You’ve come to know Sarah Chauncey through her compassionate writing about loss and grief here on The Conscious Cat over the past few years. After her heart-cat Hedda died in 2016, she wrote P.S. I Love You More Than Tuna, a beautifully illustrated and healing gift book which is available for pre-order now.Continue Reading
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I’d like to offer huge congratulations to our friend Sarah Chauncey on today’s release of her new book, P.S. I Love You More Than Tuna.
If you’ve read The Conscious Cat for a while, you’re already familiar with Sarah’s work. She contributed a number of wonderful articles about pet loss to our site.Continue Reading
This post contains affiliate links*
You’ve come to know Sarah Chauncey through her compassionate writing about loss and grief here on The Conscious Cat over the past few years. After her heart-cat Hedda died in 2016, she wrote P.S. I Love You More Than Tuna, a beautifully illustrated and healing gift book which is available for pre-order now.Continue Reading
This post contains affiliate links*
I’ve been excited about P.S. I Love You More Than Tuna since I first heard about this first illustrated gift book for adults who are grieving the loss of cat. Really helpful books about pet loss are few and far between. While there are plenty of books and websites out there that offer support, ultimately, grief is a solitary journey. No book or website can do it for you.Continue Reading
Written by Sarah Chauncey
This is the third post in a three-part series. I’ve previously written about how veterinarians are handling euthanasia during COVID-19 and ways you can take care of yourself during this time. In this post, I’ll look at some options for reaching out for support during a time when nearly all of us are keeping physical distance.Continue Reading
There is some good news in the middle of all the terrifying, awful updates – you just have to look for it. One aspect of this pandemic that I find particularly heartening is that pet adoptions and fosters have increased tremendously while people are staying home, in some cases, even clearing out some shelters. Vox contributor Rebecca Jennings shares her experience of adopting a shy cat in Brooklyn. Next week, we’ll have a report from a Washington DC area based rescue group about how they handle contactless adoptions.
If you missed any of the stories featured on the Conscious Cat this week, here’s a recap:Continue Reading
Written by Sarah Chauncey
This is the second post in a three-part series. In the first post, l looked at how veterinarians are handling euthanasia during COVID-19.
Losing a beloved companion is a difficult experience at any time, but several factors come together to make it particularly devastating during COVID-19. From veterinarians handling euthanasias differently than usual to physical distancing requirements that keep us from hugging each other, circumstances are coming together that intensify the isolation many guardians feel after a loss even under normal circumstances. In addition, there is so much grief and loss in the world right now, and we’re all feeling some of that—loss of routine and familiarity, economic uncertainty, concern about loved ones, and of course, for many people, the loss of human loved ones to this awful disease. This collective grief weighs heavily on all of us and can make grieving the loss of a pet during COVID-19 even more challenging.Continue Reading
Making a decision about whether or when the time is right for euthanasia is one of the hardest things a cat parent will ever go through. Unlike human medicine, veterinary medicine offers the option of gently ending suffering when there seems to be no hope for recovery. However, making this decision for a beloved cat can be agonizing.Continue Reading
Written by Sarah Chauncey
Anticipatory grief is grief that arises before a death—when you know it’s coming, but your cat is still alive. On one end of the spectrum, anticipatory grief can cast a shadow over the time you have left with a sick or senior cat. But this “grief in advance” can also be a gift, if we can recognize it and work with it.Continue Reading
Written by Sarah Chauncey
As painful as it is, grief is a universal human experience. There isn’t a person on the planet who has not, or will not, experience the loss of a beloved family member. Our culture ranks humans above animals, and therefore, grieving the loss of an animal friend is often not recognized for the painful experience it is. This disenfranchisement can leave people feeling isolated and misunderstood—which compounds the grief.Continue Reading
Written by Sarah Chauncey
The loss of a cat is heartbreaking for any guardian, but many are blindsided by the depth and intensity of grief they feel. You’re grieving not only a being, but also a relationship that was unique to you. In addition, cats often with people through entire chapters of their lives. The cat’s death marks the end of an era in the human’s life.Continue Reading
