Hi Whirlwind,

Welcome back to the BWS forum, it's been awhile! And my condolences on the sad and sudden loss of your beloved pet companion.

We have just been discussing the emotional impact of losing a beloved pet in a thread that's in the "Pets" category, and which was started by one of our newest members, Marsha Roberts, in mid-October. That thread, if I recall properly, is titled "The sudden loss of my beloved dog, Shadow." I hope you will go find that thread and read all the comments...

Our pets become our family, as you well know, and for many of us pet lovers, losing a beloved pet has about the same impact on us as if we were to lose any human family member or a close friend.

I'm guessing your boyfriend is not a pet owner. If he were, I suspect he would have been much more supportive.

Perhaps it might help you to find the discussion thread I mentioned above. Through it, I believe you will find that many of us have felt a level of pain similar to yours at the loss of a beloved pet. I believe it is especially excruciating when the death comes unexpectedly.

Since you say you and your man are best friends, perhaps it might be helpful for you to try to tell him how you are feeling.

Men are sometimes rather obtuse when it comes to emotions, so instead of just being emotionally distant with him, it might be better for your relationship if you could try to tell him, in a non-accusatory way, that you feel he let you down.

You know, what I mean about being "non-accusatory" -- approach it from the perspective of "this is how I feel."

I'm sure others here in the forum will have some great suggestions as well. I'll stop talking now, so they can have the floor...