Learner Dad: Preparing your children for the death of a beloved pet

There were tears, big honest, loving tears from all the lives she’d touched.

Picture: iStock 

SKIPPY headed for cat heaven late last year. My wife and I first came across her and another kitten, Maisie, in a cat rescue centre 14 years ago. The two of them were in the same spacious cage, pretty much demanding that we took them home with them. It was one of the best decisions of my life.

Towards the end of Skippy’s life we had another big decision to make – what and when do we tell the kids? They had never known a time without the two cats. Skippy, in particular, was like a sister to them, which was pretty generous of her, as she had been banished from the inside of the house for the early years of their lives.