Goddamn dude, after watching it, the short question in the discription box had me a little triggered. Of course that is loss!
Just the fact it's an animal instead of a person doesn't mean it should hurt any less. The grief is as legit as it comes.
Maybe sounding a bit messed up to compare this to my mum's passing 7 years ago, but the parallel that hit home hardest is the routines/obligations/traditions that can sometimes drive you mad, when they're gone, it gives an odd hollow & sort of unwelcome feeling of freedom like, what the frick should i do now? Wich you beautifully discribed.
But yeh, gud episode. Helps puttin things in perspective.