Make no mistake about it, pets are members of the family. They bring us endless hours of joy and, as we’ll discuss here, they fill our homes like little else. As such, when the sad time comes to say goodbye, you may find that you’re left dealing with a hole in your household, not just your hearts.
This can be incredibly difficult and often acts as a constant reminder. Your rooms may suddenly seem like gaping caverns with the heart ripped right out and, if you’re anything like most, you might even avoid spending time in the spaces that your pet loved most.
Unfortunately, this is your home, and living with that constant emptiness is no way to overcome this hurdle. Your pet certainly wouldn’t want you to leave such a hole in this space that’s meant to bring you all together.
With that in mind, we’re going to consider a few ways that you can help your home feel full again, even with such an important family member gone.
Keep their memory alive at home
The best possible thing you can do here is to find new ways to keep your pet’s memory alive in your home. It may be that you invest in A4 frames and hang some pictures in what was once their favourite room. Or, perhaps you’d prefer display cases for their much-loved toys. You could even invest in photo-printed cushion covers, coasters, or something else that makes sure the pet that means so much to you stays present, even once they’re gone.
Find fun new uses for the space they’ve left
As much as you’ll want to preserve, it’s also vital that you don’t fall into a shrine trap that makes this loss much harder to overcome. Remember, your pet would’ve wanted you to carry on finding the joy that you experienced when they were around. With that in mind, finding fun new uses for the space they’ve left is fundamental. Don’t keep that empty dog bed or close the door on the room in which they slept. Rather, turn that space into a kid’s play room, or invest in a memorial vase to fill the space where their bed was. These are joyous little home additions that could put a smile on your face, rather than the sadness you’ll experience otherwise.
Keep making room for your other pets
If you’re lucky enough to have other pets, this is also the ideal time to enjoy the space they still fill in your home. As any owner who’s experienced loss knows well, the pets you still have can provide huge comfort at this difficult time. So, take this chance to buy your existing dogs a new bed, or to create a dog haven in your spare room at last. This way, your lives and hearts are guaranteed to feel full again in no time.
Ultimately, healing from a loss like this takes time. But, by filling your home in these ways, you can certainly help the process along.
*This is a collaborative post
Some lovely ideas. Did you know it’s also possible to place your lovely pet’s ashes into a modern round barrow, such as Mid-England Barrow, for safe keeping. When the time comes, they can sit alongside their owners ashes, side by side, just as they were in life. At a modern barrow, the ashes can be visited as often as family wish, spending time in the meadow, surrounded by English countryside.