I lost my cat not long ago and it was much more devastating than I expected it to be. I lost Bug in an unexpected and sudden way which was so hard to cope with. I also felt a lot of guilt around needing so much time to process grief. It doesn't feel like our society gives time and space to processing loss, and especially not when it comes to a pet. Because I'm an animal lover this loss was huge and she was a part of my family. In the days, weeks and months following her death I joined a lot of spaces specifically with people who also experienced pet loss. There were many people who had just lost a pet but many who had lost one in years past. It was so comforting to be with others who understand this specific loss and held it as important as I did.