I came across an article written by someone who lost one of her dogs. She observed the grieving her remaining dog went through and wanted to share it with us. It is beautifully written.
http://news.google.ca/news/url?sr=1&ct2=...t=2&at=dt0
I think we all know that our pets grieve. I have seen dwarf hamsters die of grief if they lose their mate. Guinea pigs stare into space and go into a deep depression and die if they lose a close friend, partner or baby. Even my reptiles grieve. Lizards can be very close to each other. The three baby beardies I raised together, who were very close, all died within a couple of months of each other.
I have known cats to grieve deeply. They will often search for and cry for the one who is gone.
It is hard to lose a pet, but it is also hard to deal with a pet who is grieving. We want to help, but what can you say to a grieving animal. We know so little about their thoughts and feelings. I guess just being there for the pet and being sensitive to their needs is all we can do. I thought it was beautiful how much the writer changed her schedule to help her dog deal with her loss. It is a sensitive and caring response to the situation.
I'm glad the lady speaks honestly to her dog, so Zoe knows what to expect. It is no good lying to a dog. They do understand our words and our demeanour. In fact they understand many words and phrases we use.
I never left Misty for more than 3-4 hours -ever. If I was leaving only for 1/2 hour I woul let her know precisely that. And when I had to go to work for 4 hours I would let her know that as well.
And yes, animals do grieve. Misty grieved the passing of our friend Peter, whom she was extremely fond of. He passed in early Spring 2011. Reminders of him did her no good and made her very sad. I carefully remembered not to say his name. He gave me his car. She'd be fine until she got in the car, then she would act sad.
I cleaned the interior top to bottom using a slightly perfumed cleaning spray (yuck!) Then I left the doors open for an hour or so. Next time she got in the car she was fine! The scent of him upset her. She knew that he'd gone but didn't know how or where.
Misty's canine friend, Jet grieved markedly after she passed. I did my very best for him, but he was an old dog by that time and he never completely bounced back. He was a different dog the day before she left, to the way he was three days afterwards. He hardly moved from his spot outside the farm for going on three weeks.
I used to visit him every day to cheer him up a little; to show him I was still there, our routines could stay the same, etc. I was feeling pretty awful myself but used to do my best to raise up for him. But he came out of that after 3 weeks or so. However he was never completely the same again and passed 18 months later. He seemed to get a form of dementia after she left.
Yes, animals do grieve. You will both no doubt remember the threads we have had in the past about a whole herd of elephants coming to mourn the passing of their special human, Lawrence Anthony. Here is a link:
http://www.beliefnet.com/inspiration/hom...perer.aspx
Anyone who claims that animals don't understand death (such people still exist) must suffer from "head in the sand syndrome"!
That article is full of insight , Catherine....
and Tobi, although I have read about Misty and Peter (also Misty and Jet) before, it always moves me. Blessings to their dear souls!
Yes I remember what happened with the Elephants and dear Lawrence Anthony. What an amazing man.
I also recall about birds attending a man's funeral (can't remember if this is a local story in my area, or something I read online) I think the birds were Owls. The man loved Owls and they gathered at his funeral in amazing numbers, in full daylight too.
Yes blessings to Jet and Peter. There are very few days go by that I don't think of them. Jet always was full of love for me and Misty. He was always a nutty kind of dog! haha
But he thought the world of us, and we both honoured that. He did also love his people and his female human (Mama 'Black Wolf' Jet aka the farmer's wife) really did love him. But we were his 'pack' also. I shall not ever forget his friendship or how he grieved about Misty leaving.
His grave has no frills, no flourishes, only grass and weeds at the edge of a field at the top of the hill. But that is perfect for Jet. I wrote him a poem. I shall post it soon.
Now a tree has fallen over his grave, making it wild and inaccessible, which suits him even more.
I remember the story of the elephants. I can understand them coming to mourn their friend. It still amazes me that they knew he was dead. Clearly there are levels of animal communication that we know nothing about.
Owls at a funeral would be interesting. Again, how did they know?
Animals grieve because they feel deeply. Sometimes I think they are more sensitive than some people I know. I can picture Jet after Misty's passing. I think part of his spirit must have gone with her or else he wanted to be with her so much he willed himself to go. His grave sounds like it is a perfect resting place for his body. He has returned to the wild.
I talk to my animals all the time. The guinea pigs have a very good food vocabulary. I also let my animals know how long I will be gone. I am a creature of habit so work clothes mean I will be gone all day. If I just grab the keys I am going next door for a few minutes. They just seem to know by how I am doing things what I am doing. I also say goodbye differently if I am going to work. I would never just stay away without letting them know. I tell them if I am going to be late.
I think it shows a sensitivity and respect for our pets when we talk to them and keep them informed. It is beautiful to read how other people talk to their pets and are open and honest with them.
(03-17-2017, 11:50 AM)Tobi Wrote: [ -> ]I also recall about birds attending a man's funeral (can't remember if this is a local story in my area, or something I read online) I think the birds were Owls. The man loved Owls and they gathered at his funeral in amazing numbers, in full daylight too.
I did a search on Google but couldn't find this story. If you are able to find where you saw it, I would very much appreciate the link.
However, my Google search wasn't fruitless. I found a lot of articles about crows and other birds holding funerals.
I woul love to see the articles about Crows and other birds holding funerals. If I have time later I will take a look on Google!
The mre I think about the Owls and the funeral, the more I think it was a local story, and was told to me quite a while ago now. It is likely it was the farmer's wife down my lane who told me...but I can't clearlt remember. If so, she is passed away now and so is her husband. However, her son still lives nearby so I will ask him when I see him. I hope I can trace this story! I hadn't thought about it for ages.
Google will bring up lots of web pages about birds holding funerals, although some seek to "explain away" such behaviour as being a survival instinct (warning other birds of potential danger from a predator). However, there is an excellent page here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/wi...erals.html
I can picture birds having funerals. I have seen Robins(North American Robins, a type of Thrush) gathering to mourn.
It was late last summer after the babies were flying. A Red Tailed Hawk got a Robin baby in front of its parents. They started the most heart wrenching cries. They knew their baby was gone. Their cries brought the other Robins, 10-20 of them. They gathered in a large lilac bush together and lamented all afternoon. The flock was sharing the parents grief and expressing it with sad cries.
It is so like people gathering when word of a death gets around.
How is it that anyone doubts that animals have emotions. I can understand studying them to learn more, but they often present studies as if they are surprized to discover animal have emotions. They have complex emotional lives.
Grief is a basic emotional expression and I think we would be surprized at how many animals grieve.
I think calling bird funerals a survival instinct is a desperate attempt to show that animals don't feel. It just doesn't make sense.