Comfy Critters Home Vet

28/04/2026

This is a quality of life sign that many families hold on to: "If they're still eating, they must be okay"

And it makes sense, right?

Seeing your pet eat can feel comforting and reassuring.

If they still have an appetite, still want their treats, still get excited for food - you have hope that things are not as bad as you feared.

But appetite doesn't tell the whole story.

In fact, it can sometimes hide a lot of the story.

Many pets will keep eating when other parts of their life become harder. They may still enjoy treats, but struggle to move easily, settle down comfortably or have accidents in the house.

Eating definitely matters. But it's only one part of the quality of life picture. We need ask more than that. We need to ask what the rest of their day looks like. Are they resting easily, moving comfortably, engaging happily and enjoying the things that still matter to them?

If your pet is still eating but your heart is telling you something has changed, you're allowed to ask for support.

I help families across the Central Coast and Newcastle support senior pets through palliation and comfort care, understanding quality of life, and peace end of life care at home.

Reach out via DM, phone call or email for a gentle chat 🤍

🐾🩺🕊️

11/04/2026

Sometimes the universe puts the right people in your path 🤍

Recently I was lucky enough to meet Nina from at the Norah Head markets, and from the moment I spotted the cover of the book, I felt drawn to the beautiful work they’re doing with 'Where’d You Go?'

It’s a gentle children’s book about grief and loss, written to help open up conversations that can feel complicated, heavy and taboo, especially with kids.

I’m regularly asked how to (and even whether to) include children in the planning and last day of a much-loved family pet’s life.

There can be so much uncertainty about how to talk about death, choosing euthanasia, and holding big feelings. And a lot of parents worry that their child may be too young to be part of such an important moment.

But I really believe we can support our children to be included in age-appropriate ways.

We can talk openly about death and dying, help them understand what’s happening, and show them that sadness, love, and grief all belong here too 💔

I have a list of children’s books that I share with families, daycare centres, and schools to help make starting these conversations a little easier, and I’m so glad to add this one to that list.

I was also extra excited to learn that my sister-in-law was the designer behind the book!

I’m so grateful to have met such beautiful people making hard things feel a little softer 🙏🏼

09/03/2026

Here's what I want more people to understand about grief after losing a pet 💔

It can be devastating, life altering and deeply lonely.

And one of the most painful parts is how often that grief gets minimised.

"It was just a pet"
"You can just get another one"
"You need to move on"

These are just some of the heartbreaking things I hear said to the families I support. Things that were meant to sound helpful...

Please don't.

For many people, their pet was family. A best friend. A daily companion. A source of comfort, routine, safety and unconditional love 🤍

Losing them can shake someone's world.

So here are a few gentler ways to support someone through pet loss:

⛔ "It was just a dog/cat"
✅ "I know they meant so much to you"

Say their pet's name. Invite stories. Let their life be spoken about like it mattered - because it did.

⛔ Silence because you don't want to "upset them"
✅ "I've been thinking about you and [pet's name] today

They are already thinking about them. You are not reminding them of their loss. You're reminding them that their pet is remembered.

⛔ Acting like the hard part is over after the first few days
✅ Check in again next week, next month, on birthdays, and anniversaries

Grief gets quieter publicly - but it still feels heavy and overwhelming privately. Please keep showing up.

⛔ Expecting them to be "back to normal" quickly
✅ Encourage rest, time off work and gentleness

In many cases, losing a pet affects sleep, appetite, focus, motivation and the ability to cope with everyday life. That's not dramatic - that's grief.

What grieving pet owners often need the most - is NOT fixing. It's not silver linings and quotes about perspective.

They need to hear permission.

Permission to be heartbroken. Permission to talk about their pet. Permission to miss them for as long as they need to. Permission to grieve someone who was never "just a pet".

What is something someone said or did after your pet passed away that made you feel seen and supported?

22/02/2026

There is a moment after goodbye when doubt can creep in...

Did we do it too soon? Should we have waited?
What if we tried one more thing?

Choosing comfort over suffering is not giving up.
It is one of the most loving decisions we will ever make for them.

You carried the hard part so they didn't have to 💔

If you are holding some of that weight today, I hope this reminds you of something steady and true:

You showed up. You chose peace. You protected them. And that matters so much more than you realise.

If you are facing this journey with your own pet, it can start with a chat.

A conversation with someone who understands what you’re facing and what you’re feeling.

I provide gentle, in home end of life care for families across the Central Coast and Newcastle.

When the time comes, it can be calm. It can be unhurried. It can be beautiful and filled with so much love.

Reach out whenever you feel ready. I’m here.

🐾🩺🕊️

16/02/2026

When your pet is given a life-limiting diagnosis, it can feel like you’re standing at a fork in the road: either you do more tests and try to treat or cure it, or if you don't want to go down that path, you may be told to consider humane euthanasia so your pet doesn't suffer.

But there’s a third option that many families don’t realise they can choose: and it can change this whole final chapter.

Hospice and palliative care is comfort-focused care. It's medication and supportive care to ease symptoms like pain, nausea, anxiety, and changes in mobility, with a plan that evolves as your pet's needs change.

It's having someone in your corner to explain what's happening, what to expect, what to watch for, and how this might go - so you're not second-guessing every symptom or carrying the worry alone. You'll have a plan and support from someone who knows you and your pet.

Hospice and palliative care includes planning for their last day. So if things change quickly, you're not trying to make big decisions in the middle of a crisis. You already know what you want that goodbye to look like. And when it's time, you'll be guided through a calm and gentle goodbye at home that honours them in the way you want.

If you're on the Central Coast or Newcastle and you want support with palliative or hospice care, or you want to plan a peaceful goodbye at home, send me a message and tell me what's going on.

It can start with a gentle chat.

🐾🩺🕊️

09/02/2026

Fifteen years later, I still cry about my dog, Zam

Memories of him have come up for me recently, with some of my patients having similar stories, and it’s surprised me how raw it still feels 💔

When I was 22, Zam crashed suddenly in the middle of the night. I was home alone and I heard stumbling and chaos in the living room and rushed out to find him seizuring. I bundled Zam into the car and drove to the emergency hospital in a panic, just wanting him to make it through.

At the hospital, the conversation moved fast. A quick scan showed a serious finding. And then what felt like only two options: expensive treatment with no guarantees, or humane euthanasia.

No one mentioned palliative or hospice care.

No one talked about stabilising him and buying time for my parents to get back to see him the next day.

No one suggested we might be able to bring him home so our family could say goodbye in a place he felt safest and most comfortable.

And I didn’t know to ask. I didn’t even know home euthanasia existed back then.

So we said goodbye to Zam there, lying on the floor with him, holding him in our agony.

And we walked away with just his blanket and aching hearts.

This night still lives in my chest.

And even now, nearly 15 years on, the tears come. The grief is still so strong. Not because I’m stuck, but because love like that doesn’t just disappear.

You don’t “get over” a bond like that. You learn to carry it.

I’m sharing this because I want pet parents to know two things:

1. Your grief is real and valid, even years later.

2. While we don’t always get time (emergencies don’t ask permission), sometimes there is a third option: comfort care.Stabilisation. Support.

The chance, when it’s possible, to slow things down and plan a goodbye that isn’t rushed and can happen at home, in safety, surrounded by love.

If you’re on the Central Coast or in Newcastle and you want support, I’m here.

I provide in-home palliative care, hospice support, and gentle at-home end-of-life care through Comfy Critters Home Vet.

Send me a message and tell me what’s going on, and we’ll work out the next right step together.

21/01/2026

There's a moment when you know... even if you're not ready to say the words out loud yet 💔

When Bailey's mum first reached out, we didn't talk about dates or timelines. We just talked about Bailey. About who she was to the family, how the kids had never known life without her, how Bailey and Brandy were forces of chaos and love.

In the weeks that followed, we stayed gently connected as that knowing slowly settled in. Not rushed or forced. We slowly shaped what Bailey's last days could look like - in a way that felt right for everyone.

Bailey's final chapter became something the whole family shared ♥️

The kids wrote letters and drew pictures for her. She had visitors come and say goodbye. Her family even treated her to a spa day!

And on her last day, the rules disappeared completely. She got a whole pizza and chocolate cupcakes. When I arrived, she got the entire bag of snacks. She was relaxed, happy and settled in the kitchen with all her favourite people.

Bailey's family gathered flowers from the garden and laid them around her. We talked about bubbles - how they shimmer and float and how they're here for a moment and then they're gone. And we blew bubbles together as a gentle way to say goodbye. Her sister Brandy was invited in to have her sniffs and say goodbye.

What could have been a day filled with fear became something else. It was still heartbreaking and still so hard - but it was also warm, familiar and full of love.

It was a goodbye shaped together as a family.

Death is something we're taught to turn away from, push away, try not to think about - and when it finally arrives, it's frightening and overwhelming.

But with time, guidance and gentle support, it doesn't have to arrive in chaos. It can be met gently, examined with care, and held with love.

Even if you don't know how to begin - or what to ask - reach out and we can just talk 🤍

🐾🩺🕊️

11/01/2026

Comfort care isn't just about supporting the pet - it's about supporting the people who love them too.

For Remi, that has meant helping his mum and dad learn how to read his signs of discomfort, and giving them clear guidance around exercise, rest, and medications.

Together, we've created a personalised comfort-tracking journal so they're not left guessing how he's doing day to day, week to week, or month to month.

Alongside this, Remi has an amazing team supporting, including him physiotherapy, GP and a wrist brace to help keep him comfortable and mobile.

This is medicine done differently.

It's thoughtful, holistic, and tailored to your pet and has ongoing support and education so you feel informed, empowered and supported every step of the way.

If your pet has a diagnosis that means comfort is now the priority, a Comfort Care visit can help you understand what's happening and how we can support them.

10/01/2026

There’s a quiet, sacred part of a home visit that many people don’t know about.

After a pet has passed, the house settles into a different kind of quiet. Voices hush, movements still, and eyes filled with love and tears rest on that small body, now relaxed and at peace.

We pause here and take a breath. I often step out for a few minutes to give families time alone together, space to sit, to touch, to say anything that still needs to be said.

When I return, there’s often a gentle shift. A release of tension, eyes a little brighter, and shoulders a little softer.

And this is where we can begin some gentle ritual work together - only if you want.

We can make ink paw prints as a memory of those paws that once jumped and begged. We can collect a small lock of fur as a reminder of their soft coat. Handwritten messages of love can be tied and sent with them.

When it’s time to leave, I prepare a peaceful space in my car with flowers and blankets. They are carried carefully and honoured. They are not simply taken away.

This is part of what a home visit with me can look like. Not just the goodbye, but the care that follows. A way of honouring a life, a bond, and the love that remains even though your heart feels broken into a million pieces.

If you have questions about this part of the journey, or want to talk through what a home visit could look like for your family, please reach out. I’m always happy to talk, to explain, and to hold space with you.

🐾🩺🕊️

30/12/2025

Nelly was so deeply loved ♥️

You could feel it the moment you walked into the room, in the way her family moved around her, in the gentle hands stroking her fur, in the way they spoke to her like she had always been the centre of their world.

There was laughter, tears, and so much tenderness woven through it all.

They spent time together as a family. They talked to her. They held her close. They sat with all their emotions and let the moment be unhurried and full of love.

And when it was time, she was wrapped in that love, safe and surrounded, and held right to the end.

This is the part I wish more people knew was possible:

That a goodbye doesn’t have to be rushed or frightening or lonely. That with the right support, it can be gentle. It can be meaningful. It can even be beautiful in its own quiet way.

Grief isn’t something we’re meant to carry alone or tuck away once the moment passes. Grief softens when it’s shared, when it’s witnessed, when someone walks beside you and helps hold the weight with you for a little while.

If you’re facing this chapter, or even just sensing it somewhere on the horizon, please know that you don’t have to walk it alone.

There is room for support, for tenderness, and for doing things in a way that feels right for you and your pet. A goodbye doesn’t have to be rushed or heavy. It can be shaped with care, presence, and love.

20/12/2025