Pet loss of your companion animal is difficult enough to get over when you are an adult and are aware about the concept of death. However, grasping the concept of death for a child can be next to impossible.
The fact being that, children don't often understand loss of any magnitude and certainly don't understand it where their pets are involved.
When a child had a pet at a very young age, he gets responsible, loves to care for it and cuddle it. The child treats the pet like his best friend and gets mentally associated with it that its loss can simply make him puzzled about living without it. Sometimes the bond between children and their pets can be deeper than with a loved human. The loss of a pet will be accompanied by grief and the physical stress associated with it such as crying, depression, and loss of appetite, anger and even anxiety.
It's important to know that everything your child is going through is a natural process. However you can in your own way, can take steps for easy recovery of your child from depression.
An important measure is to be able to talk to your child about the pet loss and help them identify their feelings and grievances. If their thoughts are fantasized or unrealistic, then explain to them in realistic terms what is happening, the facts of life and death. Older children may respond with deep sadness and withdrawal. But don’t be harsh on them; they need to be handled carefully. Your child will usually let you know when he or she is recovering. If you sense you need outside help, always allow yourself to seek out the advice of a professional grief counselor.
