I have a 14 year old Maine Coon that is terminally ill and has a few weeks at best. Our son recently turned 4 years old and loves animals. We taught him to be kind to all animals, even bugs. He is not particularly attached to the cat, but he likes it well enough (the cat is not a cuddler).
In a few weeks we’ll have to go to the vet and have the cat put down. We’re wondering how we should approach this with our son. Do we take him with us? Do we let him be present when the cat is put to sleep? Or make him stay in the waiting area? Or do we go when he’s in school? What’s appropriate for a 4 year old?
On the one hand I think that death is a part of life. And I don’t mind that he sees us crying over the cat. But I also don’t want to traumatize him or make it bigger than it is.
Any tips?
Just went through this but more suddenly. We had the kids present and I had to tell them at the vet how things were going to go. We let them bewith the cat for awhile, hug her, tell her goodbye, and then had them wait outside the room during the injection. Once that was done we let them see her if they wanted.
Each child reacted and has handled it differently. Our oldest had a strong relationship with the kitty. Slept together at night, spent time together during waking hours. Furry little BFF. My oldest is having a really hard time. My younger two aren’t having as hard a time. Partly the connection, but also partly the age. It’s hard for a few days, but then they bounce back. The younger they are the less the death makes sense or impacts them on a daily. So they may ask about the cat, and they may cry a few times. But overall, the little ones don’t fully get it. They may even say things that could be taken as insensitive but for their age. Honestly, you may have the harder time as the adult if you care about the cat.