A lot of people don't seem to realize (unless they are pet owners themselves) that pets really do become a part of the family. So many people are quick to say that you can just get another cat or dog etc., but it really isn't that easy to replace a pet. How has everyone else coped with pet loss ?

When I lived with my dad, he had a Westie named Hannah and now she is about 9 years old and like 6 mo. ago she was diagnosed with cancer :(. My whole family was so devastated and my dad is the closest to her and he wasn't taking it very well at all. Luckily, she had treatment and is now cancer free, but she had many side affects like a human would. Her fur went from soft to rough, she couldn't bark anymore and she was very sick. It was a tough time for our family, it was like having a sister sick-not a pet. She is a part of our family and it would have been terrible if we had to put her down.

I had a cat for about 3 years, and I was very attached to it. He would sleep with me every night and play with us all the time, and always follow us around. He hated being alone and had to be close to one of us at all times. But he was also kind of dim. He wasn't very smart, he'd always run into the screen door (even though it was adorable) and even after 3 years barely ever used his litterbox to go number 2! So it wasn't much of a surprise that when I was pulling into the garage he ran underneath the car. I rushed him to the vet and he worked on him and throughout his surgery he died. I didn't think I would ever feel this sad about a pet. It was as if I lost a family member.

I'm so sorry for all of your losses, I know how you feel, we have an 18 year old terrior and she's getting so old.  She used to still act like a puppy despite her age, but now you can tell she's feeling her age.  Everytime we pick her up, her bones pop and crack and she's nearly blind/deaf.  I'm going to be so sad when she passes..

I have a friend who has a deaf puppy, it sounds sad but its really the cutest thing ever. I dont know what kind he is but hes all white and has long ears and his fur is soft and hes pretty small. but you could go up to him and yell all you want and he wont move. you can even clap your hands right by his ears and he still wont move but when you go infront of him he'll go crazy and  play with you and wag his tail, its really cute.

bambibaby said: I have a friend who has a deaf puppy, it sounds sad but its really the cutest thing ever. I dont know what kind he is but hes all white and has long ears and his fur is soft and hes pretty small. but you could go up to him and yell all you want and he wont move. you can even clap your hands right by his ears and he still wont move but when you go infront of him he'll go crazy and  play with you and wag his tail, its really cute.

lol that sounds cute but funny at the same time. But some people think its stupid to have a pet like that because dogs are supposed to be guarding you and if they cant hear how are they supposed to do that? But If its a little dog as you describe its not going to do much guarding anyway. I think thats cute.

I have a friend who lives right by me, on the same street. I was driving down and I saw a dead puppy it was terrible and so hard to look at I felt so bad for it. I had to look on the otherside of the road till I passed it. I turned into my neighborhood and she came over later that night. She was so sad, I asked her why and she told me her puppy got run over and hes only 2 months old. She showed me a picture of it and it was the same one that I saw dead on the road!! I felt so bad, I told her I saw it and she said they removed it by the time she got home.

I just got a puppy for Christmas and the other day he got his head caught on his bed to where it was choking him. He started screaming really loud and I got so nervous. I've only had him a week and I would have been totally devastated if something happened to him. You really grow attached to your pets.