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, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Indicate “;Pet Ohana”; in the subject line.

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