Every day when Elena came home from school, her cat Tomaso would run to greet her. Then Elena would pick up Tomaso and give the cat a hug. One day, though, Elena came home and her cat wasn't there. Her mom told her that Tomaso had died.

Who Has Pets?
Millions of people across the world own pets. Maybe you have a pet, and maybe some of your friends do, too. A pet can be a special friend, and you might think of him or her as a member of the family. A pet can play with you or just be with you when you don't feel like talking.

What Happens When a Pet Dies?
Unfortunately, pets can't stay with us forever. Like all living things, they will die at some point. Sometimes a pet dies from old age because its body has worn out. Sometimes a pet dies from an accident. Sometimes a pet gets too sick to live. Even when an animal doctor (a veterinarian, or vet) helps, there are some problems that just can't be fixed.

If your pet is in a lot of pain and will never get better, the vet may have to put it to sleep. Putting an animal to sleep is a way to help the animal die. The animal gets a special kind of injection (shot) that allows it to die peacefully without any pain. Deciding to help a pet die is a hard thing to do.

Why Am I Feeling Like This?
It's sad when a pet dies. For a while, though, you may not feel anything at all. That's OK. Or you may feel like crying and that's OK, too. You may feel lonely because your pet was your friend. You might even feel mad at the vet for not being able to make your pet better. Maybe you feel guilty when you remember one time when you were mean to your pet.

To some kids, it may seem like no one understands what they are feeling. Someone said to Elena: "You can get another cat." But Elena knew she'd never have another cat just like Tomaso. But Elena also started to wonder if it was normal to be crying over a cat.

Printer-friendly version Email this article to a friend Send email to us

Jump to another section of this article My Pet Died - How Can I Feel Better? Talk It Out and What Comes Next? Reviewer name and date on last page