For children, the experience of losing their life-long companion can feel overwhelming. A pet plays an important role in a child’s family and indeed often in their own lives as a best friend, a source of comfort and a family member who brings happiness to the entire household.
For many young people, the loss of a pet may be their first experience of death and losing someone close to them. For parents, there may be some difficult questions to answer.
How can you help your child to say goodbye to their pet?
- Ask us about receiving a free “Goodbye My Friend” memory booklet: the booklet is designed to support difficult conversations with your child; it is a thoughtful and gentle way to introduce the subject and take them through a difficult journey for young minds.
- Include them in decisions: if you choose a cremation service for your pet, you may wish to include them in the decision of helping to select a special casket, urn or ash keepsake.
- Bring your children to a local pet cemetery or crematorium to lay a memorial: you may find that your child may wish to be involved in the scattering of ashes in a special place, or planting flowers or bulbs around their grave if you choose to bury them.
- Consider encouraging the whole family to get involved with sharing their feelings: this can be by making a scrapbook or memory box with treasured photographs, special toys or written letters to their much-loved pet.
Start the conversation about pet loss
It may not always be possible, but sometimes speaking with your child before the time comes can be helpful. Our caring team can offer your family one of our “Goodbye My Friend” booklets to help support these challenging conversations. This gives you the opportunity to explain to your child, in a way they can understand, what saying goodbye means and how you should still treasure all the memories and good times you shared with your pet.
There are many helpful resources available to support you in having these conversations – you could ask your vet, your local pet crematorium, or a Blue Cross pet bereavement advisor .
Talking to your child can help them feel safe to share their emotions or concerns with you.
“We always encourage families to bring their children during visiting, attending’s or even when they bring their pet to us for their cremation, as it sometimes helps children come to the sad realisation that their pet has died but is going to be carefully looked after by our team.” – The Pet Crematoria, aftercare advisor
“We encourage children to write or draw in our Remembrance Book, which can be so comforting during this difficult time. The following quote has always stuck with me when it comes to facing the loss of a pet – ‘How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.“ – The Pet Crematoria, Aftercare Advisor
