October 4 will mark the one-year anniversary of my cat's death. It will be a difficult day for me. We were together for 17 years, and I never thought I could love an animal so much. I hated putting him to sleep but I knew he was suffering and it was time for him to go. I cried so much for him, but at least I know he is at peace now and I hope someday to see him again.

I agree with Molfan, we are definitely in the same place regarding our pets. All mine are family members. They are with you in the good times and the bad, will love you unconditionally, and give all of themselves to you. It is a very difficult thing to lose these family members ~ I know, we lost two of our beloved dogs within 7 months of each other. I appreciate what Twansalem is saying, however, animals that were put here for food is slightly different. Not that you can't love a rabbit or a duck, but it somehow isn't quite the same.

Our dogs are like a member of our family. it is sad to lose a pet. Dogs are so devoted and ask for little. They give so much. It is sad to lose one of these wonderful animals. I could never forget the pets who have been in my life.

I'll admit that it got to me a little when the dog I had through almost all of my teen years died. But that was the only pet I was ever attached to at all. We had several other dogs while I was little, and even as a little kid, it never really bothered me that much when they died. Cats came and went on a regular basis. I never could keep a golfish alive for more than a month or two. I grew up on a farm, so I saw animals die all the time. We butchered hogs and chickens on a regular basis. Other animals that occasionally got the hatchet in favor of the cooking pot included rabbits, ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl, and probably a few others I can't even remember. When you're used to these sort of things, you get over dead pets rather quickly.

I know many people love their pets, and when I've had them I've been fond of them as well.

However.....

The life expectancy of cats and dogs is relatively short, compared to humans, and if you keep them, you had better be prepared for their deaths.

Not that one should be cavalier about it, but if you can't come to terms with the animal's eventual demise, don't keep them. Death is a natural progression of life.

I also find the position of this item on this list symptomatic of North American self-indulgence. Pet death is rated marginally lower than death of one's child, and well above death of a sibling, spouse or either parent.

Pillory me if you will, but if you believe that, if you truly believe that, you are emotionally disabled.

I've found this book...."dog secrets" it says that dog should live longer then what they do....it's what we are feeding them that is killing them so soo......And now with this recall you don't know what to feed your pets anymore.... And I put my pets right up there with the rest of my family.....they are equal....not any lower then we are.....

I agree with all of you. Pets are part of the family and you love them and cherish them as if they were humans. They are beautiful living souls and many of them can offer sometimes more than another person can.

For some people, loss of a pet is absolutely the worst, and particularly older people who have nothing left but a beloved pet.

I do not have children and have grown up around animals my whole life. Losing a pet is just as hurtful as losing a member of the family, because they ARE a part of the family for most people, especially for me.

I fear the day my dog dies. no doubt it will be an emotional experience for me, but I live for here and now, enjoy things all you can before it's gone.

Think what you want, but when our Sheltie, Pepper, died in 1992, I cried like a baby, in front of my family. I took it hard. We had Pepper for 12 years and she was part of the family. It was five years before I could get another dog.

Update: My condolances, Magellan, on the loss of the family dog. I know from my own personal experience just how painful it can be. That's a great photo with your niece and Kaya, I'm sure it will become a family treasure. God Bless you and your family!

Pets are the only source for most people to get love that is truly unconditional. In my prayers, magellan.

My sister's dog died this morning. Kaya was a big dog, 120 pounds plus in her prime. The thing I'll remember most about her is her dedication to my sister. S. would walk into a room, and like a shadow, Kaya would pad in silently behind her, eyes always on my sister.

Kaya was a rugged outdoor dog. She faced down a bear or two in her lifetime, and could turn menacing if she felt that an animal or person was threatening her family. And when Kaya menaced, just about every creature would take notice.

When my sister had a baby, everyone worried about how Kaya would take this intrusion on her bond with my sister. They shouldn't have worried. Even when my 2 year old niece would play rough with Kaya's aching fourteen year old body, Kaya was gentle as a lamb. I'm glad they got to know each other.

Kaya died as we all would like to go out. In her bed and with her family around her. You were a good dog K, and a loyal member of my family. Wherever you are now, I hope there's plenty of mountains, and snow, and streams, and dirt, and hills. Kaya (July 3, 1992 - March 22, 2007)
;

I'd experienced this as a kid and it sucks. It's a part of life though dudes, but it still hurts sometimes.

I had five hamsters when I was little, and they all died. THat was really hard, but when my fish die, I just buy new ones. Now, if my puppy were to die, I'd be devastated.

They become a part of the family. I work at a veterinary specialist's clinic now; unfortunately, a lot of times, it's the last resort for a lot of pets whose conditions are so drastic that their regular vets can't do much else for them. I've seen people who would go to the ends of the earth for their pets. When there is nothing else that can be done, and they are faced with that terrible and difficult decision, that's one of the hardest things that a person must do for a loved one. I don't rate this a "5" only because I'd imagine losing one's spouse or child would be still much harder than this. 10/8/05: Where I work, we close at 6pm and we trade our building off to an emergency vet service. A few nights ago, a lady had to transfer her dog to our care after the emergency services left. After ultrasounds and xrays, it was pretty clear what was wrong with the little dog: cancer had COMPLETELY destroyed the liver. There was pretty much nothing left. We encouraged her to take all the time she needs; she knew her dog waasn't going to make it, but it's never easy to make that decision. I don't know how late in the night she showed up at the emergency center, but she stayed with us for four hours in our waiting room, taking turns being composed and outright bawling, holding her dog. I went out to talk to her. "I can't do this, I can't . . . I wish she'd just go to sleep on her own . . . " she said, over and over again. I asked her if she needed a hug. She nodded, and buried her face into my shoulder, sobbing. She told me that first, her daughter had committed suicide recently, she had just moved to the area and knows no one, and now this. As if her dog dying wasn't bad enough. I wish there were something that I could have done, but no one could have done anything at all to stop this; the dog was too far gone. I know there's a lot of people who think "It's *just* a dog", or "it's *only* a cat", but sometimes, that dog or cat means the world to someone who loves them. Hugs and sympathy cards don't really change things all that much, but at least the person knows that someone else cares out there and understands what they're going through.

This can be crushing. I've had three family dogs die on me during my lifetime and they were all bad times. At least when people die, no matter how close, you can usually remember something rotten that they did. This is not usually the case with dogs. They are unqualifiedly loyal and affectionate. Further, you don't realize what an ingrained part of your daily life they are until they are gone.

Most pets do not have the same life span as humans, so it is natural to expect that they will die sooner.