Recognize and acknowledge that your grief is real. Do not be afraid of the intensity of your pain. You may experience a wide range of feelings and feel confused. Write about it or talk about it with someone who will listen and hear your pain. You may want to create a journal or scrapbook about you, your family and your pet. This can be a personal project just for you or a family project that may be shared by everyone.
Have compassion for yourself and don't allow others to diminish your feelings. Grieving takes time.
Honor your pet with a special funeral or burial service. It can be a private ceremony with your family and friends. Today, there are even pet funeral homes. If there isn't a pet funeral home or cemetery in your area, you can bury your pet in a special place in your yard. You can create or buy a special marker for your pet's grave.
Many pet owners choose to have their pets cremated. If this is your choice, you can still have a memorial service. You may choose to bury the cremated remains or scatter them in a special place. If you choose to bury the remains, there are a wide variety of pet urns available. If you do not have a pet cemetery or funeral center, check with your local funeral director.
You might consider purchasing a sand-cast replica of your pet and place it on the mantel or on a bookcase. Many times, people have made photo groupings of their pet with different members of the family to accompany these statues.
Consider creating a rock garden in memory of your pet. You can purchase garden stones and have the name of your pet engraved on it. Put it in a garden of flowers or bushes in memory of your pet.
Children love to create memory boxes. They can use a shoebox and decorate it. In this box, they put special things that remind them of their pet: a photo, a special toy, a leash, collar or pet tags. They may choose to write a poem or story about the pet and keep it in this box.
You can make a donation to a pet rescue group or your humane society or animal shelter in your pet's name. You may even choose to donate any pet food or pet treats you have left in your pantry to these groups or consider making a gift bag of pet treats and toys for the pet next door.
Don't rush out and buy a new pet. It can take a while to sort out your feelings and your pet deserves to be grieved. Your old pet needs to be buried in the memories of your heart. A new pet can not replace your old pet but it can help ease the pain. Trust yourself. You will know when it is right to buy a new pet.
Remember, what you are feeling is very real grief. You do not have to apologize for your feelings or be ashamed they feel so intense. People grieve because they love, so don't let anyone rob you of that love or the need to honor it.