Saying goodbye to a dying pet is one of the most heart-wrenching experiences a person can go through. However, one animal expert has shared the two words she hates to hear as people's cats, dogs or other furry friends breathe their final breaths. Mobile hospice vet Faith Banks took to TikTok to enlighten pet owners on how significant final words can be when their furry companion passes away. "The last words you say to your pet are very special and very meaningful," she said.
Banks said listening to the audiobook 'The Collective Regrets of Clover,' about a death doula assisting dying individuals and their families, changed her outlook. She continued: "In the story, she talks about a journal that she keeps with all the last words that people say just before they die – some of them are very deep and meaningful and some of them are very frivolous.".
She believes the power of final words extends to animals as well, as they can sense the emotion behind what we say in their waning moments. "I hear the final words many people say [to their pets] and they do stick with me," she explained. "Many are the common or traditional things you'd think people would say – 'I love you, thank you, I'll miss you, see you again, wait for me.'".
But there's one phrase the vet hates to hear, and it breaks her heart. "'I'm sorry' is one I don't love to hear because I feel that those people have done so much for their pet," she said. "I understand you're sorry you can no longer be together but I hope they're not apologising for anything they have done wrong.".
