My childrens cat has just died, it's christmas eve what do I do?

we have/ had two cats.
and one is mine one is the childrens.
Unloading the presents from the car we discovered the childrens cat dead in our front yard. what makes it worse is thet (comming from a country/rural background I am 90% sure he was poisoned. he was happy and healthy at 7.00am this morning. we went to get them in at 6pm and lock them up, he didn't turn up we assumed it was due to idiots with fireworks. It is now 12.30 am Idont know weather to hide body and pretend he disappeared or tell them on christmas day. as a parent I am a bit lost and being christmas - It is I think too sad.
we always wanted to when the pets passed talk about the life cycle - but poisoned on christmas is a bit too much.

should I tell them or just pretend he has disappeared?

That's horrible! I'm so sorry that it has happened and that you have to deal with it today! I would probably hold off on the telling until tomorrow and tell them the fireworks probably scared him into finding a safe spot for a while. Good luck and big ((hugs))

Oh no, I'm so very sorry

That's a really tough call... if it wasn't Christmas I'd say to tell them outright

Could you tell them boxing day instead? Maybe they won't notice him not around or at least dwell on it, because they'll be busy with Christmas and the presents etc.

What a horrible thing to have happen

Just pretend he disappeared otherwise they will always remember Christmas as the day their cat was poisoned. Tell them all the fireworks must have scared him away and someone in a quieter area probably took him in.

Somethings just aren't a teaching moment.

-Metina

Oh Sue, this is so sad.
I don't know what I would do but just wanted to say I am so sorry for your loss. hugs

How very sad for you. I have struggled with this in the past (but NOT on Christmas day!), and can only share what I would do. I would bury the poor kitty in a special place, not tell the children on Christmas day and hope that they are too busy and distracted to notice he is missing (?). Boxing day make time to have a talk to them, the contents of this talk must depend on the ages of your children. Then you can take them to the resting place of their pet. Main advice - decide on how you are going to handle it and then be confident in your decision - remember you know your children better than anybody else. Being unsure or changing the story ect only leads them to be confused and more upset. Best of luck.

Great advice Erica!

[[[[[Hugs]]]]]

thank you so much

we had to bag and put him in the bin him due to poison, ( I am crying as I write this) we can't even bury him. it hurts to not be able to at least do that. I have never not buryied a pet. even my horse years ago.
we are going with he ran away. due to christmas tommorrow they probebly wont notice him missing until boxing day.

We have animal hoarders near by and they have over 38 cats and we have a feral population too neither of which the council control.

I am very sure he took a bait. an accutal bait used by farmers for foxes. which is illegal to do in the city/suburbs. and we have baged partially digested bait and My husband is going to report it. aside from loosing pets they are a risk to curious toddlers/children. He is going to report it, when I take the children to my brothers tommorrow. I am just so glad I found him before the children did as if they had picked him up he was lying in blood, vomit including the bait. I really hate to think.

I hate that someone has so many cats they all look unhealthy. and then the cats upset people because there are too many. and my childrens cat got involved in the crossfire.

We still have one cat left who is now locked up 24/7. we have decided to tell them when they are older, but still tell them it happened on boxing day. as this is horrible most days and I remeber my grandmother dying christmas daywhen I was 9 and you are right, I do always remember am Ok with it now it was her time and the feelings are more fond memorys now, but when I was young I did get very sad every christmas.

Thank you so much really and truley,,, I am not thinking clearly right now. I can deal with the grief of the loss of a pet, it is just the overwhelming anger of the bigger picture that is really getting too me. and to do this on christmas eve of all the days people could choose.

Thanks again I sort of needed to know I wasn't being horrible and I was being reasonable.

(Tabby Catty Tiger Puss Pilchard - he was very much a childrens pet and they gave him a name to match

end note..
I forgot we did phone the poision information line, and he dose have to go to a landfill for the saftey of humans and other animals- we really don't have a choice. The council may ask for him, but it is doubtfull as we have the bait.

so sorry to hear this..I think i would have told them also that the cat had disappeared..I keep my cats indoors..they don't seem to mind and don't get run over or poisoned..sending hugs!

Landfill is so sad. Not sure I could tell little ones that. Maybe a mock gravesite would be better for them? So sorry your family is forced to go through this at Christmas.

Why do people have to be so crazy/evil? I just don't get it!!!

Hugs to you and all and hey, maybe a kitten for Christmas would be a way to lift your spirits and give a needy kitty a new home?

-Metina

Oh! So sorry for you and the kids! As the mother of one human and one cat I can only imagine how traumatizing this must be. I hope that you can remember all the good people and at least for the holidays put the people who want to do harm out of your mind. Happy Christmas to you.
ps. I do support the others who say not to tell kids the whole story right now. Though I wouldn't make up any elaborate lie. Kids usually smell something fishy and start asking questions when there are too many details. Hugs!