“When I place this cushion on the sofa, it feels as if my pet is still right there.”
Today, I’d like to share some experiences that customers often tell me.
When I create custom pet cushions, I also listen to customers’ stories about their grief. Many of them say:
“Because my pet passed away so recently, it still feels like they’re here with me.”
Have you ever felt the same?
Perhaps you’ve turned around and, for just a moment, imagined your pet sleeping on the sofa as usual—or sensed them waiting in the next room.
I’ve had these experiences myself, and I’d like to share them with you.
Feeling as if a pet is still near
One phrase I often hear in grief counseling is:
“It feels like my pet is still nearby.”
I felt the same way after losing my dogs and cats. For a while, I could sense my dog waiting behind the door or imagine opening the closet to find my cat curled up on the futon.
When pets are alive, they naturally spend time by our side—sitting next to us on the sofa or waiting at the door. After they pass, that familiar sense of presence lingers for some time.
As months go by, the sadness softens a little. And although we can no longer see them, sometimes I’ve thought:
“Wait—was my pet just here to visit me?”
Customers often tell me they’ve felt the same way, especially in the painful early days of grief.
A personal experience with Maro and Sora
A few months after losing my cat Maro (who passed away in 2020), I had a mysterious experience.
On the left is Maro, and on the right is Sora.
At the moment I felt as if Maro was close by, my other cat, Sora, suddenly began playing with Maro’s old collar.
I sometimes wear that collar as a bracelet, but that day it was on the table. Sora noticed it and started to play.
It may have been a simple coincidence, but to me it felt warm and comforting. Sora carried the collar into the next room, gently nudging and licking it as if treating it with care.
I couldn’t help but think:
“Maro has truly come back from heaven to visit us.”
As a pet owner, it was impossible not to believe in that moment.
When someone dismisses your feelings
Sometimes, customers share sad experiences with me.
They tell me about the pain of having their precious feeling—“It feels like my pet is still here”—denied by someone else.
It might be a family member or a friend who says:
“That’s impossible. They’re gone. You need to move on.”
I want to believe they mean no harm and only wish to encourage. But for those of us grieving, those words pierce deeply.
Even casual remarks can feel like someone is denying the very existence of our beloved pet.
This can make us withdraw, afraid to talk about our feelings. That’s when some customers confide in me, saying how hard it has been.
And often they end with:
“Thank you for listening.”
From those words, I can feel just how much pain they’ve carried—and also sense that they’re beginning to heal, little by little.
Everyone knows the loss itself cannot be avoided. What hurts more is not being listened to, not being understood.
That’s why it’s so important to share your grief with someone who will hear you. When your feelings are accepted, the first step toward healing begins.
Perhaps that is why my customers are so grateful: because, in that moment, I become that someone.
The importance of talking to someone is also discussed in “Sometimes talking to someone can make you feel better.”
“It feels like they’ve come home.”
After receiving their cushions, many customers tell me:
“It feels like my pet has come home.”
“When I place it on the sofa, it feels like they’re right there.”
Our emotions are fragile, and we often doubt them. Even when we feel our pet’s presence, we cannot prove it—and that sense may vanish as quickly as it appeared.
This uncertainty repeats itself, over and over.
That is why I believe memorial goods can help.
They are not just memories or photos, but tangible, real objects you can touch. You can stroke them, hold them close, and feel the warmth of knitted stitches. Unlike a printed picture, a knitted cushion carries texture, softness, and warmth.
I create each cushion believing that this presence can truly support the heart.
These knitted cushions carry the warmth of your pet through the warmth of yarn.
If you long to feel that same warmth, I invite you to take a look at the details of our knitted cushions.
