Why Your Pet Is More Than Family—A Therapist Reveals the Surprising Emotional Bond You Didn’t Know You Had
You ever stop mid-scroll, look at your pet, and wonder if they secretly run the family—and maybe, just maybe, they’re the only ones holding it together? Yeah, me too. It turns out, we probably should’ve been treating our furry (or feathery) companions as actual family all along—because, according to a seasoned marriage and family therapist, the heartbreak when they’re gone hits just as hard as losing a blood relative. Who knew that those sloppy kisses and midnight cuddles come with a lifetime of emotional investment? Grab some tissues (or a chew toy) and dive into this heartfelt revelation about why our pets deserve a seat at the family table, complete with all the love, grief, and chaos that entails. Spoiler: grieving a pet isn’t “just” about losing an animal—it’s about mourning a family member, pure and simple.
<a href="https://twitter.com/TheWeed/status/1721320597458977091″ target=”blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>LEARN MOREArticle created by: Denis Krotovas
Humans usually love and adore their little pet buddies. However, sometimes, we don’t fully realize just how much they actually mean to us.
One X user recently posted something that he learned in his years as a marriage and family therapist, which he felt should’ve been obvious all along. To us, our pets are often every bit as important as the rest of our family, and when it comes to grief, that is visible more than ever. Scroll down to read all of it!
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Sometimes, it takes grief to realize the immense importance that our pets really hold in our lives
Image credits: Tranmautritam (not the actual photo)
While observing his patients, the therapist realized that most people see their pets as actual full members of their family, and the grief when they lose them is equally as heavy
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
The man explained that our attachment to them provides us stability and security, and to some people who lack strong family or social bonds, can be life-changing
Image credits: Pixabay (not the actual photo)
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
But even though the grief over a lost pet is just as significant as over a lost close family member, our society doesn’t usually offer the same kind of emotional and social empathy
Image credits: Peng Louis (not the actual photo)
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
The therapist summarized that it’s essential to give yourself time to make your peace with the passing of your pet family member, no matter what others might say
In one of his series of posts on the X platform, Josh Weed, a therapist working with families and married couples, decided to share his newfound insights into human and pet connection, which he learned through observing grief.
He said that sometimes, the intensity and the effect of a lost pet affected his clients the same as the loss of their primary family members. This is because our pet buddies, in the sense of attachment, are actually our real family members.
Josh explained that they provide us with stability and security, and there are plenty of examples where pets can be absolutely life-changing for people working through difficult times in their lives.
According to the therapist, the grieving process that we go through after losing a pet is identical to that of losing a close human being. However, our society often doesn’t see it that way and expects us to drop a couple of tears and keep going.
In the end, Josh urged people to let themselves take time to grieve their pets because, after all, they’re an equal part of our family. He also shared pictures of his own four-pawed family member.
People in the comments were moved by these posts, and they, too, joined in, sharing pictures and stories of their beloved pet friends and talking about the effect left by the loss of some of them.
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
To get some additional insights on the subject, Bored Panda reached out to an animal behaviorist, Julie Bond, who was happy to lend us her expertise.
According to her, there are some excellent reasons why we and our pets form such strong bonds with each other. Many animals, especially cats and even more so dogs, have shared their lives and co-evolved with humans for a long time.
The expert explained that these relationships are symbiotic, benefiting both sides. Pets provide us with unconditional love, support, and attention while we give them shelter, food, love, and devotion. “Petting your dog or cat lowers your blood pressure, evens out your breathing, and causes the release of endorphins, thus making you feel better. And you know what? Your pet reaps those same benefits.”
