Pet's death 'like losing a parent'

London : To those who have never owned a cat or dog, it might seem impossible to understand.

Yet a majority of pet owners admit to finding the loss of their four-legged companion just as traumatic as the death of a beloved relative.

Half of owners say it is an event equally as heartbreaking as losing a close family member such as an aunt, uncle or grandparent.

And a third go even further, comparing it to the death of a parent, sibling or spouse.

The findings come from a survey of 1,300 British dog and cat lovers.

Mourning

It found that they tend to go on mourning departed pets for years, with 53 per cent saying their grief for their cat or dog "never goes away".

More than a quarter of all owners also said that they were so grief-stricken by the death of their pet that they were forced to call in sick to work.

The research by the insurance firm MORE TH>N also showed that cat and dog owners spend an average of £72 (Dh403) each putting their beloved pet to rest.

A quarter have their loyal companions cremated, eight per cent create a shrine or hold a human-style funeral for the animal, while five per cent build a ‘pet coffin' to bury them in.

Andrew Rogerson, of the Pet Crematorium, a firm which operates in Durham and Lanarkshire, said more and more pet lovers were giving their cats and dogs proper "send-offs" when they die. "Britons' relationship with their pets is stronger than ever, as animals are increasingly seen as integral members of the family," said Rogerson.

"In the past few years, we've seen a considerable rise in demand for our services from bereaved pet owners."