Over the rainbow x
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I have kept guinea pigs most of my life and I'm pretty much obsessed with them. I love them with all of my heart which means I inevitably end up heartbroken when it is time to say goodbye. Keeping piggies for years I've obviously lost enough to make me think I should not get so attached in order to save my own heartbreak. I've said countless times I will never get another piggie because it hurts too much but of course I do and fall in love all over again. If you're here from instagram you will know that in January I lost my precious Freddie and to say it hurt would be an understatement. Freddie was my 15th piggie loss, and it still felt like someone had ripped out my heart, I cried for weeks, still can't listen to a Disney song ( we listened to them together) can hardly bare to see his photos and its still raw after 4mths. It seems so long since i saw him last and it hurts to know I won't see him again. (here come the tears again)
If you are a guinea pig owner or an owner of any small pet you may have heard the old 'its just a guinea pig' 'get another one' type comments from people that don't understand that they're a pet just like any other. This obviously is even more upsetting as it makes you feel as if your grief is more trivial than someone who perhaps lost a cat or a dog. I remember going in to work puffy eyed and upset as I'd lost my Ivy Stripes and someone told me I was stupid and should just get another! Grief is grief, no matter whether its for the tiniest or largest of animals, what makes the pain is how much you've loved that creature.
So thats where I'll begin with the question, how do you to cope with loss? and it sounds obvious but remember how much love you gave to your pet and realise that the pain you feel is due to all that love. It often hurts so much you can't breathe but you do breathe and time does indeed begin to heal your heart. Whenever I have lost a pet I've always found the need to have a physical reminder of them such as saving a piece of hair, or a favourite toy etc. These are things I barely look at as its too upsetting but I know I have something from them with me and somehow that is comforting. Other ways I've found comfort is to make a scrapbook of memories, photo album, frame a photo, have an art portrait made anything like this which sparks happy memories. Creating an area in your garden if you have one that is in their memory really does help your heart heal, watching the flowers bloom and plants growing gives you something beautiful to have in their memory along with keeping your mind occupied. Its also nice in years to come to see your pets flower blooming it keeps the memory alive. If you don't have a garden you could still have an indoor flower to have in their memory. I find it brings a sort of comfort to have things that keep their memory with us.
Of course none of these things are going to make you feel happy but they do give a little something to focus on and bring back fond memories. Also try to talk to someone about how you feel sometimes having a good cry and letting emotions out makes you feel better than holding it in and putting a brave face on. If you don't feel talking would help sometimes writing down what you'd say to your pet if they were with you helps. It can seem silly as I know they don't understand our words but I've often found it comforting in the past to write a little message to them or sit talking to their plants! It's really about finding a way to get your feelings out.
I guess over the years I've learnt that losing a pet never gets any easier and some hit so hard it takes a long time to come to terms with. I suppose the one thing I have learnt is it's better to love them with all my heart and end up broken hearted, than to have never known that love. So now I make the most of them everyday, I have had a premature baby pig die at 1 week and then seen others live to be 7, we never know how long they will be here with us but we can only hope to make what time they have the best possible.
I'd like to dedicate this post to all of my past piggies Dolly, Dandelion, Lucie, Ivy, Coco, Lizzie, Flossie, Myrtle, Peggy, Bobo, Herbie, Teddy, Pansy, Nora and Freddie x
I have kept guinea pigs most of my life and I'm pretty much obsessed with them. I love them with all of my heart which means I inevitably end up heartbroken when it is time to say goodbye. Keeping piggies for years I've obviously lost enough to make me think I should not get so attached in order to save my own heartbreak. I've said countless times I will never get another piggie because it hurts too much but of course I do and fall in love all over again. If you're here from instagram you will know that in January I lost my precious Freddie and to say it hurt would be an understatement. Freddie was my 15th piggie loss, and it still felt like someone had ripped out my heart, I cried for weeks, still can't listen to a Disney song ( we listened to them together) can hardly bare to see his photos and its still raw after 4mths. It seems so long since i saw him last and it hurts to know I won't see him again. (here come the tears again)
If you are a guinea pig owner or an owner of any small pet you may have heard the old 'its just a guinea pig' 'get another one' type comments from people that don't understand that they're a pet just like any other. This obviously is even more upsetting as it makes you feel as if your grief is more trivial than someone who perhaps lost a cat or a dog. I remember going in to work puffy eyed and upset as I'd lost my Ivy Stripes and someone told me I was stupid and should just get another! Grief is grief, no matter whether its for the tiniest or largest of animals, what makes the pain is how much you've loved that creature.
So thats where I'll begin with the question, how do you to cope with loss? and it sounds obvious but remember how much love you gave to your pet and realise that the pain you feel is due to all that love. It often hurts so much you can't breathe but you do breathe and time does indeed begin to heal your heart. Whenever I have lost a pet I've always found the need to have a physical reminder of them such as saving a piece of hair, or a favourite toy etc. These are things I barely look at as its too upsetting but I know I have something from them with me and somehow that is comforting. Other ways I've found comfort is to make a scrapbook of memories, photo album, frame a photo, have an art portrait made anything like this which sparks happy memories. Creating an area in your garden if you have one that is in their memory really does help your heart heal, watching the flowers bloom and plants growing gives you something beautiful to have in their memory along with keeping your mind occupied. Its also nice in years to come to see your pets flower blooming it keeps the memory alive. If you don't have a garden you could still have an indoor flower to have in their memory. I find it brings a sort of comfort to have things that keep their memory with us.
Of course none of these things are going to make you feel happy but they do give a little something to focus on and bring back fond memories. Also try to talk to someone about how you feel sometimes having a good cry and letting emotions out makes you feel better than holding it in and putting a brave face on. If you don't feel talking would help sometimes writing down what you'd say to your pet if they were with you helps. It can seem silly as I know they don't understand our words but I've often found it comforting in the past to write a little message to them or sit talking to their plants! It's really about finding a way to get your feelings out.
I guess over the years I've learnt that losing a pet never gets any easier and some hit so hard it takes a long time to come to terms with. I suppose the one thing I have learnt is it's better to love them with all my heart and end up broken hearted, than to have never known that love. So now I make the most of them everyday, I have had a premature baby pig die at 1 week and then seen others live to be 7, we never know how long they will be here with us but we can only hope to make what time they have the best possible.
I'd like to dedicate this post to all of my past piggies Dolly, Dandelion, Lucie, Ivy, Coco, Lizzie, Flossie, Myrtle, Peggy, Bobo, Herbie, Teddy, Pansy, Nora and Freddie x
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