Why does pet grief last for years?

“I lost my baby yesterday.”source ↗

“And now my days are just going to be empty.”source ↗

“I miss him so bad. I want him back.”source ↗

“Does anyone have any advice or stories to tell about dealing with the pain?”source ↗

“My heart is heavy and I never thought I would cry until my throat hurt again.”source ↗

“I miss him every single day and I would do anything to have him back in my arms or touch his soft fur one last time.”source ↗

“Could I have done something differently? Maybe I should've waited before deworming him, he was still too weak.”source ↗

“We chose to put her down. Its been so hard. She was my Buddy Bear, gaming buddy and my best friend.”source ↗

“I keep looking at the spot by our patio door, expecting to see her sitting there. Everything in our home brings back memories of her.”source ↗

“Shes been with us for so long, now the house is so quiet. Its been a week or so now and I keep catching myself waiting for her to appear behind me after returning home to demand food.”source ↗

“I dont know what ill ever do without her.”source ↗

“Our old man Jaws sadly passed suddenly this morning.”source ↗

“My heart is broken, but I'm glad my hubby was with him when he passed.”source ↗

“It has been a sad Sunday, we are heartbroken, I just wish we had been able to do more, and I wish we would have just spent the $1000 at the emergency vet.”source ↗

“Cinnamon my sweetest boy lost his battle with cancer and I don't think I'll ever have a cat as caring as cinny.”source ↗

“I miss him so much.”source ↗

“She was 22. Its been a few years since she passed but I still miss her so much. I feel so alone without her.”source ↗

“Who was just hit by a car two and a half hours ago. He was an 11 YO Abyssinian. Aptly named, he was quite mischievous. He loved the outdoors but was a homebody.”source ↗

“I found my youngest cat, Chip “Sausage” (6 yo), this morning. He just looked like he was sleeping; he looked peaceful, but I immediately knew something was not right. He had passed away. No warnings, no abnormal behavior this past week. I am heartbroken for him, my kids, and my other cat, Gizmo”source ↗

“My baby lou i hope you are always in my life in every universe and im crying writing this.”source ↗

“Lou had been missing for 3 days. We were scared, we tried asking people and no one knew still we kept home he will come soon.”source ↗

“Our baby, passed away with 21 years old.”source ↗

“On Tuseday I came home and she was gone. Im so lost without her.”source ↗

“Came out this morning to find my cat had been attacked by dogs, she was such a great cat. 😢 My other cat is still missing, I hope he comes home.”source ↗

“He decided to suddenly die with no warning signs today and leave me heartbroken.”source ↗

“I honestly don't know how I'm going to cope without him he's been there for me during my worst times and now he's not here to help me get through this.”source ↗

“Both of the kittens I cared for passed away. I haven't even named them.”source ↗

“The fact that they're now a memory breaks my heart.”source ↗

“Last night, my wife and I said goodbye to our 16 yo Russian Blue.”source ↗

“It's very quiet in the house this morning and I'm still looking in her hiding spots hoping to find her.”source ↗

“Why do these little balls of fur get so deep in your heart that it's earth shattering when you have to say goodbye? 😥”source ↗

“as he is getting on I'm struck with fear of losing him, especially as we've come so close so many times already.”source ↗

“I've broken down so many times today cos I just need him to be okay.”source ↗

“Let me bring up the other side - after my dog died I started having recurring anxiety for the first time in my life and I’ve been battling it ever since.”source ↗

“I lost my dog last July and barely eat or left the house for months. Only to go to work and get necessities. It was a miserable existence.”source ↗

“Currently I’m just trying to cheer myself up but I’ve never felt this feeling before. Are there any tips or suggestions yall have for helping myself through this process.”source ↗

“I lost my cat Mia and it’s been very hard.”source ↗

“We had send this sweet mischievous boy over the rainbow bridge yesterday. After battling illnesses for the past year.”source ↗

“He was my best friend and he got us through some of the hardest times in our lives.”source ↗

“This was us every night for 15 years until last December. It has been very hard to fall asleep since then. I miss my Mackie.”source ↗

“I came home today and, out of habit, went to the bedroom to go pet her. I miss her so much, I don't know what to do.”source ↗

“I just feel completely numb, and while I can laugh and be fun with my friends, I come home and I bawl like a baby.”source ↗

“I don't know how to fix this. I don't know what to do. She was just a baby and I just feel like I failed her.”source ↗

“I went through a similar experience after my service dog passed away. I was so used to having him go absolutely everywhere with me that I couldn’t bring myself to go out anywhere”source ↗

“I lost my cat, Rinn, this morning. He went peacefully after a very quick and sudden spate of issues that seemingly deteriorated over just 24 hours.”source ↗

“I think the hardest part will be the routine, the parts of it that remind me of him. Does anyone have any advice or maybe their own experience of ways to deal with grief?”source ↗

“I don't know how to deal with this dread and heaviness.”source ↗

“I feel so guilty for not being able to help him when he needs me the most.”source ↗

“I don't even know if he's alive or not.”source ↗

“I hope he didn’t suffer because of me. Was this normal? I was hoping to use lap of love but he unexpectedly declined so rapidly the last hour. I feel so numb by the loss.”source ↗

“I don't even know how I can put the way i feel into words right now but in summary all I've done today is bawl my eyes out, it's been years since my fur baby went missing and I have moved away.”source ↗

“The realization that he's never coming back to me absolutely hurts. It's pointless to mourn when he's already gone, no matter how hard I cry he is never coming back.”source ↗

“It still hurts 🩷”source ↗

“Today my sweet 6 week old baby Luna passed away.”source ↗

“I don't know where to start processing this grief, I've lost pets before but they have always been planned.”source ↗

“This is the first one that passed in our arms.”source ↗

“My other cat has been acting very weird since the passing. He prefers to stay in the bathroom which is very strange since he was always the more social cat.”source ↗

“He also has been “scuttling” or “scampering” around the house more as if he is suddenly more insecure about his environment.”source ↗

“sorry for your loss. In my post here The beaglier on the left has passed a few moths back. Some activities without her seems strained.”source ↗

“I used to not think about her all the time, but I got a new cat after 6 years and I feel awful every time I remember.”source ↗

“I am so sorry that you are feeling the pain that has been forced on many us when losing a beloved pet.”source ↗

“I sob every time I read about kitties crossing the rainbow bridge here on reddit, fearing the day that might happen to my baby 😭”source ↗

“What bothers me the most was he was just left there, I just pray he didn’t have to suffer for long”source ↗

“Thinking about his future loss crushes me- hes 14.”source ↗

“However im so clogged with grief I cannot find any room in my heart for her.”source ↗

“I can't sleep or eat like before and i been breaking down infront multiple people.”source ↗

“Suukiri was screaming with pain during those hours.”source ↗

“She passed away infront of the doctor. Because of the blood she had lost not because her legs are broken.”source ↗

“i lost my childhood dog recently the same way. its so hard.”source ↗

“Lost the love of my life more than 11 years ago, and I still miss him terribly 😿”source ↗

“It's hard to say goodbye, no matter how long time we get together with our fur-babies.”source ↗

“It really was a mistake to let him outside, but we all felt bad keeping him trapped.”source ↗

“It never gets easier i guess 💕 i think about all my fur babies that i've lost almost everyday”source ↗

“Friend, I feel crazy sometimes… I’ve had cats my entire life, and I have loved every single one fiercely.”source ↗

“Yes. I also go to check on my 15 year old girl when she's snoozing in a different room to see if she's still OK.”source ↗

“After a poison scare with one of my girls, I experienced what it was like to feel anxiety for the first time. Like continuous, terrible, never lifting anxiety.”source ↗

“We lost our 20 year old gray striped tabby Shadow last year. Our three grown sons are still grieving.”source ↗

“I lost 3 this year, 2 in the same week. It’s tough.”source ↗

“Missing my sweet babies, Eugene and Daisy. Rest in peace and enjoy all the treats and wet food in kitty heaven.”source ↗

“I’m so sorry for your loss and even more sorry that you couldn’t say goodbye to your baby.”source ↗

“I went through something similar with my previous partner. It’s hard to not be able to be there for them”source ↗

“I'm tired of being told we don't care about her because she lives on the porch in a house I built her by hand.”source ↗

“It’s painful, we never ready for this. We knew one day would come, but we never ready”source ↗

“Mine died 2 days ago but I just posted today”source ↗

“I had an elder stray move in with us. Unfortunately he had FIV and he was only with us a year. Mitchell was my best friend that year and I needed him. I’m so sorry for your loss.”source ↗

“It’s hard enough losing a pet when they’re older…but at the tender age of 6 and suddenly is tremendously hard.”source ↗