Pet Ohana

For Thursday, November 5, 2009

By Hawaiian Humane Society

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 05, 2009

Tell children the truth about pet's death

QUESTION: Our family cat recently died, and we're at a loss on how to explain this to our young children. What can we tell them?

ANSWER: If you hide your grief, children could fear that sorrow is unnatural. If you tell them that your cat simply went to sleep forever, they might fear sleep. It's best to tell them the truth and that it wasn't anyone's fault and your pet is no longer in pain. Encourage them to talk about fun and happy times with your pet. Planning a celebration of life is a way for them to make this a happy ending.

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The Hawaiian Humane Society welcomes questions by e-mail, hhs@hawaiianhumane.org. Indicate "Pet Ohana" in the subject line.

 

Join the Star-Bulletin's Pet Ohana today!

We're starting a new blog and want to show our readers your critter companions, whether they're furry or scaly, feathered or finned. E-mail your pet photos to nancy@starbulletin.com, along with the pet's name, where he/she lives and any other details you'd like to share about your pet. We're also happy to include the human companion's name, but that's optional. Your pet's photo will be published on starbulletin.com for all your friends and family to see.