Cat's died, how do I tell the kids?

[Luckyducky75]

I'm a mess, I know it's only a cat but he's been with me 9 years and I got him after my mum died to cheer me up. Going to miss that bloody cat. I have 3 year old twins, how do I tell them?

Be as honest in an age appropriate way as you can. Use the words died etc...... our kitten died and our 4 year old was very upset but we were as honest as possible with her.

So sorry to hear this - they are great company / comforts - I have only had to tell DC about hamsters but I went for honesty (ie not saying they had run away or were sleeping) and did a little ceremony- they drew pictures
And don't negate your grief / feelings that they are 'only' pets - they are part of the family

Only a cat?!

I'm so sorry OP. Agree with the PP, keep it simple and honest. Don't be afraid of telling them you are upset or them being upset. I had to tell DD when she was two and a half that our cat had been killed by a car and I think I said something like, "Come and sit with mummy as I need to tell you something. Our cat has died. He was hit by a car this morning. He won't be here anymore. Mummy is very sad about it, because I loved him, and it's ok if you are sad too." She actually didn't say anything at all for a while and just wanted to watch Peppa Pig but it sank in later.

I still miss our lovely cat. He was such a beautiful creature.

We had to tell my son when our dog died. We had the benefit of knowing she was sick and preparing him a little.

We were very clear that she had died (not gone to sleep etc) and that meant that her body had stopped working and wouldn’t ever work again.
We aren’t religious at all so we explained that all of her energy would be returned back to the earth so that other things could grow instead.
He’s 5 now and this was about 18 months ago. He sometimes still does talk about going “back to earth” and wanting his dog back. We’ve explained she can never come back but it’s still quite a difficult concept for him to accept. It’s like if he thinks if he waits long enough he’ll earn her back.
It’s heartbreaking sometimes when he still says he misses her. He’s decided he wants one exactly the same as her when she’s older.

Be prepared to have this conversation a lot over the coming couple of years!

I've always been honest with my kids about death . They died and are gone . Not On a cloud or in the sky because it confuses them . They won't really understand and probably won't react straight away so don't be worried about that . Just answer questions as they come .

honestly just tell them. They will get over it. That sounds harsh. But it's true. The death of a pet is way of preparing children for other deaths they'll encounter. Try and be matter of fact and tell them he had a good life. And don't project your personal grief and it's relationship to the death of your mum (valid though that is) - because that doesn't affect your children in the same way.
Good luck and sorry for your loss. x