Pets R.I.P – How to Speak to your Kids About The Loss of a Pet

It’s difficult enough for an adult in the family when a beloved pet passes away, and usually, adults have had to deal with death in some form or another throughout their lives already. It’s really hard to accept and understand death as a child, so it’s important that it’s done the right way. 

The answer is not to be put off adopting another pet because it hurts your or your family too much once they are gone. This is a common reaction to the heartbreak that the death of pets will have, but once time has passed, and emotional wounds are healed, you’ll get to give another pet a great chance at a fantastic and beautiful life.

Sharing the Sad News

Break the news to your kids in a comfortable setting. Only you know your kids, so you should be able to judge how much information they require based on how mature they are, and how old they are. If your pet was old or had an illness, it may be worthwhile talking to your kids before their death so that they are prepared in advance.

Explain that everything possible was done to try and help them, they wouldn’t have fully recovered, or it’s the best way to take away the suffering or pain they were in.

Honesty is the Best Policy

Keeping it honest may be the best thing possible. Don’t tell your kids that the dog ran away or went to go and play on a farm somewhere. It might leave too much scope for the child to hope the pet may return at some point. It’s best to convey that death is final, and once it happens, explain what happens afterwards based on your faith or beliefs.

Coping with Loss

One of the most important things to remember is that the life expectancy of many pets is usually far less than ours. If you hadn’t considered that before getting a pet, then it’s probably fair to assume that you’ve been surprised a fair few times by pets! One of the better ways of coping with the loss of a pet is to remember the good times that you and your kids had with them and knowing that you gave them the best time on Earth they could have had.

In many cases, pets who are old or ill are sometimes euthanised, so it’s important that there is no anger or frustration involved. There shouldn’t be any guilt either because the reasons for putting the pet down were likely medical and were in the pet’s own interests for not living a life of pain. It’s okay to show emotion and talk openly about it, losing a pet for a child can be similar to losing a person in their lives, it really is that important.

Keep the memories of your beloved pets alive with Pets R.I.P - 07 4633 0290 / 07 3288 7115