Healthy Ways to Cope With the Grief of Losing a Pet

By the Pet Memorials team · 4 min read · Updated September 2026

Grief after pet loss isn't something you "get over". It's something you move through, gradually, in your own time. Below are some approaches that genuinely help, drawn from how grief counsellors describe healthy mourning.

Let yourself feel whatever comes up

Anger, guilt, numbness, sudden tears, or even moments of laughter while remembering something funny your pet did: all of it is normal. Don't let anyone, including yourself, tell you how you're "supposed" to be feeling.

Find people who understand

Not everyone grasps the depth of the human-animal bond, and that's okay, but seek out those who do. Online pet-loss communities, fellow pet owners or a sympathetic friend can make a real difference. If your usual circle isn't the right fit, that doesn't mean your grief is wrong; it just means your support needs to come from elsewhere. (See when others don't understand your grief.)

Consider a small ritual

A quiet burial, a candle lit on the day you said goodbye, or a gathering with people who loved your pet too can give shape to feelings that otherwise stay stuck. There's no rule that says pets don't deserve this.

Create something that honours their memory

Many owners find real comfort in giving their pet's memory a lasting place: a framed photo, a small memorial plaque or engraved stone in the garden, a paw-print keepsake, or a simple scrapbook of photos. It doesn't undo the loss, but it gives you somewhere to direct your love, and a way to keep their memory present rather than packed away.

Look after the basics

Grief is physically exhausting. Prioritise sleep, eat properly, get some movement into your day, and spend time with people face-to-face rather than isolating. These aren't small things; they're what keep you steady while you heal.

If you have other pets, keep their routine steady

Surviving pets can sense a household's grief, and changes to their routine can unsettle them further. Keeping walks, feeding times and play consistent helps them, and often helps you too, by giving your day some structure back.

Written by the Pet Memorials team. We're pet parents who make personalised pet memorials in our Midrand workshop. We write these guides to help South African families through the loss of a pet. They're not a substitute for advice from your vet or a counsellor.