Your Pet Loss Stories

by Jem
(Cornwall)

Since I was little I have always had a very strong passion for animals and I was lucky enough to have two beautiful cats, which I still have now, and one of which, Shadow, I love to pieces. She is the most precious thing to me and even thinking about life without her makes me cry. I have quite a few pets: two cats, two rabbits, fours hens all named and I love very much, a gold fish, a tortoise, a dog and a hamster. They are all very important to me even though Shadow is my little baby in which I love dearly.

Anyhow... more than a year ago I was at a friend’s party when my Father found one of my two rabbits, Dylan who I often called Dylie Bunny, in which I adopted from a friend when I moved to Cornwall dead. Till this day we still cannot determine why and for a rabbit is was not very old. All I knew is that Dylan had quite a weak heart. But the rabbit that he was living with at the time, Cookie, in which also loved him very much is still alive and healthy and has found a new boyfriend! Although somehow I can tell that she doesn't love Bobby as much as she adored Dylie.

I cried for hours when I found out about Dylie and by the time I got home Dad had already buried him. I was quite sad and I often have nightmares that he was not dead when Dad found him and he was buried alive which scares me a lot. I am always putting fresh flowers where he is buried and I often sit and talk to him... I know it sounds stupid but I just tell him how we are all doing and how Cookie and I are.

I was extremely upset and could not stop crying when he died... it was like having a dagger straight through my chest. I dread to think what is going to happen and how I am going to cope when my other pets fall ill and even leave me. I suppose and have learnt over the years that this is the downfall to owning pets but I think that there is some many good points and this has not stopped be continually adding to my collection of pets.

Once we have built a new chicken coop we are getting two more hens then two more chicks! Am very excited then again when one of my hens that I had known since the day after she was born fell ill and I thought we were going to lose her I was extremely upset and only remember crying into my best friends shoulder. Luckily she survived and is still alive, healthy and happy!