Just found our missing cat dead in Garden, how/do I explain to my 2.10 yr old?

[womblingalong]

does anyone have any advice please.

Do I:

1. Just tell her nothing (she knows cat is missing)

2. Talk to her about cat going to sleep/being dead - if so, any tips on how to do it?

3. Tell her cat has run away/gone to live somewhere else?

Thanks v much

tell her, get copy of teh story where Mog the cat dies and use it as a Useful Exercise About The Cycle Of Life

no dont

still can't believe they bumped off mog.

but no i wouldn't say anything either, but if she asks be honest and say cat isn't coming back

I told mine who was 2.5 as well as my 5.5 year old when our cat was put to sleep. Told them she was very ill, very old and that she had gone to pussy cat heaven. Let them put a picture in box and see it put in the ground but then took them away. I had also let them see her before hand and stroke her (she was still warm when we got back from the vets).

They (well all of us) had a good cry but thought at least we still have the other one

then

we found that one dead in the garage 6 days later -curled up in her bed. What a nightmare so we had to go through it all again!

The younger one often mentioned it, probably a couple of times every week for about a month and now only mentions it occasionally - that its sad our pussy is dead or pussy is in the ground. I believe in being honest with them but in simple terms so as not to frighten them

I don't see the point in telling her really at that age. I would just say she's gone to live somewhere else. Ignorance is bliss, as they say Plenty of time to learn about death and all the other nasty things in thr world.

Thanks for all the suggestions,

I think that ignorance is bliss, so I've decided to only talk to her about it if she asks where holly is. I will also have a look at Goodbye Mog, although I fear it might make me cry!

I would tell her. We had to deal with death when ds was this age and although it was tough at the time, it is now something he accepts and has an understanding of. I would rather go through all those awful questions and fears with a 2 year old than a 5 year old, personally.

However ds was very verbal and very good at comprehension at that age. If I felt my dc simply wasn't capable of understanding I would probably defer it.

Oh and sorry about your cat, too. I would avoid Goodbye Mog for a while! We very much liked the story "Goodbye Mousie" which deals with a pet dying. I think Goodbye Mog (although a lovely book) is confusing as it depicts a kind of ghost Mog. I wouldn't want a child to be shown that as their first explanation of people dying.