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235th out of 432 books
—
112 voters
Going Home: Finding Peace When Pets Die
by
Jon Katz (Goodreads Author)
In Soul of a Dog, Izzy & Lenore, A Good Dog, and other acclaimed works, New York Times bestselling author Jon Katz has written meaningfully about the cherished bond between humans and animals—especially our intense connection to our pets. Now, in this moving and thoughtful book, Katz addresses the difficult but necessary topic of saying goodbye to a devoted companion,...more
Hardcover, 166 pages
Published
September 27th 2011
by Villard
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I have lost my three cats within one to two years of each other. I got through my first cat's passing but my second cat, I took it hard. My third cat was a bit easier to deal with. I don't think I ever got over my second cat. Reading the book bought me back memories. The author is also right that even with close family, they basically will tell you to "Get over it." They don't understand the bond of a pet being your best friend and family.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has lost a pet...more
I would recommend this book to anyone who has lost a pet...more
I won this ARC book through Goodreads First Reads. Thank you Bdreads, Jon Katz, and Goodreads.
I decided to enter to win this one because I have a 14 year old pitbull who has been an important part of my life for a long time. She has always been a special-needs girl with lots of skin and food allergy problems but as of the last few months, her age is really starting to catch up to her. I was delighted that I was chosen as one of the winners. I plan on rereading this book when it comes time to say...more
I decided to enter to win this one because I have a 14 year old pitbull who has been an important part of my life for a long time. She has always been a special-needs girl with lots of skin and food allergy problems but as of the last few months, her age is really starting to catch up to her. I was delighted that I was chosen as one of the winners. I plan on rereading this book when it comes time to say...more
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This was part sympathy (what I needed), part hard-to-listen to stories about Katz's previous animals deaths, and part lecture about how to treat animals. What I was hoping it would be was what the title hinted at: solace in parting with my best friend Archie, who was my best buddy for almost 13 years and who I recently put down. However, most of the chapters were either stories about his animals or readers' stories he had received through e-mail or in person.
Some of these accounts were moving a...more
Some of these accounts were moving a...more
Jon Katz is a well-versed expert on dogs. He has shared many of his experiences with many readers over the years. He writes from Bedlam Farm of his many dogs, and the many stages of life with them.
In this most recent book, Jon Katz addresses the inevitable final stage. He writes of Going Home: Finding Peace When Pets Die.
This one is of particular meaning for me. I have lost many pets over my lifetime. I miss every one of them still. I have had an especially difficult time losing my Shetland Shee...more
In this most recent book, Jon Katz addresses the inevitable final stage. He writes of Going Home: Finding Peace When Pets Die.
This one is of particular meaning for me. I have lost many pets over my lifetime. I miss every one of them still. I have had an especially difficult time losing my Shetland Shee...more
Sep 01, 2011
Reader's Paradise
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
All
Recommended to Reader's by:
Amazon Prime
Shelves:
review
Headline: To Life & Death
Furbaby = your loving animal (cat, dog, horse etc)
Normally when I write a review I go through the details of the book, then why you should read it. This review I am going to work opposite of my norm because I want to tell potential readers why this book moved me so much.
I lost my furbaby Christmas Eve 2010, and this was the first time I have ever had a lost this close to me human or animal. I’m still dealing with my Jazzy’s (my loving Shih Tzu) death and the emotions...more
Furbaby = your loving animal (cat, dog, horse etc)
Normally when I write a review I go through the details of the book, then why you should read it. This review I am going to work opposite of my norm because I want to tell potential readers why this book moved me so much.
I lost my furbaby Christmas Eve 2010, and this was the first time I have ever had a lost this close to me human or animal. I’m still dealing with my Jazzy’s (my loving Shih Tzu) death and the emotions...more
I thought it was a pretty bland book. I agreed with some of what he wrote about (it seemed common sense to me--to prepare, to consider the pet's quality of life before any personal needs, to talk to children about the situation); other stuff, I felt he was completely off the mark (for me, at least). I do not agree that I should only grieve for my pet through the vehicle and number of human lives he/she has touched. Thought that was nonsense. I wouldn't grieve my grandmother based on her history...more
I won this dog as an ARC. I was very excited because I have been working with dogs since I was a little girl. I was looking forward to a book that I could offer to people to help them grieve for their well loved pets.
Some of the stories made me sob but I did find myself disagreeing with some of the book.
One part that really hit me hard was giving your old dog the PERFECT Day.
It was probably the best part of the whole book and I recommend it for anyone with an older pet.
(view spoiler)...more
Some of the stories made me sob but I did find myself disagreeing with some of the book.
One part that really hit me hard was giving your old dog the PERFECT Day.
It was probably the best part of the whole book and I recommend it for anyone with an older pet.
(view spoiler)...more
I read this with mixed emotions about it. I have lost my family dogs over the year, and I do not agree with the author about them not having feelings about what is going on. I know my last poodle knew exactly what was going on. She was acting antsy all day, and I had a feeling that it would be her last day, but she waited until my husband got home from work, and then died about 20 minutes later with both of us there beside her. I got this book as I have a beagle who is failing, and I would never...more
i'm always surprised at how sad i feel when i lose a pet. recently, i said goodbye to an eleven year old weimaraner named blue. she was my constant companion for ten years.
a good friend sent this book to me upon hearing of my loss. it was timely and informative.
in addition to the chapters on accepting and grieving the loss of a pet, the book also discusses how best to approach the loss of a pet with children. although i do not have children, the information is on point and a must read for any p...more
a good friend sent this book to me upon hearing of my loss. it was timely and informative.
in addition to the chapters on accepting and grieving the loss of a pet, the book also discusses how best to approach the loss of a pet with children. although i do not have children, the information is on point and a must read for any p...more
I would highly recommend this book if you have recently or ever experienced the loss of a pet or if you are in a position where a decision needs to be made. It touches on how to prepare yourself. I found it to be simply and clearly written and very comforting. It is good to know you aren't alone in your feelings and many different emotions. Your feelings are justified, but at the same time it helps put the loss in perspective. Jon Katz shares a lot of his personal experiences as well as those of...more
Jon Katz has written a simple yet wise book about grieving the loss of a pet. It covers a range of situations of loss that pet owners might find themselves in offering suggestions on how to deal with them based on Katz's own experience. He also provides many examples from others who have shared their experiences with him. He talks about letting go of guilt. He gently suggests how to talk to a child about the loss of a beloved pet and respecting their right to grieve as well. For fans of Mr. Katz...more
My feelings about this book are mixed. I do think it would somewhat benefit someone who was losing or had recently lost a pet or having to make the decision to uthenize, but I didn't agree with everything the author said. I don't know if he always made the best decisions for the animals he owned, I think he ultimately made the right decisions based what he was feeling. In some cases, I wouldn't have made the same decision.
Losing a pet is a very painful thing to go through. We get so attached to...more
Losing a pet is a very painful thing to go through. We get so attached to...more
First, I would have liked this book better if it wasn't so canine-centric. Honestly, I probably would not have read it if that had been made clear in the description. After all, the book is subtitled "Finding Peace When Pets Die." He does talk about his farm animals, but that's about the extent of the variation from purely dog oriented stories.
I did want to like this book, but I just couldn't get past the contradictions. The author stresses that animals are not like us, that they don't fear deat...more
I did want to like this book, but I just couldn't get past the contradictions. The author stresses that animals are not like us, that they don't fear deat...more
My 14-year old cat, Beau is diabetic - and has had two scares in the last 3 years. The last one happened a month ago. I did tell the vet that I didn't want to put him through any more procedures ... and also (and I know this sounds cruel) the 'cost' was a big factor. Beau pulled through... and the vet kept the cost down (I have three other kitties at home).
It was comforting to read that animals accept death as part of life ... and not something to be avoided (as we humans are apt to do)
I relat...more
It was comforting to read that animals accept death as part of life ... and not something to be avoided (as we humans are apt to do)
I relat...more
I've read all but one of Jon Katz's dog books and would recommend all of them before this one. But not because this one is bad. Only because this is written for a very specific audience, unlike his others. This one is for anyone dealing with the death of a beloved pet, or soon to be. I read it because I fall in the "soon to be" category (not sure how much longer my eldest dog, Petey, is going to be around) and, not having ever really dealt with the death of a pet, I wanted to try to prepare myse...more
I recently lost my beloved cat. However, this book did not provide much peace for me. It did address my issues of guilt and the thought of getting another animal (and not feeling like I'm replacing my cat).
Its not the book that's the problem; its my situation. My cat died suddenly at 5 years of age. Literally dropped dead. So this book couldn't provide much peace.
However! If you have lost an older pet, may lose one soon, or if you have ever had to euthanize a pet or may have to, then this is def...more
Its not the book that's the problem; its my situation. My cat died suddenly at 5 years of age. Literally dropped dead. So this book couldn't provide much peace.
However! If you have lost an older pet, may lose one soon, or if you have ever had to euthanize a pet or may have to, then this is def...more
I won an ARC of this book through the GoodReads giveaways.
This is one I really wanted to win because I am still dealing with the death of a beloved pet, nearly one year ago. I was hoping this book would provide some helpful suggestions for my grief.
I pretty much agree with Forest's review below. If you're someone that's already lost a pet, you've probably already read most of the advice inside. This book would be a much better read for someone who is "expecting" to lose a pet soon.
Be warned: so...more
This is one I really wanted to win because I am still dealing with the death of a beloved pet, nearly one year ago. I was hoping this book would provide some helpful suggestions for my grief.
I pretty much agree with Forest's review below. If you're someone that's already lost a pet, you've probably already read most of the advice inside. This book would be a much better read for someone who is "expecting" to lose a pet soon.
Be warned: so...more
I chose this book because we had lost our 16 year old golden retriever mix Jasmine 8 months ago and I found myself really grieving over her loss. The smallest things would bring me to tears. It was so refreshing to read that I was reacting like so many other people react. That the feelings I was having were "normal" and I wasn't over doing it in some way. When we lose a pet I think we expect to "get over it" a lot faster or easier than losing a family member... but in my life our pets are our fa...more
Having lost a dog around the same period as I received an advanced reader copy of this book, I was unsure of what to do. My black lab Ozzie had been a part of my life from a young age, and in a sense we grew up together. I’m 24 and Ozzie came into my family when I was 12, but I quickly took to him and he became like a furry brother for me. His death left a void in my life and I immediately picked up this book.
Going Home was both poignant and helpful for me in accepting my dog’s death. It tells o...more
Going Home was both poignant and helpful for me in accepting my dog’s death. It tells o...more
I wish I wouldn't wait so long to review my books sometimes. With some books it doesn't matter because they're just that good, luckily this is one of those.
I've read a few other books by Katz so when I spied this at the library, even though I had a decent sized stack of books I really needed to get to, I brought it home. Honesty, I don't think I noticed the sub-title because it wasn't until I started reading that I realized this is technically a self-help book. I don't "do" self-help usually. I...more
I've read a few other books by Katz so when I spied this at the library, even though I had a decent sized stack of books I really needed to get to, I brought it home. Honesty, I don't think I noticed the sub-title because it wasn't until I started reading that I realized this is technically a self-help book. I don't "do" self-help usually. I...more
2 likes · like · see review
Feb 08, 2012
Gale
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
prepare yourself for a pet's death.
Recommended to Gale by:
copyright 2012 new book
It probably was meaningful and helpful. But it's kinda difficult to like this book when my dog is 14 years old. I made myself read all the little stories about how others felt they had dealt with the deaths of their pets favorably. I still doubt I will be able able to handle this experience in a good way. I was in tears by page 4. It gave me some ideas to consider. It was good for what it's for, when your pet dies. I couldn't say I liked having to read about that subject but I felt I needed to t...more
I think this book was ok for me. I think it was a bit "author centric" focused on his own situation versus looking at the areas of animal grieving in general. I do agree with the reviewer who felt it "jumped" around too much with the different type of animals and whether they were "grieving" worthy. I also felt there was a bit of judmenting in there for some animal owners who had lost pets...I don't know if this is a book I would go out there and recommend for someone who had lost a pet...
1 like · like · see review
Quick simple read. Had mixed feelings though throughout the entire book. Some things I disagreed with or thought was poor advice, though this is just my opinion. I don't think I would personally recommend this book to someone I knew grieving over a pet. I guess my feelings are different because my pets are children to me or family, while the author tells you your pets aren't. Just found myself disagreeing with a lot. Though parts of the book yes, I did like.
Jon Katz has written a sympathy letter to all of us who have lost a beloved pet. He acknowledges his grief in losing his own animals and yet accepts that it is a natural part of their lives that must be incorporated into our loving them. "Grief follows love" ~ truer words were never spoken. If you are coming up on a tough decision, or if you have already gone through the sadness of an empty dog bed by your chair, read this book and be comforted.
Not a "deep" or philosophical book, by any means of the imagination. But if you are an animal lover who has ever experienced, or soon may be experiencing the death of a beloved pet, then this book is definitely worth reading. A quick read that provides helpful advice on how to get through the grieving process, how to remember your furry friend, and how you can find peace when making difficult decisions about the end of your friend's life.
Good start. But this is an article stretched out to a book. The examples used simply say a friend lost a beloved pet a few times. There are two anecdotes about sheep have bad birthings--not exactly relating to the losing of a family pet. He didn't even bother to describe the dog he loved so much. Only that he bit two people so had to be put down.
Excellent book!!! I wish it had been out last year when I lost my 11 year old lab mix, Josie. This book has been a tremendous help to me. I highly recommend it to people with pets. There is so much good in this one little book, and so much to think about. I've read many of his books, but with this one, Mr. Katz has definitely outdone himself once again.
This book is invaluable for any pet owner. Hadn't thought thru these issues much until days before but it helped put me in the right frame of mind to respect what our dogs brought to the family and to thank them. It brings a LOT of tears but see it thru b/c you will come out the other end a better person and a more humane pet owner.
This book hit home and put things into perspective. I lost my best friend of 13 years, TomCat, and was devastated. I got the book from the library the day I picked up his ashes. I kept having to put it down to sob, but got through it in about 8 hours. Definitely worth the read. Many thoughts and ideals that will help when you lose a beloved pet.
Sep 11, 2011
Sue
marked it as to-read
I need this book TODAY! After 20 years, I had to put to rest my beautiful Misty (black short haired domestic cat). I never thought I would react to her loss as strongly as I need. She had been my one consistent and loyal companion all those years. I can't wait for the release of this timely book.
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Jon Katz is an author, photographer, and children's book writer. He lives on Bedlam Farm with his wife, the artist Maria Wulf, his four dogs, Rose, Izzy, Lenore and Frieda, two donkeys, Lulu and Fanny, and two barn cats. His next book, "Rose In A Storm" will be published by Random House on October 5.
He is working on a collection of short stories and a book on animal grieving.
More about Jon Katz...
He is working on a collection of short stories and a book on animal grieving.
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