@sympatheticTiger6193 I'm sorry about your loss. I have lost a few pets over the years. First was my dog that adopted me and then was one of my cats. I felt guilty at first because I didn't think that I had done enough for them. But, when their time came, they were at peace. They just looked like they were asleep. I had one animal left. A cat that my family took in that some friends had cared for. She was a stray. Then the family relocated and I took the responsibility of caring for her. I knew she was upset with the loss of her friends and I was hesitant to get another pet because of her advanced age (she's 16) but in July my brother brought over a present for me.
This present was a 6-month-old puppy. The cat didn't like her at first and for the first few months, I had my doubts about my capability of caring for her. She's way more energetic than my other dog was and she needs a lot of exercise otherwise she gets into things and chews. I felt guilty for not having a farm or a lot of land for her to run around on. But, after looking around, I have found some toys that keeps her engaged. She loves flying toys, tug toys, and a lot of other toys. I live in apartments so when I get home from work and let her out (have to keep her confined during the day otherwise she could hurt herself), we take one of the outdoor toys and play for at least an hour. Then there's another hour spent playing indoors with her other toys. Oh, and the cat comes out with us on walks from time to time like she did with the other dog and even though she's old, she does play with the dog.
She's now a year old and she has gotten better at listening and I have gotten better at anticipating her actions and responses. I am also getting more exercise apparently because neighbors keep asking if I've lost weight. But I also get woken up in the middle of the night because she's barking at noises she hears outside.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that things don't end when you experience a loss. Things just change and the loss isn't a catalyst for circumstances. It may just seem like that at the time because you're dealing with a hole. But other things come along and although those things will never replace what existed before, there will be things that happen that can change your perception. My pup is currently lying on the floor near my feet sleeping and the cat is asleep in her house near me, They are content and this was something I wouldn't have anticipated over a year ago.
