We're all aware of sibling rivalry with our children, but how about our pets?

We've all seen the cuddly YouTube videos of cats and dogs together in a cozy pile of sleeping pets. But I've found that our pets have had some insurmountable differences no matter how much effort we have put into diplomacy.

One theory is that overlapping pets when one is older and nearing the end is helpful in easing our grief when the time comes for our beloved pet to pass on.

When we purchased Poppy, we had an older Black Lab. He had loved the company of other animals throughout his life, but Poppy was too much.

Poppy wanted to run and play and would bite at his front legs to entice him to play. He wanted none of it.

Eventually, we gave him to a beloved and loving aunt who loved him and who often watched him for us. He was loved and well taken care of but one day she broke my heart.

She said, "everytime he sees a girl in a long ponytail, running. He gets excited and wants to join her."

She described our daughter.

We tried to do the right thing by giving him a peaceful and loving home, but obviously he still missed us.