Pets come to mean so much to us and therefore bring pain and suffering when they go, not unlike a human. I'll be honest and say that losing my cats Dixie, Gemmi and Merlin has been some of the most heart-rending moments of loss for me. I think it's something about the fact they can't speak...I always find myself fearing they didn't know how much they meant to me.
It's not a good thing, that's for sure.
But...We have their memories right? And, like you say, they impact us so greatly.
Thanks for your message.