Anyone who would say he was just a lizard is very, very wrong. Pets are special. They give us something that, sometimes, not even other human beings can. Non judgmental devotion.The first time I lost a pet, I was 12. It was my guinea pig. It was hard dealing with his loss. I actually didn't know how to feel. I never dealt with it. I never faced it. Until I lost my Shetland Sheepdog mix several years later.

Her passing away hit me hard. I mourned for a year after losing her. I went through my grief, but it took me a while. Just remember that what you're feeling right now - the pain, the hurt, the confusion, maybe even some anger - it's normal. Yes, we grieve for our pets just the same as we'd grieve for a human. Allow yourself to go through each stage. It's healthy to go through each stage. And don't be afraid to share your hurt with other people. Don't be afraid to talk. Many of us do understand. Even now, I think about my Shetland Sheepdog and my guinea pig and I want to both smile for the time we had together and cry because they're not here physically. The pain gets easier to deal with in due time. Eventually, you'll be smiling through the tears because you'll remember the good times.

I hope it's okay for me to link this site. It helped me a lot after the death of my Sheltie, though, so I figured I'd share it with you. I kept a journal there (you can find it if you want, her name was Cinnamon, that helps you find it - the name I used isn't my birth name, so I'm not afraid at potentially having it seen here) and it helped me a lot. Just reading through some of the journals and the articles helped, too.

Pet Loss Matters, because pet loss, matters.

As the site suggests, never forget that pet loss matters, too.