The Best Book About Pet Grief Isn’t What You Think it Is: Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I’ve Cried About by Isabel Klee

I’ve read hundreds of books in my life, but none has found me at the right time quite like this one. 

Dogs, Boy, and Other Things I’ve Cried About by Isabel Klee

I didn’t know who Isabel was when I was scrolling through Libby and found this book. I put it on hold, not realizing her and Simon were internet sensations. I just knew it looked like something I’d enjoy. 

After all, I have a hard time finding a book about pets and their people that I don’t love. 

But this one blew them all away. 

A Book About Dogs that Helped Me with My Cat

Yes, this book is about Isabel and the dogs she’s gotten to love. But it was still relatable to me as a cat guardian. 

It’s relatable to anyone who has had a companion animal they’ve cared for. 

Because this book isn’t just about dogs—it’s about listening to the individuals we love and showing up for them how they need us. 

When this book became available through my library hold, I was in a bad place. My cat, Rainbow, was very sick. At only 7, she was being shuttled to and from vet appointments and no one could tell us what was wrong. 

In the quiet moments in-between, we laid together in bed reading this book. We read about Isabel’s journey with fostering, finding Simon, and navigating the heavy emotions that come from loving an animal so deeply. 

I vividly remember reading the pages about pet grief and crying. They were the most honest chapters about losing a pet I’ve ever read. Isabel gets it. 

I hugged Rainbow as we read this and begged the universe to help her get better. 

Shortly after finishing the book, Rainbow passed away from feline large cell lymphoma. 

I’ve thought about this book every day since. 

The Right Book, The Right Time

A couple weeks after saying goodbye, I was scrolling on Instagram and found a suggested post by Isabel. 

It was from Simon’s wake. 

I fell down an Instagram rabbit hole, learning that her Simon had cancer at only 7. Just like my Rainbow. 

And Isabel was being forced to face the unimaginable. Just like me. 

My heart, already broken, shattered for what Isabel and Simon were going through. It felt like watching a friend relive your worst days. But as Isabel has documented her grief, it’s helped me find a little peace in mine. 

Make no mistake, my heart is shattered and I still cry every single day. I will miss Rainbow for the rest of time. She is my best friend, present tense. 

But to watch Isabel walk through this time helps me feel a little less alone. She understands that a pet is not just a pet. They’re a soulmate. Someone you spend more time with than most family and understand in a way few others can relate to. 

I’m so, so sorry to Isabel. I’m also so, so thankful for all you’re doing to document this difficult time. 

It’s About So Much More Than Grief

I know my focus is a little narrow right now. But this book isn’t just about pet loss and grief. 

Far from it, actually. 

There are only a handful of pages dedicated to what it’s like to lose a pet, and so many more about the joy of their life. To me, that’s what having a pet is all about. 

Having a companion animal is about loving someone so deeply and learning to listen. After all, our pets are talking, just a different language. 

And filling the days of your pet intentionally with love is what matters. The only thing giving me a little peace in Rainbow’s passing is knowing I spent every moment with her possible, playing, laughing, and loving. 

This book helped me in my darkest moments, but it’s also full of so much light and hope. 

Pick it up. Read it. Give your pet an extra hug. 

You just may find exactly what you need.