#25 - WHY LOSING A RABBIT HURTS SO MUCH - FIONA INTERVIEWS PET GRIEF EXPERT, KALEEL SAKAKEENY

🎧 The Bunny Coach Podcast: Pet Loss, Grief & Love That Never Leaves

With Reverend Kaleel Sakakeeny

Losing a beloved pet can feel just as devastating as losing a family member — and yet, so many pet parents grieve in silence.

In this deeply moving episode of the Bunny Coach Podcast, Fiona is joined by Reverend Kaleel Sakakeeny, an ordained animal chaplain and credentialed pet loss grief counsellor based in the United States. After losing his own “big, big love,” Kaleel transformed his heartbreak into purpose and went on to found Animal Talks, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting people through the grief of losing an animal companion.

Together, Fiona and Kaleel explore why pet loss hurts so profoundly, why grief is not something to “get over,” and how love continues long after our pets are physically gone.

This episode is for anyone who has ever loved — and lost — a bunny, cat, dog, or any cherished animal.

🐾 In This Episode, We Talk About:

• Why losing a pet can feel as devastating as losing a human loved one
• The difference between grief and depression — and why pet loss is often misunderstood
• Why grief is not something to “fix,” medicate, or rush
• How animals bring out our best selves — and why losing them feels so destabilising
• Why we don’t “move on” from grief — we integrate it into our lives
• The Rainbow Bridge: why it comforts many people, and where it can fall short
• Whether we’ll meet our pets again in the afterlife
• Helping children navigate the loss of a beloved pet in a healthy way
• When grief becomes complicated or stuck — and how to know when extra support is needed
• How to honour your pet through rituals, remembrance, and making meaning from loss

🕯️ A Conversation About Love, Not Letting Go

As Fiona shares the loss of her heart bunny Tango, and Kaleel reflects on the cat who changed the course of his life, this episode gently reminds us:

Grief is not the price we pay for loving —
 it is proof that love existed, and still does.

You are not weak for hurting.
 You are not “too attached.”
 And you are not alone.

🧠 Support & Resources Mentioned

Kaleel’

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Each episode covers topics like:

🐰 rabbit bonding/rebonding, rabbit behaviour, common rabbit care mistakes, enrichment, and developing a close relationship with your bunny

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