For animal lovers, the loss of a pet can be just as painful as that of a human. But in the same vein, that grief can also be a source of embarrassment and confusion for many pet owners.
Nobody understands that anomaly better than Jon Katz. The New York Times bestselling author of 22 books was deeply affected by the loss of his border collie, the first dog he got when he moved from New York City to Washington County 15 years ago.
“I got involved in sheep herding,” said Katz, who left a job in television news production for the simpler life on Bedlam Farm. “…I never saw myself doing this and never set foot on a farm until I bought this one.”
His first book, “A Dog Year,” was based on that border collie and made into a movie by HBO. His subsequent books were novels about animals but never a non-fiction guide until “Going Home,” his latest book to be released on Sept. 27.
“[It’s] a book I wrote to help people who are dealing with grieving lost pets,” said Katz.
Katz didn’t just throw his jumbled emotions over the loss of various farm pets into a book and hope the public related. He did research, talked to psychologists, consulted with veterinarians, contact humane societies and interviewed “hundreds” of pet owners who had lost a pet.
“A lot of people are grieving over animals and don’t know what to do. I have helpful ieas about what people can do with their families, what to tell your kids, how you should talk to people about it and how you can remember your pet by photographs, drawing pictures with your family, setting up a website online, making a shrine in the backyard,” said Katz.
Animals have always been the focus of his books but Katz said it’s the right time for “Going Home” because pet grief is becoming increasingly common and apparent.
“I think pets are becoming more and more important. People see their pets as being almost like children … grief is grief,” said Katz. “When people lose an animal, they almost grieve the way they’d grieve for a human.”
People might not request a week off from work after losing the family dog, said Katz, but at the same time they’re not going to get over their grief any faster just because it’s a furry creature that doesn’t walk or talk like us.
“The grief people feel is very painful. I’m trying to be helpful and offer concrete and specific ideas,” said Katz.
He said in addition to trying “rituals” for dealing with the grief, pet owners should prepare for the inevitable when getting a new pet.
“Animals don’t live that long … recognize they’re not going to live that long. Talk to your vet about what to do if they get sick. Prepare your family for the fact they’re not going to live forever,” said Katz.
Guilt is also a common partner to grief, said Katz, because pet owners can feel like they didn’t do enough to help their companion.
“I urge people to deal with guilt; guilt is very painful to people yet animals don’t feel guilt, regret or remorse,” said Katz. “People are very upset but animals are not thinking those things or blaming them. Remember you did the best you can.”
Living on a farm, Katz has dealt with his fair of share of loss and weaves his own experiences into the book for a personal touch.
“I’ve lost dogs, sheep, donkey … here on a farm you go through a lot of loss,” said Katz.
Revisiting those experiences made writing portions of the book difficult.
“It was a little painful because I had to go back over the losses I had. I think it was very healthy,” said Katz.
Katz is starting a book tour for “Going Home” and one of his first stops is the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library on Thursday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m.
“I’ve been going to the Clifton Park library for several years. It’s a wonderful place for a writer. I have a lot of fans there so it’ll be exciting to go there next week,” said Katz.
Katz will also visit Barnes and Noble in Colonie Center on Tuesday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m. and The Open Door Bookstore in Schenectady on Thursday, Sept. 29, at noon.
His next book will be back to novel form, said Katz.
“I’m working on a book now about a dog and a book on a rescue donkey,” said Katz.
More information about his book and writings on his farm life is available online at www.bedlamfarm.com.
