Welcome to Grief and Pet Loss®.

My name is Christine Jette (pronounced ‘Jetty’). Most people call me Chris. I am a retired registered nurse with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. I worked in a variety of clinical settings including public health (infectious disease), surgical oncology, recovery room, allied health education and elder care. Through the years, I have volunteered for the SPCA, a no-kill cat shelter, and Drumlin Farm, part of the Massachusetts Audubon Society.

I began writing about grief after the death of my mother in 2006. For 12 years I had a general grief site named thegrievingheart.info but I let it go because the old web builder that I was using could not be converted into a secure site. It was time for a change in style and an overhaul of the material. It was time to honor my lifelong love of animals.

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The word pet comes from the Middle English word pety meaning small, trivial or insignificant. For centuries, pets were considered inferior to humans. For this reason, some animal rights advocates suggest that we eliminate the word pet from our vocabulary and use the phrase companion animal instead. But pet can also mean cherished, beloved and favored. It is in this sense of love and respect that I use the word throughout this site, but you will find the phrase companion animal, too.

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Although I share city life with only cats, I also love dogs. I grew up on a large farm and Border Collies tended the flock. They were intelligent, loyal, playful and endlessly affectionate. I have had the privilege of knowing cats, dogs, horses, a pony, sheep, goats, cows, donkeys, mules, ducks, chickens, a turtle, parakeets, goldfish, and a rabbit. And so, to all creatures great and small, I say thank you for enriching my life.

I play cornet in a community concert band. We stopped rehearsals and public performances for more than a year because of the COVID-19 state mandates. I was happy to return, but I missed making music for the joy of it. We all lost something, or someone, during the pandemic. Our lives and expectations for the future changed in ways we are just starting to understand.

I call Cincinnati my home and I share the ups and downs of life with my husband and cat named Jimmy. He appeared at my back door as a sickly stray kitten on my birthday 15 years ago. I opened the door and he walked into my heart. Best birthday gift ever.

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Jimmy is still enjoying life but he has some special needs of a senior cat. I know our years together are drawing to a close and I am grateful every day for the time we have left.

I hope that something here rings true with you and helps to ease the way, if only for a moment. Take what is yours to take from this site and know that I wish you unexpected comfort through all the seasons of your grief.

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Thank you for stopping by. Please visit anytime.

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