Bound by Society: An Exploratory Study of Pet Attachment and Social Constraints in Pet Bereavement Among a Turkish Sample

Abstract

Pet owners often form deep emotional bonds with their animals, and the death of a pet can elicit grief responses similar to human loss. However, pet loss is often considered disenfranchized grief, socially unrecognized and unsupported. Guided by social-cognitive processing and attachment perspectives, this study examines how pet attachment, social constraints, and loss-related variables shape grief intensity. The study included 210 adults who lost a pet within the past year and completed measures of pet bereavement, attachment to pets, and social constraints. Attachment to the pet was the strongest predictor of grief severity, while social constraints also influenced grief, with those facing emotional inhibition experiencing greater distress. Loss-related factors such as euthanasia initially predicted grief, but their effect diminished once attachment and social constraints were considered. These findings emphasize the multifaceted nature of pet loss grief and the need for greater societal recognition and support for the bereaved pet owners.