After losing a beloved pet are you tempted to get another quickly?

Question

To anyone who has ever loved having a pet.My pet was a cat and I have always said that they have personalities and characteristics which you miss when they are gone.

Around the 11th of December 2006, I noticed a lump on the side of her neck. But I could do nothing, I had serious food poisoning. So It was the 21st of December when I took her to the vet. The news shocked me. It was cancer he said, without taking any tests. He noted other things were wrong and her bill of health was bad, he felt she would not live long into the new year.

Medication was prescribed to see if things would improve, and for awhile after I felt I could see a difference. Then changes occured again, in the week beginning 22ndJan 2007, I felt that her throat was hardening like a golf ball and Sunday it ulcerated. My neighbour and I, decided that unless a miracle was possible we had to put her to sleep Wednesday 31st Jan. My home feels empty. It was very fast in developing and there is a lack of info. ??

Answer 1

I know how you feel.
Time will tell or heal.
The next pet that comes into your life shall have the love it needs.
Goodluck.

Answer 2

I am so sorry that you lost your cat. It sounds like you really loved her. I think that sometimes cat lovers and also veterinarians have false hopes, and keep going even when the cat is never going to get better. Was your cat young? It sounds like your veterinarian was being realistic, based on how quickly the disease progressed. Sometimes cancer in young cats is caused or aided by viruses, like the feline leukemia virus (FeLV)or the feline imunosuppresive virus(FIV). Other times, in older cats, it is another type of cancer, and some of them are very fast.
Either way, it is not a bad thing to get another pet. I think it is good to get a pet that is somehow different, because you can't replace your pet that you lost, and you don't want to feel like you are comparing the new pet to the one that you still miss. Some people will get a totally different kind of animal, others will get a different color, sex and breed so that they are different. If you are a cat person I would suggest going to your local shelter and "hanging out" with the cats that need homes, getting to know them a bit.. You may just fall in love with one of them and know that this is the one that you want to take home. Another thing some people do is to adopt 2 instead of just 1 - it tends to make the house feel less empty real quick, if you have the emotional resources to care for 2 new ones at the same time. It is fun to get 2 kittens, they are entertaining and will make you laugh. On the other hand, if you go visit with potential adoptees and feel like you are not ready, a lot of shelters have support groups to talk with other people that are sad over the loss of thier lost pet, which help conect with other people that are feeling the same thing you do.
God Bless and good luck - after losing my first pet 20 years ago, I deal with it by always having at least 2 , that way I always have somebody to hug.

Answer 3

In Oct. 2003, I lost my beautiful white domestic long-haired cat to old age at 16 1/2 years old. His kidneys just slowly started to go bad. Near the end, he could barely walk or eat. I think 16 1/2 years is pretty old for a cat, but I was expecting him to last 17 or 18 years. He was an indoor and an outdoor cat. I was grief-stricken when I had to drive him to the hospital to be put to sleep. I was crying so much, I never thought I would get over it. My cat was my friend. I raised him since he was about 4 weeks old in 1987. I have not gotten any pets since his death. But, now I am starting to yearn for another cat. It's been over 3 years now. I haven't decided if I really want to commit to having another cat. But, I hate the feeling of the loss when a pet dies.

Answer 4

I really feel for you, but my advise is get another pet as quickly as possible,it will be hard but believe me it will be worth it in the long run.
I lost my dog 4 years ago and my cat followed a fortnight later,everybody kept telling me to get more pets but I could not betray my two beloved friends.
I did not leave the house for two years,after all what was there to go out for,I had my shopping bought in and I did not have to go for walks over the fields.
I spent a lot of time on a website www.in-memory-of-pets.com it helped a lot and I put pictures in the cadlelight ceremony.
If and when you get your new pet you will be comparing them all the time, but this is only natural,remember there is a special friend out there just for you,waiting patiently with its own little character.
Your cat has gone to join all other beloved pets mine included at the bridge.

Answer 5

It is always sad when we lose our beloved pets but please believe that even if you had been able to take her to the vets earlier there would have been nothing he could have done. It would have made no difference. All animals have their own personaliies thats true and when we lose them it is tempting to rush out and get another. However remember that she cannot be replaced and sometimes it is better to allow yourself time to grieve b4 getting another pet. It will not be the same character just different so as long as you know this and it will not have to live in your past pets shadow go and look at the rescue centres in your area. There are so many that req good homes and they would really appreciate your taking one home to love as you loved your other one. Maybe they there cause their owner passed on. Anyway that my advice to you.

Answer 6

Yes, numerous times. The first being an old Border Collie that my mom and dad had before I was even born. She died when I was 7 and I'll never forget her and how she used to watch over us kids. The most recent one was my little beagle/lab mix named Jigger. A man at my dad's work found him walking down the road and knew that I wouldn't be able to resist him. He stuck by my side at all times and I never once had to put him on a leash unless we were in town where we could've gotten in trouble for it. My brother used to take him hunting and when he was staying with my dad he'd follow my dad's tractor out in the fields and help my dad hunt groundhogs. He was one of the best dogs a person could ever ask for and I still miss him dearly. My dad still refuses to get a dog because he doesn't think he'll ever meet one as good as Jigger was. I wish he could have met my current dog because those two would have loved each other so much!

Answer 7

My sweetie seemed perfectly fine until he started having loose stool, spitting up food. I called my vet and they told me, over the phone without even seeing the cat, that he probably had a hairball that wouldn't pass and I should put 2 tsps. of mineral oil down his throat (which I did and it got all over his beautiful fur and made it greasy). I thought he might just be stressed because I'd been working so much lately and hadn't had much time to spend with him. Then he started to make very weird sounds and didn't want to be touched at all (and this was a very affectionate cat), and he'd always be lying legs tucked under him in this particular box in the coldest, darkest place in the apartment. He also stopped eating and drinking completely--this was all within about 5 days. I could not get a vet appointment (too booked up) even though it was obvious that the cat had something more than a hairball going on so I took him to the emergency vet place when I got home that night. They said he had a tumor that had grown through most of his guts, his white blood count was way high, he was dehydrated (of course, he hadn't drunk anything in days), he wasn't eating because nothing could move through and they couldn't do anything to fix it because it was a huge tumor (and they suspected it was cancerous). They gave him IV fluids which just bloated him up. He had taken on that otherworldly look (like they have removed their consciousness from this world). After discussion with the vet, I decided it would be best to have my baby put to sleep rather than suffer any longer since there wasn't anything that could be done. It all felt so sudden and I was totally unprepared to not have him in my life anymore. I was pretty torn up. And grieved for about 3 months but slowly began to miss having not only him but the comforts pets offer, missed coming home to a soft warm fuzzy body who is glad to see me. And then right when I was thinking I'd go to the SPCA and adopt a couple cats, a coworker posted that he was "getting rid of his cats, new girlfriend who is allergic, if no one adopts within X days, they're going to the pound." So I adopted them.

Basically, how soon you get a new pet is totally up to you. My sister had to put her elderly and much loved dog down 2 weeks ago and her family is slowly starting to talk about maybe taking in a new pet. If you have the love and care for a new pet, and won't constantly be comparing the new pet to the old one, then get another furry body to shower your love on. There's someone out there who desperately needs your loving kindness.

Answer 8

Oh sweetie, I can so sympathize with you! 3 years ago on February 13th, we lost our beloved Tagg to cancer. (lung) We had no idea he even had it until the end. He got into huge coughing fits and began vomiting orange frothy stuff and was unable to walk, meow, drink, or eat. We took him that night to the vet where we were told he'd be lucky to live until the morning because the mass had gotten so big and his coughing had torn a hole in his lung. We chose to allow him to go peacefully and get out of the agony he was in. For us, getting a new pet wasn't an option. We were too heart broken and not ready to give our hearst to another just yet, plus we have another cat that needed our TLC since she got really depressed after Tagg died. We waited until last year when my sister's cat had kittens. We still miss Tagg and think of him every day, the quirky little things that made him who he was, but Cody is so much like him it's given us more peace. Sometimes finding a place for that excess love in you to go works best for you but for others, it's just too soon. Good luck, my deepest condolences!

Answer 9

I'm so sorry about your kitty. :-( That just kills me.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to get a new pet soon after the death of another. It would not be a replacement; it would be a comfort. I've lost many pets along the way, and I have always found that getting a new one to love and cuddle helps to ease the pain.

And, remember, getting a new pet from the pound would be saving a life!

Answer 10

I have found that when I lose a pet that it really helps when I get another one. There are so many that need homes and I know that I would be saving a life when I adopt. So it makes me feel better and I do it in honor of the one I lost.

Answer 11

I'm so sorry about your pet. She must have meant a lot to you.
When my cat, Dexler, died, I was heartbroken. I never had a thought of getting a new pet, as none could replace my dear Dexy. A year after that, I realized my home felt empty and lonely without a playful cat to frisk it up a bit, so I got my kitten Mr. Bubs! We all feel sad after the death of a pet, but don't rush yourself in getting a new one.