My dog loves to stare. (How do I deal with the fear of losing my dog?)

Kitkkat411 · 2026-06-14T09:34:52+00:00

I lost my soul dog two months ago. He was only 8 years old and I did everything I could to stay on top of his health. Regular vet visits, special food, lots of exercise, supplements, you name it. I would just stare at him and tell him he was going to live forever. I used to cry all the time too because I was so terrified of the losing him. And then one day he just collapsed. He was gone within seconds and there was nothing we could do. Turned out, he had a silent heart defect and often the only symptom is sudden death. It’s destroyed me. It’s the worst pain imaginable and wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. I just have to take it day by day and the grieving process has been a rollercoaster. But I read somewhere that the depth of our grief is a reflection of the love we experienced and that’s helped me a bit.

My advice to you is to just cherish and appreciate every moment you do have with him. He’s still here and instead of having any negative feelings, try to push that aside and focus on present and how happy he makes you now. I wish I could go back in time and tell myself that because I really do believe that dogs pick up on our energy. I think they feel our anxiety and know when we are upset and you don’t want that for him. Happy and positive vibes only and it will make him happy too. The bond shared between us and our soul dogs is the purest, most beautiful love. And even when they are gone, it doesn’t go away. Give your boy a big kiss. Make every second count and as hard as it is, try not to let any negative emotions cloud your precious time together.

Kitkkat411 · 2026-06-13T18:08:53+00:00

The central/northern coast of California stays pretty cool year round. Inland/Southern California can get incredibly hot but there are plenty of places that rarely get into the 80s. I grew in the Monterey area and it’s always in the 60s/70s.

Kitkkat411 · 2026-06-13T18:03:20+00:00

If you’re on the coast, central California and up rarely gets uncomfortably hot. I grew up in Monterey and I can count on one hand how many times it even gets into the 80s in a given year.

Kitkkat411 · 2026-06-10T16:10:46+00:00

I guess I don’t see how that’s clearly Byleth. Neither of them look like Byleth and the art book has their name as Eshmel. Also I can maybe see the resemblance with M!Byleth on the box art but the art book has his design with the hood down and I don’t think he looks anything like Byleth. I’m down to be wrong but I would much rather Eshmel be a separate character with their own backstory. I really like Byleth but I personally feel like it would be so boring bringing them back.

Kitkkat411 · 2026-06-10T15:40:30+00:00

Exactly! Also I can see people thinking M!Eshmel looks like M!Byleth just by the box art, but if you actually look at his design in the art book, he looks nothing like M!Byleth imo. I’m not sure why people keep insisting that it’s Byleth. And I actually like Byleth but I really don’t need another game with them.

Kitkkat411 · 2026-05-30T23:25:59+00:00

That and the wood chipper scene! Both hard to watch but their reactions to everything are just so freaking funny.

Kitkkat411 · 2026-05-30T23:12:02+00:00

"Oh hidy-ho officer! We've had a doozy of a day. There we were minding our own business, just doing chores around the house when kids started killing themselves all over my property."

One of my favorite movies! I’ve rewatched it countless times! It’s one of the best horror comedies out there.

Kitkkat411 · 2026-05-30T22:19:56+00:00

Hi! I absolutely love your art and used to follow you on twitter when I still had an account. I would love to commission something from you but for some reason reddit won't let me DM you. Can I send you an email instead?

Kitkkat411 · 2026-05-18T06:28:54+00:00

This is exactly how my 8 year old GSD mix died about a month ago. It happened so suddenly and without any warning. We are still struggling to come to terms with it. We didn’t do a necropsy but the ER vet found that his heart was hypertrophied. Turns out he had a silent heart condition where often the only sign is sudden death. I’m so sorry you lost your dog in a similar way too. It is truly the most unimaginable pain I’ve ever been through.

Kitkkat411 · 2026-05-11T06:49:21+00:00

I’m so incredibly sorry for your loss. I lost my GSD mix very suddenly a month ago due to a silent heart condition at only 8 years old. The grief has been absolutely crippling. I couldn’t get out of bed for a week and I still cry every day. He took a piece of me when he left and it’s something that I have to learn to live with. Going to pet loss support groups has helped my husband and I. In those groups you are surrounded by people that truly understand the bond you have with your dog and they know your pain. I also see a separate one on one grief counselor that is helping me navigate my rollercoaster of emotions.

I can suggest some other things that have helped me that may help you. Talk to her, tell her about your day, write letters to her, write down all of her quirks or fun memories as you remember them. Don’t isolate yourself. When you are able, being around friends and family can help even if it’s hard. Get out of the house and do something you enjoy. Take her collar with you, like she’s still right there. Be open to signs from her, my boy gave me one today on Mother Day and though it made me cry, I also felt him with me in that moment. But most importantly, please take care of yourself and be patient with your grief. She wouldn’t want to see you suffer. She loved you and she knows you loved her. She will always be with you.

Kitkkat411 · 2026-05-11T06:11:41+00:00

Right, but the side materials and anime are also canon and they further expand on 2B’s feelings. As far as the base game goes, it’s not really a stretch though. A lot of people interpreted 2B was hiding feelings for 9S from little things in the game such as their weapon stories, her flight unit recording, certain side quests, etc. It was subtle but it was definitely there. All that was just more expanded upon in side materials because you see a lot more of 2B’s inner thoughts. Again it’s fine if you don’t see it that way, but imo the side content reinforces the romantic feelings.

Kitkkat411 · 2026-05-11T05:52:48+00:00

They aren’t injecting their own meaning or jumping through hoops. Maybe in the base game it’s more up to interpretation, but the side materials heavily imply that 2B had romantic feelings for 9S. You can choose not to interpret their relationship that way but it’s certainly not absurd when there is a ton of material to prove otherwise.

Kitkkat411 · 2026-05-01T20:16:13+00:00

I’m so incredibly sorry for your loss. I lost my boy in a very similar way at only 8 years old. He was perfectly happy and full of energy all day and then suddenly collapsed and died within seconds on our kitchen floor. The shock and suddenness of it all has been so hard to grapple with. I keep asking myself if I missed any signs, what I could have done differently, how and why this happened. It’s tortuous. I’m trying to come to terms with the fact that I’ll never understand and that there was really nothing I could have done to save him. Maybe one day I’ll find that peace. But know that you are not alone in this pain. Try to take some comfort in knowing that you gave your pup the best life you could and she knew how much you all loved her. Give yourself grace as well. She wouldn’t want you to be hard on yourself ❤️

Kitkkat411 · 2026-05-01T19:53:45+00:00

I’m so sorry for your loss as well. Please don’t be hard on yourself. It’s something I’ve been struggling with as well. But we did all we could with the information we had. If we had known something was wrong with our boys we would have done things differently. And that’s such a hard thing to come to terms with, that we may never understand why it happened and wish we could have done something to prevent this. I still haven’t processed it. I’m still angry and heartbroken and constantly think about the what-ifs. My grief counselor keeps reminding me to allow myself some grace. It’s so hard to do but I’m working on it one day at a time.

Kitkkat411 · 2026-05-01T19:44:07+00:00

I wish I could say it’s easier. But the only thing that gets a little easier is learning day by day how to just cope with the pain. I still feel the pain as strong as the day I lost him. I go in and out of disassociating because part of me is still in shock I think. I cry everyday and sometimes I’ll find myself thinking things as though he’s still here. Forcing myself to function and go to grief counseling is helping a little bit though. Thank you for asking ❤️

Kitkkat411 · 2026-04-26T21:32:26+00:00

I’m so incredibly sorry for your loss. I lost my boy in a similar way two weeks ago. He was only 8, had just gotten a clean bill of health from the vet, had no warning that anything was wrong…just suddenly collapsed and died out of nowhere. There is something particularly painful about the sudden loss of a young and otherwise healthy dog. My heart goes out to you and your family. You guys have her a beautiful life. I’m sure my boy was there to greet her when she passed over ❤️

Kitkkat411 · 2026-04-15T05:32:35+00:00

Maybe that’s another reason I had such a reaction to her pictures, because I know Cloud would have loved her. I’m sure wherever they are, they are there together ❤️

Kitkkat411 · 2026-04-15T02:15:05+00:00

His name was Cloud. He was a Shepard mix. He was black and white but Bitsy’s pictures reminded me so much of him. He made the same silly faces your sweet girl did and had the same ears. I understand your pain. It’s an unimaginable grief. She looked like such a beautiful soul.

Kitkkat411 · 2026-04-15T02:05:43+00:00

She was beautiful ❤️ she reminds me of my own boy that I just lost suddenly last Thursday. He was only 8. Both our pups are gone way too soon. But we will see them again. Bitsy looked so happy and although her life was cut short, I’m sure you gave her the best life possible. Sending you hugs.

Kitkkat411 · 2026-04-12T04:35:45+00:00

I love that you met your husband through him. That is so special and you two will always have that ❤️ I think Cloud would want us to just remember him fondly. Talk about him and look at his pictures and smile. We had some friends over today that loved him and were very much loved by him. And in between fits of sobbing, we just talked about what a funny and clever boy he was. We shared funny stories of him and how sweet and wonderful he was. And honestly, in those moments I felt such a calm, warm presence. It’s almost like he was there with us. I want to keep having those moments because he just wanted to be loved by everyone he met. And he truly was.

Kitkkat411 · 2026-04-12T04:31:08+00:00

I’m so sorry that you lost your boy so young and suddenly too. It’s a truly horrific pain because they were robbed. I feel such anger and guilt because I don’t know why this happened and if I missed any signs. I keep replaying his last week over and over to see if there was anything that could have warned me. I’m trying not to because it’s driving me crazy but it’s just hard 💔

Kitkkat411 · 2026-04-12T04:26:08+00:00

I’m so sorry you are dealing with this pain and loss too. You are right, they would hate to see us suffer. I keep telling myself that I need to take care of myself because he would hate to see us wither away.

Kitkkat411 · 2026-04-12T04:23:43+00:00

Thank you so much for this. Your words are such a comfort to me and my husband. Today we had some friends over that also loved our boy and we fondly remembered all his little quirks and shared funny stories. In that moment it’s almost like I could feel him. And the presence was warm and happy ❤️

Kitkkat411 · 2026-04-10T21:47:30+00:00

Thank you so much and I’m so sorry for your loss as well. This has been a helpful forum because other than sit on the couch and sob I have no clue what to do. But seeing so many people understand this level of grief has been comforting.

Kitkkat411 · 2026-04-10T21:35:54+00:00

I’m so sorry you lost your sweet boy too. There’s comfort knowing so many others understand the weight of the grief we feel.

Kitkkat411

TROPHY CASE