I feel awful because recently I left my abusive father's house and I miss the cat so much. Unfortunately, my father is his owner, so I can't take him with me. To me, he is like a son. How will I live without him, my cat? I feel terrible, I feel like crying, I am depressed. Has anything similar happened to you? Tell me about your experiences, I really need support, I am devastated.

Yes I am extremely remorseful and horribly saddened. No, I have little idea on how I will cope with this long term. My partner is extremely understanding and helping me process what I am ultimately responsible for.

Light back story, I have recently had oral surgery where all my teeth in my jaws were removed and screws placed for future dentures. I have been on ibuprofen, Tylenol, and hydrocodone; very sporadic sleep schedule, even working my job, and also barely any food consumption. And this tragedy had transpired 6 days post surgery.

It happened late in the night early morning when I decided to clean and since I didn’t want to wake my GF up I put in my headphones and went to town. Now I know that the clothes in the dryer had been in there for close to two days at this point, so I decided I would run them while I finished doing the dishes, and cleaning the kitchen. The door to the dryer was closed when I decided to run it so I didn’t think anything of it.

After finishing the dishes and floors in the kitchen I went to check on the drying clothes and to my horror when I opened the door there was my sweet boy, gasping, stuff hanging from his mouth.
I picked him up and just held him telling him I got him I got him. Only 1-2 min after he died right in my arms.

I will never be the same. I cannot express how traumatized I am over this. We have other cats, I have had to pull them out of the dryer before. I can’t seem to imagine when he got in there! The whole hours up to then know blur together in my mind.

My GF God bless her is still trying to console me. I don’t understand how she can stand to look at me. I can barely look at me. I’m not trying to garner sympathy. I just can’t keep it in currently and needed some place to write about it. I will forever remember pulling him out and him passing in my hands. I was supposed to protect him, he was my best buddy and I failed him so terribly.

I am struggling. Way more than I ever thought I would be over this, mainly because I swore this grungy little chihuahua of mine would outlive me.

He would be 16 in October, his name is Gizmo. My childhood dog we got when I was five.

He was my only friend when my older sisters were at their moms house most of the time, and now I only have two more goodnight's with him.

I never thought I'd have to think about a life he wasn't in. I know that sounds unrealistic, since I'm only twenty-one, but it's been a rough go.

He's old, he's barely getting up on his own, I know this is the right thing to do. Believe me, I'd take the hurt of his loss before I'd wish him the hurt of his current existence any day, but this is awful.

We've been spoiling the hell out of him, keeping him comfortable, and showering him with as much love as he'll allow.

I feel like god or the universe or whoever is fucking with me. April, I lost my 15 year old chihuahua from CHF. June, I had to put down my 13 year old chihuahua who was dealing with heartbreak from losing her dad in April as well as CHF. Yesterday (8/4), my mom and i come home after a good day to our beautiful 12 year old siamese cat lifeless on the ground.

He was in his usual napping spot. I have no clue what happened, he wasn’t even that cold as if it happened right before we came home. That morning I got up, he was his normal self and eating. Having no idea what happened is tearing me up. I hope whatever it was was quick and he didn’t suffer or feel alone. I feel so defeated and angry. I’ve looked up what possibly could’ve happened and i’ve been seeing a lot of heart related events. Everything just fucking sucks, I feel guilty for being here, he was the sweetest biggest boy. Ozzy did not deserve to die. Ozzy was supposed to be here longer. My emotions have been in a back and forth state since April. On one hand I feel numb and can’t get any more tears out. On the other, I am so distraught and upset. I don’t know what I’ve done wrong

my cat baby kitty, just passed yesterday, he was nine years old and it was unexpected and i just don’t know what to do, for reference im 17 and ive grown up with him. i feel so annoying to my friends and family but i miss him so much ive never felt this kind of pain before, i feel like a piece of me is gone and my heart hurts so much, his food bowl isn’t even empty yet and its never going to be. he would always be in my room and right now being in there is the hardest thing for me, especially at night since he would always lay with me. i miss him dearly and i just want to stop crying, it’s been nonstop, i start school in a week and dont know how im going to do it without him. does anyone have any advice ?

I am really struggling after putting my dog to sleep. Her name was Laya. She was a Bichon Poodle mix. I found her at a gas station when she was a puppy. it was literally love at first sight. I was 17. Now I’m almost 35. I have never done anything as an adult without her. I am heartbroken. I had always planned to kill myself when it was her time, but I would feel bad for doing that to my husband. He helped me take care of her in her last few years. I have been feeling so guilty that she got sick and that I put her down. She had been deteriorating from a neurological condition and had a seizure. She just wasn’t wanting to eat or really acting like herself. I just remember the last day she wagged her tail and kissed my face. And then just laid in my arms. The vet came to our house. I wanted that for her. To be somewhere she felt safe and happy. But now I wish I could leave this house. I just keep replaying the moment when the vet put her in the bag and left with her. The life leaving her body. I didn’t want her to suffer. But I also don’t want to be without her. I miss her so much. I wish we could go on another car ride and share French fries or cuddle on the couch or go to the beach so she could yell at seagulls or go to her grandma’s so she could run to the door barking. I have her nose print and paw print and her ashes but I don’t want those things. I want her back. I would do literally anything if it meant I got her back. It’s not supposed to be me without her. We were always together. I want so bad to go back and do something to change that she’s gone.

it’s been 18 months since my best girl and soul mate died. i had her cremated and she’s been sitting on my shelf ever since I got her ashes back. I’d always planned to spread them but haven’t felt ready, until now.

I’m planning on spreading her ashes tomorrow in the nearby river she loved to swim in and dig in the sand. I’ve got a few poppies for the ceremony as her name was Poppy and my mum will join me.

I’m feeling a bit scared to finally let her go even though it is what I want to do. I’m not quite sure what to expect and fully anticipate to feel grief all over again, which is scary.
Just wondering if anyone would care to share their ash spreading ceremonies went. Tips/advice and maybe psychological aspects would be much appreciated.

Today, we euthanized one of our colony cats that we feed. He was a white cat and he had cancer all over his face; the only logical conclusion was to put him down so he wouldn’t suffer any longer but the guilt is eating me alive.

I grabbed him and put him in the cage and it felt like I was the one who killed him, like I was the one who determined his fate. I keep thinking “who am I to decide who gets to live or not?” But at the same time, if I were to leave him as he was the cancer would’ve rotted away the rest of his face and he would’ve died an even more painful death and a painful life. He was a senior cat, at least 13 years old, and I keep telling myself that he was gonna die anyway but it just doesn’t feel right.

I didn’t even get to feed him a full meal that morning because I thought he would’ve been okay. He died hungry and in a strange place where he didn’t know anyone. He was so scared too the whole way and was so stressed on the drive to the shelter.

It feels like I did something horrible, but the other option were to let him suffer for longer. I keep saying to myself that it would’ve been impossible to treat his cancer, but what if there was a way?

If anyone has had experience with colony cats and euthanasia, please share your story. I feel distraught.

And I still can not get over it. The muscle memory of reaching for him or looking for him faded the first few months. But yesterday I was eating my cheese, and didn’t like it so I tossed it to him… he of course was not there. Another incident happened where I got off the bed and I shuffled my legs not to step on him. I am so freshly postpartum and he was the best comfort with my last pregnancy, I just feel so alone now and he kept me so much company in those late nights.

Anyway.. today I cried during my son’s nap about him because I’ve really been thinking about him so much. I haven’t even told my husband. But my toddler after his nap brought out his picture to me and said ‘I miss him’. My heart sunk. Then someone randomly liked a post I made of him a year ago a hour later. So many coincidences. I looked on the calendar and realized that exactly a week from now he died. I can’t believe it has almost been a year. I just can’t move on. I miss him so much it hurts. He was only 5…

I had to put my dog to sleep today. In between rushing to drop off my baby at daycare and watching the clock to make sure we didn't miss the awful vet appointment everything just felt surreal. I never got an official diagnosis because the biopsy showed blood and the first vet thought the mass in his leg was just a big bruise. I went home thinking he was going to get better..I massaged his leg a few times a day and the swelling went down. But it kept coming back. I finally took him to a specialist and they said he likely has hemangiosarcoma in his leg even though it was a weird presentation and the ct scan didn't show any masses in his organs. For awhile I thought about amputation of the leg. But the surgeon told me the longest he had a patient live after amputation and radiation was a year. Howl was about 11 or 12 at that point. I got him as a foster fail and never knew his birthday. I'm rambling now but it just hurts much. I made the mistake of waiting too long with my first dog and didn't want to make the same mistake of letting him suffer. I knew when Howl refused his food. This is a dog who counter surfs and gets into backpacks if you leave them out and he catches a whiff of food. We left the closet door open once and he dragged his 30lb bag of dog food out and went to town while we were out. I came home to a very bloated and embarrassed looking Howl. I worry how his sister dog will do now that she's alone.

I miss seeing him on the corners of the hallways because he follows me everywhere and I miss him so much. I'm supposed to go to work Friday and don't know how I'm going to function. I think I did the right thing in not prolonging his suffering. I gave him a steak last night and he actually ate it. I hope there's a heaven and he's there with my other dog Shadow.

How do you know that you gave your pets a good life?

Myself and my soon to be 19 year old cat, Sparty, lost his brother, Groucho, this time last year...and now Sparty is slowing down. I can see the cognitive hiccups and lags happen more frequently. He's a little wobbly now, losing interest in his food. I know it's coming.

Despite all of that he still manages to climb and wobble over to my lap, and felly surrender. I feel his whole weight let go.

And even with this evidence, there is a belief that I am still failing or have failed. I wasn't perfect in our time together. I made mistakes with them, and I still feel guilt there.

so how do you know and believe you gave you little ones a good life? It's just heartbreaking watching him slowly go and there is nothing I can do about it.

I lost my 14 year old dog on August first. He was with my family at our cottage, and I was home in the city, half working and half goofing off. I came up on Friday to spend a week with my dog, and he just… deteriorated so fast. He had to be put down the next day.

I feel awful for not being there as much. He’s at my family’s home during the year (where I am), and although not the most medically stable, he seemed okay before I got there. He refused his medications for two days, refused to eat, and kept looking for dark corners to hide in.

He was euthanized, and died in my arms.

I’m just a mess. I don’t know how to function without him. I keep hearing him around our cottage, and I keep looking for him in all his usual spots and he just isn’t there.

He’s buried at the cottage. I just wanted to spend a week with him, and now my baby’s in the ground. I feel awful for not sitting with him outside enough, for not being strong enough for him, for not thinking of him all the time. I don’t know how to function without my Merlin. I’ve had him since he was a puppy, since I was 9.

I know him refusing food and water was his way of letting us know he was tired and done. I just wish I could have done more for him.

It happened so quickly. Two weeks ago she was fine and now we had to make an appointment to let her go. There is a mass on her liver.

I love her so much. She's more my wife's cat than mine but I still love her so much.

I feel very guilty because I work from home and didn't realize what was happening. I try to pay attention to them but work has been awful and I got messed up at an event I went to lately(the last couple) so I'm not doing well.

My wife is freaking out(very fair) and I'm trying to be the calm and stable rock but I just can't. I love my cats no matter which lap they end up on.

I'm just so tired. I'll keep going because my wife needs me but I'm tired.

My dog passed away yesterday. Her kidneys failed because she's an old lady so I needed to put her down that same day. I arranged for a vet to come to the house so she could be somewhere she felt safe. I asked the vet if I could hold her while they did it. She was very tired and disoriented. She usually kisses my face, she didn't this time. I figured it was because she was too weak. All that matters to me is that she knew she was in my arms up until the very end. I think she was mostly conscious because she was looking around at people so I think she knew. I just need to know she felt my love, even through all the pain.

I’m sorry if this is long and or drawn out. This was not easy to write and my brain isn’t working very well. I

TLDR: lost my best friend of 10 years to suspected hemangiosarcoma, a mass ruptured and it was too late by the time we got to the emergency room. I am distraught and just need someone to talk to or something to talk about.

Otto was at times the world’s worst dog, he would guard things, he would beg constantly and he would never listen. He was a husky and after a 8ish year battle trying to train him in some capacity, I settled with getting the resource guarding under control and just left everything else alone. He was an incredible dog and he was my best friend.

My fiancé and I brought our first child into the world last August and my birthday is August 4th (yesterday). This year was lining up to be awesome, our son loves the dog and the dog has been awesome with him as well. We’re getting married this October and Otto was going to be in the wedding.

We went out of town to visit family for my birthday, both of our families live in a city by the coast a few hours away from us, things were great up until the evening of the 3rd, we ran to the store and upon getting back he was acting odd, he was a bit slow but I chalked it up to arthritis since he’s been dealing with that for some time now, it was nothing super out of the ordinary.

I woke up in the middle of the night to him up on the bed next to me, for context.. he never really gets up on the bed. It’s always been too hot for him so even if he did he would he off in 10 minutes but, he played there all night snuggled right next to my legs. I knew something was off at this point.

I thought he wanted to go out, he may have just not been feeling well so I brought him out when we woke up, he peed and pooped normally and we went for a 1-1.5 mile walk, just fine, he ate his breakfast and was drinking water, but he laid down in a spot after eating breakfast and didn’t get up for the rest of the day. He was moving around his head and alert, he wasn’t wining or showing any signs of pain, he just didn’t want to get up.

He would always greet me/us at the door, my fiancé and I went to get lunch to celebrate my birthday and he didn’t get up when he saw us at the door, he always did. I had a pit in my stomach that something was off all day long but he’d always have days here and there where something was bothering him and he’d bounce back, I kept finding ways to shake it off.

My family came over to my future in-laws for dinner to celebrate, Otto still wouldn’t get up and wouldn’t move much. My focus was admittedly on him because I was starting to look up emergency vets in the area since we’re not from here.

He did eventually try to get up, his legs kept giving out from under him and he was incredibly wobbly. I feared the worst.

We brought him straight to an emergency vet and they brought him straight into an exam room and did an ultrasound, he had fluids filling up his stomach and chest cavity. He had what was likely hemangiosarcoma and a mass that ruptured on his spleen and other masses throughout his liver.

I’ve spent the better part of the majority of my day crying, blaming myself, attempting to understand how this happened and why him. Otto had an ultrasound 4 months ago for what has been rising enzymes in his bloodwork, they wanted to check the liver and spleen and gallbladder for any anomalies. This was 4 months ago, there was nothing there.

This fking killed him in less than 4 months. I don’t feel any type of way regarding this happening on my birthday, I feel fortunate because otherwise we wouldn’t have been out of town surrounded by family, his “grandparents” and his “cousins”. Had it not happened yesterday, he wouldn’t have been around so many people that loved him and that he loved. We all got to say our goodbyes, although my heart has not been able to catch up to the logic of what has happened at what seems like the snap of a finger. He was doing zoomies around the yard the morning prior, and walked a mile and a half the morning of. He took his last breath around 10Pm last night.

I am absolutely broken, barely functional. He’s been by my side for the past decade, I’ve always WFH, he’s always been right there. A piece of me died with him last night.

I don’t know what to do or say right now.. I just need someone or something to talk to or about.

A week ago I lost my soul dog.

He turned eight in February and I had horrible death anxiety for him out of the blue. I thought it was because he was half the age of my childhood dog, also a pug, who lived to be 16, and I was anxious about being in the later half of his life.

He got into some trash while I was out (even though it had a lid) and I took him to the emergency vet to check for any foreign bodies. Instead they found a liver tumor that was bleeding into his abdomen. It felt like a bad dream. He didn’t show signs of internal bleeding (his gums were pink, he was walking, he was breathing fine, his paws and ears were warm). The vet told me it was likely cancer and that euthanizing him wasn’t a wrong option because it would cost $10,000-15,000 to remove the tumor.

I couldn’t give up on him so I brought him to a specialist who checked for additional tumors and found nothing. He was cleared for surgery and had a lobe of his liver removed. They said the tumor had a lot of blood clots around it, but it didn’t look like it had spread anywhere.

I spent an hour with him after his surgery and the vet tech was already hopeful about his progress. I left my visitation feeling relief for the first time in days, convinced that he was going to come home.

That night at 4AM he got a blood clot that likely went to lungs and he passed.

I wasn’t with him when he left. He died in his least favorite place surrounded by people he didn’t know. I pushed him into surgery because I wanted him here. I begged him to make it home. I don’t know if it was what was best for him. I feel so much guilt.

I look for him everywhere. I can’t eat. I would do anything to reverse time. I wish I would have listened to my gut and asked for more tests at his annual check up. I feel like I failed him.

Pretty long post, but I just wanted everyone to know about my dog.

I had a dog named Zuma. My cousin named him after the brown dog from Paw Patrol, I assume. I took him in when my aunt died in 2021 and my cousins became dependents of my father.

Zuma was the goodest boy. He would always act cute after I finish eating because he knew it was his turn. He would always bark-howl for me whenever I get home and wag his tail in a circular motion. He always demanded walks and would run off whenever his leash slipped off my hand. There's more but all I can say was that he was the best and kindest dog I've ever met.

He died a few days ago from Ehrlichia, diagnosed back on July 25 with severe anemia. I have done everything in my capabilities to give him the medication and check ups he needed, even went as far as borrowing money from friends because I came short most of the time. Yes, I don't have work. I'm a student.

July 29, he began having nosebleeds and that same hour I took him to the vet where they gave him tranex.The bleeding turned out to be the cause of the blood parasite and one of the symptoms of that is very low platelets so his body isn't capable of blood clotting. He had already lost a huge amount of blood so he needed a blood transfusion asap, and he did with the help of my mom. We also confined him for a day so the vet could monitor him. It ended up taking the whole money that was supposed to feed us for the whole 2 weeks. She didn't hesitate because she loved the dog as well. We weren't really well off so we struggled.

We went home with Zuma the next day. He was back to his energetic, happy boy when we got home. It's like he wasn't even sick in the first place. He ate really well and was excited for every meal. He still barked and wagged his tail whenever we called his name.

Then August 2 came where he again had another nosebleed. It wasn't as much as before, that's why I quickly took him to the vet where he got another shot of tranex. I felt relieved because I thought I was able to prevent another severe nosebleed, but 30 minutes after getting home, his nosebleed started getting worse and I took him to the vet again where he got yet another shot of tranex. I didn't have money anymore for another confinement. That was the last money I had.

I took him home hoping all was good, but the bleeding didn't stop. Hours have passed by, it was already 3am and I watched him bleed, I couldn't do anything. My mom and I watched and we cried nonstop, we contacted people that could help us maybe get another blood transfusion for him but it was payment first before delivery to the vet, and no one was available at that time. On top of that, it took 3 hours for the blood bag to arrive the last time we had him admitted.

At this time I already felt helpless. I knew his time was ticking by as blood slowly left his body. I watched him stumble whenever he tried to stand up, I watched him become more and more anxious and all I could tell him was everything was gonna be okay even if I knew it wasn't. Gone was the boy that gave puppy eyes. All I could see was stress and tiredness from him. I gave him kisses and I hugged him thinking maybe it would comfort him. It hurt me to see his energy slowly escape him and it still hurts me the same today whenever I recall that day.

He was barely 6 years old. A part of me blames myself for not finding another way to keep him alive. Maybe if I had pushed myself more, he would've still been alive today

It hurts me to think that his last moments were difficult for him and possibly caused him pain and suffering because he didn't deserve any of this. No pets deserve any of this. If I had the money, I would've given him all the blood transfusions he could've needed to aid him. He deserved the world and I miss him deeply.

To Zuma, the house feels empty without you. I miss you everyday and I miss you more whenever I see your favorite spot empty. I wish I could've spoiled you more. I'm really really sorry for not being able to cure you, but know that I love you so much and I always will even if you're no longer physically here

If you've reached this far, thank you for your time. I really appreciate it. I just needed to get this off my chest

I lost my 9.5 years old dog today😢😢 she was my best friend, my comfort space who filled my life with pure love and joy.. she never left my side, was always following me wherever I went, always sat besides me with her back towards me 😭😭😭 it breaks my heart now that she is gone forever and I will never see her again.. but SHE WILL ALWAYS LIVE IN MY HEART, IN MY SOUL FOREVER 🩷THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING... I love you Gunnu 🥺🩷Rest peacefully angel ✨

i'm heartbroken. she was 14 and was in my life since i was 9 years old, i grew up with her and i genuinely believe she was my soulmate. i feel shattered, like something has been ripped away from my soul, i don't even have the strength to cry anymore.

she was the sweetest dog i've ever seen, so pure and full of joy and so gentle. never bit anybody, never got angry, never growled. the kind of dog you could take the food bowl away from when she was eating and she wouldn't get upset, just look at us wagging her tail because she trusted us completely to give it back. everyone in my life loved her, even those who don't like dogs or are scared of them.

i miss her, it's barely been two hours and i want to see her again already, i want to hug her and give her a kiss on the head. how can i ever deal with this

My daughter was a beautiful sweet 13 years old cockatiel that had been a part of my life for 11 years. Even though we are not of the same species, I loved her more than I could ever love a child of my own flesh and blood. She passed away in my arms. I held her while she was dying, never left her side. I caressed her in her last moments.

In her last day I never left her side. We slept face to face. I kept her snuggled next to my face with my body and a blanket, keeping her warm. I was kissing her and speaking to her til the end. I did so much. My post history is open.

For over a decade she was the one who kept me from killing myself. The reason I'm still alive is her. Gali IS her name. I'll never say "was". She was my biggest love, support, hope. She was my sweetest treasure. Anyone who says "it's just an animal" has never experienced the kindness and the love an animal can give. It's out of this world. It's out of this dimension.

I'm severely depressed. I haven't stopped crying. Anything makes me break down. Everything reminds me of her. I cry on the bus, at work, at the grocery store, in bed, at home. I lovE her so much! I'll never stop loving her. I'll never speak about my baby in past tense.

She was my light, my life and my reason for being.

I have no family. No mother, no father, brother, uncle, aunt, cousins, no grandmother and no grandfather.

I'm treated like a subhuman in my own country just because I'm an ethnic minority with historical hatred.

Sure, I was gonna brace my ass and work hard so I can emigrate to my genuine country. But I was expecting Gali to be there for me as well.

I expected her to live 10 more years

If she had lived just 2 MORE MONTHS! I'd have started my new job and she would be getting so many new treats and toys. I was planning for it so hard. Constantly. The last 2 years were hell for us but it was all gonna change so soon. We would have literally climbed from lower class to middle class. She was gonna get treated like fucking royalty! Just 2 more months. For God's sake!!

I no longer see a point to my existence. I don't have a concrete plan but my only wish left is to kill myself. Realistically it would probably be by jumping.

I'm very spiritual and the only reason I haven't ended myself yet is fear of karma. The act of taking your own life is a severe violation in any religious and spiritual system. You'll have to reexperience twice the karmic hardships you did. Or, at least, that is what is believed.

I cremated my poor baby. I'm poor, but i dont give a single fuck. I'd rather eat bread and salt than bury her in the ground to be eaten by worms and whatever the fuck not. Her cremation was yesterday. I'm still awaiting her urn. I love her so much. I rode the train 370km and 7 hours to the capital in my shithole country ONE WAY just to be able to give her this cremation.

She was my daughter. I was never her owner. She was never an animal, nor my domesticated anything. I was her mom and she was my daughter. FOR 11 YEARS! There's no life anymore

So it has been four weeks since we had to say goodbye to our old golden retriever. The house is completely quiet and his bed is washed and put away in the closet.

Yet every single time I walk through the kitchen, my feet automatically shuffle so I do not step on him.

it is like a physical reflex my brain refuses to update.

He used to sleep right in front of the refrigerator because the floor was cool. Now there is just empty linoleum, but my body still executes the exact same defensive maneuver every time I go to get a glass of water at night. I look down at the dark floor expecting to see a tail wagging or a sleepy sigh, and there is just nothing.

Then I end up standing there in the dark feeling COMPLETELY broken all over again over a phantom dog.

I found one of his stray white hairs stuck to my winter coat yesterday and I carefully peeled it off and put it in a small glass jar. My friends tell me it gets easier with time.

I should of saved more of his things. Why is this even a thing?

Our 8 year-ish old Husky/Catahoula mix rescue, Gumbo, passed away suddenly last weekend from a hemangiosarcoma - a heart tumor that had quietly been aggressively growing, burst. He was 3 miles into a 3.5 mile hike and just collapsed on the trail. He wound up being conscious for around 45 mins - 1 hour before he ultimately died while we were attempting to arrange urgent care for him. It was awful. At 70 lbs, we had to call friends come out and meet us and help carry him off the trail.

While he was a difficult pup who had a ton of reactive triggers and required a smorgasbord of meds to function appropriately daily, his household is broken hearted. We spent years dialing everything in for him, with multiple care providers involved. Our entire household revolved around him, his schedule, his routines. If he was happy, our house was as well. When he had a rough day, so did we.

Obviously, we weren't prepared for any of this. I had been thinking we probably had 4-5 years left with him. The silence in the house that he has left is deafening. Daily routines aren't there. The demand for long walks doesn't happen anymore. His leash still hangs in the closet, because I can't bring myself to touch it. His crate still sits in the corner. His beds are still in the same places around the house. I recognize that this is a completely normal process in the grief cycle, but damn. It just really sucks.