Had to have our Rabbits put down......................

[girlsmum]

Due to mixi' we have had to have our Rabbits put down.

My dd's (aged 2.5 & 4), do not yet know. I want to tell them the truth ie. that sadly our dear bunnies have died however, my dh wants us to tell them that the rabbits have run away.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

[Ecmo]

We had ours put down in August because of mixi too. He was the baby one and we still have the parents. Didnt realise we hadnt had him vaccinated feel guilty now. The children all understood that he had died but we have lost several cats and dogs already so they have experienced losing a pet before. Personally I would tell them. Mine were similar age when our cat was killed on the road there were tears but they soon recover and I just think its better to tell them what really happened.

[cosmicdancer]

I would tell them the truth.

When I was 3 my cat was run over. I wasn't very well at the time and my parents told me the cat had gone missing.

I hoped for years that Fluffy might come back.

Only found out the truth in my teens.

Death of a pet is part of life, sadly, and my experience with DD and her pets is that she has appreciated honesty.

I hope your DDs take the sad news ok whatever you decide to tell them.

[wb]

Our rabbit 'ran away' when I was 3. I was just as upset as I would have been if my parents had told me the truth only it lasted a lot longer as I spent a couple of years hoping that she would come back and looking for her when we went to the park, to the woods etc.

FWIW I'd tell them, let them grieve and move on.