“cried like a baby holding my Golden Retriever as the vet put him to sleep.”
I get it. Had a total meltdown when my kitty had to go to Rainbow Bridge. That was four years ago; I still bawl about it sometimes.
Never cried when my father or brother died, or my best friend. Weird.
It’s because we know pets are helpless (in a way) and depend on us for everything (meaning they’re not wild animals), and if they’re sick or dying, they don’t understand or know what to do or what’s happening. In many ways that makes it sadder when you have to say goodbye.