またねココ (See you again, Koko) – Dealing with Pet Loss

Our beloved cat daughter, Koko, has crossed the rainbow bridge.

She had been so healthy, but suddenly her condition deteriorated in June, and after a battle with illness over the summer, she passed away on October 8th.

We are heartbroken… and missing her so much.

The home without her no longer feels the same.

But we believe her gentle spirit will always be with us.

Koko, you must have been in so much pain. I’m so sorry.

Thank you for being brave and fighting so hard.

Thank you for being our beloved child.

Thank you for the wonderful 11 years of pure happiness.

We love you so much.

We’ll see you again.

We would like to extend our deepest condolences to all pet parents out there who have lost their beloved fur babies.

[In Japanese]

ココが虹の橋を渡りました。

あんなに元気だったのに、６月に突然具合が悪くなり、夏の間の看病も虚しく10月8日に天国へ旅立ちました。

悲しくて、悲しくて、、、

会いたくて、会いたくて、、、

今も、ココのいない空間に慣れません。

でもココの魂はいつまでも一緒にいてくれてると信じてます。

ココ、苦しかっただろうに ごめんね。

あんなにがんばってくれて、ありがとうね。

うちの子になってくれて、ありがとう。

幸せいっぱいの11年間を、ありがとう。

大好きだよ。

また、会おうね。

過去に愛するペットを亡くされた、世の全ての人へ 心よりお悔やみ申し上げます。

Pain is the Price of Loving

My husband and I consider our cats, Koko and Kiki (Kiki is still with us thankfully), as our children.

Plus, they are the first pets I have ever lived with. So, the pain of losing Koko was nothing like I had ever experienced.

I couldn’t eat, sleep, or work. So, I had to inform my students about Koko’s passing to take a break from work for a while.

In return, I received so many kind words and condolences. They filled my heart with warmth and comfort, and I was truly grateful that my school was full of kind and compassionate people.

In addition, I learned that many of my students also have experienced the tremendous grief of losing their animal companion. Some of them still remember the pain after two decades of their pets passing…

Pain is the price of loving. The deep scar in our hearts is proof of our love.

I have come across some information on the internet that has helped me through pet loss grief.

In this post, I wish to share what I have learned in case you are also a pet parent who has experienced or may be experiencing the same grief.

Your Pain is Valid

Not everyone understands the unbearable pain we go through with our pet passing. We may receive tons of support and sympathy when we lose our human family, but it’s not always the case when we lose our animal family.

You may even receive hurtful comments such as “It’s just a pet. Get over it.”

If this ever happens to you, please know that your pain and grief are natural and valid. It is normal that you can’t eat, sleep, carry out simple daily tasks, and stop crying. There are millions of us who went through the same struggle of pet loss grief.
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This video helped me. I hope it gives you some peace as well.

Pet Loss Grief – The Pain Explained

Our pets who crossed over want us to be in a safe place as we go through the grieving process. Please make sure to surround yourself with people who don’t criticize your despair.

They Chose Us

Our pets have a soul contract with us, which means that we are destined to live together in this lifetime.

While it may feel like we are the ones who choose our pets, they actually chose us because we are already connected at a soul level.

Our life together was meant to be. So, there is no need to doubt whether your pet was happy or if you were a good parent to them.

They came into this world because they wanted to be with you.

They Help Us Learn Lessons

Animals have mastered unconditional love, but we humans haven’t. It is evident by looking at all the conflicts and wars going on endlessly in our world.

Our pets come into our lives to help us learn unconditional love for others and for ourselves. So, beating up ourselves with all the regrets is the last thing they want us to do.

They even use their passing to help us grow and evolve. It hurts, Yes, but there must be something we can learn from this experience.

They Plan Their Passing

When our pets feel they’ve done their job with their human, they start getting ready to cross over. They decide when they pass, how they pass, and who is or is not going to be there.

At the deep soul level, they plan everything about their departure.

I learned these things through this video.

Pet Loss – Four Things to Know Right Now

She says no matter how our pet passed away, whether it was due to old age, illness, accident, or euthanasia, it was their plan. We should not blame ourselves or beat ourselves up because it was beyond our control.

Instead, we can honor their decision and possibly learn something from the experience. Perhaps there is something they wanted us to understand about ourselves.

It is hard to do, but Koko’s passing has already taught me a great deal about myself, and I’ve decided to accept it as her gift.

After all, she was a very loving and thoughtful girl.

I hope this post helps you with the grieving process of losing your animal family.

I am truly sorry for your loss…My sincerest condolences for the loss of your beloved fur baby.

There are lots of mentions of Koko on this website or in my school. I want to leave them as they are for now, as I am not ready to take them down yet.

Although it is so painful now, I believe that eventually, I will only smile when I think of Koko.