This is Miasa from Japan.
I knit thread and create pieces that evoke memories of my pets.
As I create this site and receive daily consultations about pet loss, I begin to see hints on how to overcome pet loss.
Here’s today’s story.
I lost my beloved dog over 10 years ago and then my cat last summer.
Since then, this question has come to my mind from time to time.
Someone says this to me:
“They were such happy kids.”
But they also say:
“Because he was a patient cat, he didn’t show his distress to his owner.”
I know that he said it to comfort me, but it also made me blame myself, wondering if Maro (my cat) was actually in pain.
Maro was a rescue cat,
“If only I had found a better adoptive parent…”
I even think that sometimes.
We receive similar inquiries from customers, so today I would like to talk about the question we often ask ourselves: was our pet (dog or cat) happy coming into our home?
It’s important to believe that pets were happy
The answer I came to was,
They trust me, they feed me, spend time in the same room as me, relax on my lap…this is the only world they know.
You must have put in a lot of effort to make them happy.
If I were to say, “I’m worried about whether I was able to make them happy,” then they would be the ones who would become worried.
Even if there are some shortcomings, I can be confident.
Those kids were happy!
I try to think that way.
I feel like my pets in heaven would be happy if I did that.
Reasons for anxiety
But over time, you may start to feel anxious again.
This is the moment when you lose confidence as a pet owner.
There’s a trigger for that.
This is what they said at the vets’ hospital.
He was a very kind vet, and I think he was praising Maro.
But this time, the words hit me as painful words.
This is how I felt.
Maro was patient.
That kid was really suffering.
Because I was a bad owner, I couldn’t understand his feelings (pain).
We took Maro into our home after he was found at an animal shelter looking for a adoptive home.
He was a very nice guy and I had a great time.
However, there are many other people hoping to become adoptive parent who gather at the shelter.
There are people who are more experienced at keeping cats than I am, and some who are wealthier and can afford to spend a lot on medical care.
I sometimes wonder if he would have been happier if he had been adopted by a adoptive parent like that.
When I feel that way, I ask myself:
Of course not.
That feeling,
“The boy was happy.”
This is the driving force that keeps me telling myself this.
The last responsibility you can take as a pet owner
This is what I was told when I adopted a rescue cat.
“There are dogs and cats who die without being loved by anyone. I’m so glad this one found a adoptive home.”
It is said that when a pet dies, it is very happy for it to have an owner who cries for them.
You’ve probably cried a lot.
Even those who can’t even shed tears are probably feeling a lot of sadness in their hearts.
I learned that there is a way of thinking that says, “That sadness is what makes our pets happy.”
And I think that as a pet owner, I have the final responsibility.
I think it’s about cherishing the time you’ve spent with your pets.
You may have regrets and even blame yourself.
But what’s more important than that is to cherish the time we’ve spent together.
It’s about feeling happy about fun memories and ordinary everyday life.
I believe that if we, as pet owners, can think this way, our deceased pets will be able to find happiness.
I’ve had customers say this to me before.
A:
Thank you for the cushion. I used to regret things and blame myself every day, but you listened to me a lot (sorry if it was a bother) and really saved me. Mr. Miasa’s words, “regrets remain no matter what you do,” made me think I needed to convince myself somewhere. From now on, I will treasure the cushion along with my memories. Ordered item: Cushion

The design arrived promptly, and we were thrilled to see how
much it looked like our beloved dog Chobi. The second thrill was when the finished cushion was carefully packaged, and the finished product was so touching that it felt like our beloved dog had come home, and we were deeply touched.
We think this is all thanks to the heartfelt effort put into the creation by Miasa.
This cushion of our beloved dog will be a memory for the rest of our lives.
Thank you so much.
We would definitely recommend this to anyone who is grieving the loss of a dog. Ordered item: Cushion

Today, while consulting with customers,
Weaving thread,
I am working hard on production.
The creations we make are not just cushions.
It’s a precious memory for our customers.
The trigger to overcome the loss of a pet.
It was a miracle that we could meet again.
As I create my works, I feel that I am making important things that cannot be seen with the eye.
For our customers, these works are irreplaceable.
Knitted cushion made from yarn