The Relationship Between Pet Attachment and Pet Loss Grief in Chinese Undergraduates: A Conditional Process Model

Abstract

Pet owners may experience grief following the loss of their pets, stemming from the disruption of the emotional bond between them and their pets. This study aimed to examine the relationship between pet attachment and pet loss grief. A total of 160 college students who had experienced pet loss completed measures assessing pet attachment, deliberate rumination, pet loss grief, continuing bonds, and disenfranchised grief before their mental health course in China. The results indicated that deliberate rumination mediated the relationship between pet attachment and pet loss grief. Additionally, continuing bonds and disenfranchised grief moderated the relationship between deliberate rumination and pet loss grief. Specifically, deliberate rumination was positively associated with pet loss grief when continuing bonds were low and disenfranchised grief was high (β = 0.33, p < 0.01), while it was negatively associated with pet loss grief when continuing bonds were high and disenfranchised grief was low (β = −0.32, p < 0.01).