The days are long, but the years are short. Before you know it, your furbaby reaches the end of his days. As heartbreaking as it is, the Rainbow Bridge can be a beautiful experience. Your sadness is to be expected, but don’t let it consume your last days together. Instead, focus on preserving your moments and treasuring every last day.

5 Things to do Before Your Pet Crosses the Rainbow Bridge

Take pictures.

There will never be enough pictures of your furbaby. You can schedule a professional photo shoot with a lifestyle photographer who will snap pictures of you, your family, and your four-legged love throughout a trip to the park, or an afternoon at home. The pictures will be something you will hold onto for your lifetime. 

Let him sleep with you.

If your dog doesn’t typically sleep with you (or your kids), consider letting everyone get a few more nights worth of snuggles and let your furbaby jump into bed with you. If this isn’t an option, make sure to spend extra time loving on him throughout the days.

Give him anything he wants.

Treats? Yes. Your dinner? Yes. An old shoe? Yes. Anything that your furbaby loves, find a way for him to enjoy it one last time. Take him for a car ride or for extra walks if he is able.  

Let him know it’s not his fault you are sad. 

Talk to your pet. Most animals instinctually know how you are feeling, and your furbaby may feel added stress or sadness just because you are sad. Tell him it is ok for him to let go. Tell him you love him and will miss him, but that you are so happy for your time together. Try to create any happy moments that you can before his time comes.

Record his heartbeat, purr, or bark.

When a furbaby crosses the Rainbow Bridge you will feel heartache unlike anything you have experienced before. There will be an instant void in your life, and you will constantly be looking for things to remind you of your pet. The greatest thing you can do is to record his heartbeat. You can ask your local groomer to use a doppler and store the sound in a My Furbaby’s Heartbeat Bear, or you can record his bark or purr at home and store it in the heartbeat animal of your choice.