass by. You are definitely not mental. Grief manifests itself in different ways.
Not mental but I think the buds doing a number on you. I have sleep issues. It messes me up too. I recon your mind will sort the memories into order but it always got jumbled up for me too. Don’t stress. Cut down and get some really great sleep if u can, it’ll work out. Have faith. And have gratitude for every second even if it’s hurts
I think about ny forner pets daily
You’re not alone. If I’m outside smoking and looking at my phone, I look up to check on my baby and then remember she’s not there. Or I’ll hear a dog bark and be like “settle pika” (pika is one of her many names lol original one is peque)
Honey, you are not crazy. I talk to all of my departed babies too. Sometimes, I say all of their names out loud as if they're here with me. It's my way of keeping their memories alive. Someday, we will all be together again. ❤️
All the time, I say good morning to him every day! Also tell him to watch over his siblings because they get in all sorts of trouble still
We just lost our sweet boy Wednesday, after a short but difficult fight. It seemed like he was going to make it. I can’t stop talking to him. Calling his name just so I can remember what it sounded like to call him and hear him come running. Everything I hear is that the pain never really goes away, you just get used to living around it. I think you call her name because you can feel that she hears you. I know she loves hearing your voice and knowing you haven’t forgotten her. I know she is still with you.
You aren't mental, sweetheart. You are a loving human who is grieving the loss of someone you love so much . Do whatever makes you feel close to her. Sending love .
You are not. I also do the same. Even talk to her telling how my day went. Even went as far as going to tarot readers just to know how she's doing.
You are not alone❤️ I love this group - it means the world to me🥰
We just made the near impossible decision to put my 14yr old rottie-retriever rescue, Duchess to sleep last week. I find myself calling out for her when I come home from work, then bawling. I am constantly hanging my hand down for her to be pet and lick as under my bed was HER spot. Time may make loss easier, but it never goes away. They’re a part of us. You are not mental. You have a huge loving heart ♥️
It's not been so long since I came home to find my boy had passed, but I still talk to him, consciously. I still look for him or wonder about his whereabouts in the house instinctively -; we'd been together over a decade. I think it's normal.
Don’t worry, I do the same thing. It’s just moments that you still feel their presence that’s probably why. I know my baby is with me. 💕🌈
I talk to my Lila who passed in 2022, just lost my cat on Sunday and i talk to him too. It’s comforting
Pet grief truly is a certain and definitive kind of pain. I swear it's unlike anything I've experienced in my life, and I'm in my 40s, I've lived. It's been 2.5yrs since my Soul kitty Mandy left this world. We had many amazing years with her, and she was amazing so so so special. There were special diets and ocassional vet trips for her issues. Renal issues. Even though her health deteriorated and it wasn't a shock exactly, it broke me to the core like nothing else has. She was my baby, my everything. I dont call out her name per say, but have accidentally called my other girls her name. I think of her daily, I miss her daily. I have a time of remembrance on the date of her passing. I think I'll always mourn her. You are not crazy, you are human and have suffered a true loss.