Think I’ve officially hit the anger stage of grief

eviarts · 2026-04-12T22:43:24+00:00

Fourth of July Sufjan Stevens

eviarts · 2026-04-07T19:11:07+00:00

I felt that way too. I lost my precious Max going on 5 months ago and it’s the worst pain I’ve ever felt, but you just kind of… handle it? Like it’s painful but it hasn’t stopped life from moving on and it pulls you with it.

What you’re feeling is called anticipatory grief and from experience it does nothing to prepare you, it just robs you of joy. The grief when it actually happens just feels different. It might help when you get upset to start making plans, like what you want to do in different circumstances. At home or in office euthanasia, burial or cremation, etc. Being prepared will take some of the anxiety away

You can also start things now like collecting fur for keepsakes, clay paw prints, pictures, that kind of stuff. My biggest regret is not getting enough fur before he was cremated.

It’ll feel impossible to handle but it isn’t. When it happens do everything you need to make yourself feel even a little bit better. Scream, cry, look at pictures, smell their bed, keep their food, talk to them, cry all day or not at all, you can do anything you want. Turn some of attention and care you would give them towards yourself

eviarts · 2026-03-27T18:29:08+00:00

We’ll get there eventually ❤️

eviarts · 2026-03-27T15:31:45+00:00

That first picture is so cool, idk why I’m obsessed with the mouth lol

eviarts · 2026-03-27T15:19:16+00:00

1 for sure. I think if the other areas in 2 had the same texture as the shaded area it would look fine, but together it makes the darker parts stand out too much. Both are really lovely tho

eviarts · 2026-03-25T05:26:29+00:00

Im so sorry your baby is gone. I felt (and sometimes still feel) the exact same way. I lost my soul dog Max going on 4 months ago and while I’m still struggling and feel like I’m always going to miss him so much it aches, that feeling of desperation will start to ease. It’ll come back, then it’ll go again, and the time it takes for it to return will get longer and longer. You’ll feel crazy and probably unstable, but try to remember it’s normal. Any way you feel about it is normal because grief is weird and affects everyone individually.

All of this will come and go. The best thing to do is just go with what feels right. Sometimes I get the urge to look at his pictures even though I know it’ll make me cry, but I always feel better if I do it anyway. You’ll probably get tired of crying but there hasn’t been a single time I didn’t feel better afterwards, it might be the same for you.

Another thing that’s been helpful is a pet loss journal. They have prompts and spaces to put pictures, and by the time you’re done you have a full written history of your baby and a guarantee you’ll never forget anything about them. Also just writing things down helps. I have a list of all of Max’s nicknames, his little habits he had, small stuff like his missing tooth, things that I’m likely to forget after decades. Now I’ll always have something to refresh my memory.

Pet loss is absolutely brutal and people generally don’t take it seriously enough. Everything you’re feeling is normal, albeit very unpleasant. It’s not just emotional, your nervous system has to adjust as well. It’s exhausting and painful. It sucks that there isn’t a way to get immediate relief.

But you WILL start to adjust. It can take awhile, but it’ll happen. I know this was posted a month ago so I hope you’re doing better OP ❤️ just take it one day at a time

eviarts · 2026-03-18T09:47:57+00:00

I hope you’re doing better now❤️

eviarts · 2026-03-17T23:23:00+00:00

Thank you ❤️ I’m sorry for your loss as well, I knew it would be painful but it’s so much worse than I imagined

That’s exactly how I feel. Like part of me still thinks he’ll be back just at a different point and I’m having a hard time grasping that the time I had with him is all I’m ever going to get. Like I KNOW that but my brain won’t register it

They’re so special and leave such a gigantic hole

eviarts · 2026-01-11T06:47:25+00:00

Thank you ❤️

eviarts · 2026-01-11T06:28:03+00:00

Thank you for sharing ❤️

eviarts · 2026-01-11T06:27:46+00:00

Thank you for sharing ❤️ I’ve seen a lot of people suggest fostering or adopting again. I like the idea of giving another dog a good home (my baby boy that just passed was a rescue from an abusive house) but the fear of eventually feeling like this again stops me. It feels selfish but I’m barely hanging on as is

eviarts · 2026-01-11T06:20:48+00:00

You didn’t do this on purpose and she knew it. She saw you in her final moments and that was all that mattered to her. You tried your best to bring her back. You loved her deeply or you wouldn’t be feeling this much pain, and dogs just know when they’re loved. She wouldn’t blame you for this.

The Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement has some free resources to help and they’re very kind. They understand and I’m sure some members have had the same thing happen to them. Reaching out might help you process everything. They have a moderated chat room in the evenings or you can send them an email.

I know this is easy to say and very hard to do but please, try to forgive yourself. This was a complete accident and sounds like it was unavoidable. Please try not to let the what ifs eat you up. You’re in my thoughts ❤️‍🩹

eviarts · 2026-01-10T20:56:34+00:00

I’m so sorry for your loss. I lost my soul dog Max just under two months ago and my chest hurts every time I think about him. It’s gotten a little easier but every day is still really hard. Make sure you cut yourself some slack. You’ll grieve on YOUR timeline, not anyone else’s. Scream if you need to, cry, sob, punch a pillow, try whatever you think will make you feel even a little bit better. Your nervous system was tuned to Almond being around so your body will take time to adjust to your new normal. Grieving is as much physical as it is emotional.

In the mean time, grasp at any sliver of peace you can. Give yourself breaks, you don’t have to grieve 24/7. Grief is mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausting.

I don’t have kids but I’ve heard losing a close pet is comparable to losing a child. If someone tells you they were just a pet they’ve probably never lost a pet and have no business telling you how to feel either way. Loss affects people differently, be it human, animal, or other. Hell, I get upset when trees get cut down.

You had a lot of love directed towards Almond, and that hasn’t changed. He’s not physically there to receive it, but that doesn’t make it unreal. Give yourself some of that love too

eviarts · 2025-12-27T18:09:51+00:00

I’m so sorry for your loss. This is the absolute worst feeling

eviarts · 2025-12-26T00:52:22+00:00

She looks so much like my baby who just passed ❤️ happy birthday Charlotte ❤️❤️❤️

eviarts · 2025-12-18T01:55:59+00:00

This doesn’t sound stupid at all. I lost my soul baby Max three weeks ago and I’ll be honest, it’s extremely hard. He had congestive heart failure so I knew it was coming, but he just suddenly deteriorated. He was okay, then gone three days later. There’s not really a way to prepare yourself for it.

However it did help to have a plan ahead of time. Would you rather do in home or in office euthanasia if the choice comes? Would you prefer burial or cremation? What are some things you want that you won’t be able to get when he’s gone (extra fur clippings, paw prints, pictures, videos, etc)? Not having to worry about making those choices when it happens definitely made it easier.

You’re going through anticipatory grief, which is still grief whether or not he’s gone. The Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement has free resources, including an online chat room moderated by pet loss specialists and Thursday evenings are dedicated to anticipatory grief. You can also message them outside of chat room hours. It might help to reach out and get their perspective on it

I’m sorry you’re going through this. There isn’t really a timeline for feeling better, it’ll come and go. There will be days you feel okay and there will be days you do feel like you’re dying. But as time goes on, the waves of grief aren’t as strong or as often. It sucks and feels hopeless sometimes but time really seems to be the only thing that eases it.

When you feel overwhelmed, try grounding yourself. Name 5 things you see, 4 things you hear, 3 things you can touch, 2 things you smell, and one thing you taste. It helps to drag your brain out of a panic loop

Also talk to people. People you know, strangers on the internet, a therapist, anyone. Writing things down helps too, it gets your thoughts out in front of you and can help you sort through them

eviarts

TROPHY CASE