Have you ever felt the harrowing pain of losing a pet? It's a pain that's hard to describe and can be difficult to understand, but it's a pain that exists as much as any other. Some may disagree. "It's just a cat. Go pick up a stray that looks the same and you'll never know." Or, "Who cares. That mutt shed too many flees anyway." Ouch. But to most, we consider our pets as another member of the family, a child or a sibling. When we lose them, we feel a pain like no other.

Although most of us pet owners have been unlucky enough to feel the pain of losing a pet, we have all been lucky enough to love one.

To our dogs and cats and bunnies and snakes that lived out their lives or got lost on the way, thank you for being our best friend. Here are 9 painful truths that became clear to us shortly after you were gone.

1. Your furry best friend is no longer here.

The one who showed you unconditional love from the day they were born to the day they left you is now gone and you don’t know how to handle yourself. You go through ups and downs and your emotions feel like they’re all over the place. Your animal acted as a consistent in your life. Now what?

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2. You have dreams that they're still with you.

Waking up without your purring cat sitting on your face massaging your scalp is borderline torturous.

3. Your other animals miss them too.

For those of us who have more than one pet in the house, we know the loss of one kills the spirit of the other. We try to explain to our puppy where his older brother went, but can’t help but cringe inside at the sight of little Buddy sniffing around his older brothers bed or staring out the back screen door, waiting for him to come home.

4. There is no one waiting to greet you at the front door.

After a long day of work, we know we can come home to our favorite furry friend panting by the front door or purring in between our legs. When they’re gone, the barking, the purring, the hissing, and the chirping all turns to silence, a silence we don’t know how to fill.

5. No one seems to understand.

Our bosses and coworkers and friends and even family members who weren‘t best friends with your furry friend just don't get it.

6. No one seems to take you seriously, either.

“I’m sick, boss. I can’t come in for 3 weeks – I’m in mourning.”

7. You lost your favorite form of entertainment.

Pets are more than just cuddly little beings who give you lots of love - they're also absolutely hysterical. No one can argue that cats are the internets favorite go to animal for entertainment. When yours goes missing, so does a little piece of your happiness, laughter, and sanity.

8. You don't have someone to lick the tears off your face.

I don't care how great your boy friend is. He just doesn’t do the job quite like your angel puppy did. Maybe he’s even the reason your crying. It’s time like these when you really miss your furry friend.

9. You want to get a new pet, but you feel like you're cheating on your first love.

Although he’s no longer with you, you can’t help but feel an undeniable guilt. If you do decide to get another pet, you will learn to love him or her just as much but in a different way. She wont replace the hole left by your last pet, but she'll help you expand your heart to make room for everyone.