I lost my little brother in 2007 in a motorcycle accident. It was and still is one of the worst experiences of my life. I had two cats at the time. Gypsy and Redd (Frederick Tiberius). They could feel my sadness and would jump onto my bed and snuggle me when i was crying. Redd was not very affectionate and so this was unusual for him. It was good for my heart. Gypsy took to sleeping behind my knees at night. Like she was guarding me. They did this for almost a year and when i started feeling better..they started sleeping on their cat tree again.
I am sorry to hear about that Jennifer, that is a great testimony of how indeed pets can help us. Animals are really sensitive creatures, they can perceive everything, funny how they supported you until you needed.
Pets can help losses in agree way. They are known to be the best companion you can ever have. I believe it is true for every human being. They are quite a good friend you can have
I have definitely received comfort from pets in time of loss or even when I am depressed about something. Its funny about an animal as I have witnessed over the years. They seem to have this instinct about them that they know when someone is upset about something. I have witnessed this in not only my dogs but my cats as well. When I am upset they seem to become more affectionate. I remeber one time I was crying and my dog Oso who was in the room with me jumped in my lap and started licking me. He knew I was hurting and wanted to help me feel better. To be honest he did do just that.
No one can deny that, but there is also the other side of the situation, when the pets die they are a loss too and some people prefer not to have pet again not to undergo that suffering again.