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We just had to kill my 6 year old's pet snake

The Menagerie
#1

Please send me the strength and words to tell him when he wakes up. Tonight after I put him to bed I went downstairs and found the cat killing the snake. He was still alive and active, but had internal organs prolapsed through a rip in his side. My husband finished him off for me. The lid to his terrarium wasn’t quite closed properly, it looks like he escaped and the cat caught him.

My husband feels terrible, he thinks he is most likely the one who didn’t close the lid properly after he and DS fed the snake last night. Unfortunately he will be gone to work tomorrow before DS wakes up, so I’ll have to break the news.

My son loves this snake, he has two (same age and species) but this one had a much nicer temperament and is by far his favourite. He’s going to be devastated.

3 Likes
#2

UGH I’m so sorry, I’ve had to break news like that to a kid and it sucks rocks. I’m not sure I did it right but I sat mine down and said “something bad happened” and proceeded from there. “it’s about Snake and I’m so sorry to tell you that he died last night.” No details. “He got hurt and he didn’t make it” … Answer questions very short and clearly. Pet rememberance and if helpful, funeral. We planted perennial flowers over every pet my kids lost and 20 years later I’m still doing it. It’s a life lesson but IME seeing your kid in pain is worse than any other part of it. Bad time for your family, I’m sorry!

12 Likes
#3

I know nothing about children, but maybe leave out the part where the cat killed the snake??? Maybe just tell the part that the snake died???

6 Likes
#4

This kid will not leave it at that. He’ll want to know WHY it suddenly died. I’m planning to leave out the euthanasia part, though.

This is really going to suck.

2 Likes
#5

Oh man! I’m so sorry. If he’s mad at the kitty, try explaining kitty instincts and how the kitty would naturally kill a snake if it came in the house. Kitty didn’t know it was his pet. Try to see if he’ll forgive the kitty and pet him. Taking responsibility (or explaining how the cage wasn’t secured properly) helps. Kids make mistakes. It’s a good lesson that adults make mistakes, too. He won’t feel as bad for the mistakes he makes.

6 Likes
#6

I’m so sorry. Sending your family lots of love!

Snakes make the best pets.

#7

Maybe a white lie like “Snake escaped and we found him outside hurt and he didn’t make it”? That way DS won’t be mad at another pet. Yes, not entirely truthful, but…?

Either way, jingles for all of you.

5 Likes
#8

As a parent we have times that we need to lie to our younger children to ease their emotional pain and suffering.

If you’re able to leave out the euthanasia part you should be able to leave out the cat part. Your son is only 6yrs old, I wouldn’t want him to think differently of the cat because it was only acting on basic instinct.

Good luck with this, come back and let us know how it went.

10 Likes
#9

We went through this with our GSD puppy and a chicken that flew out of the chicken yard. Our son raised that chicken. It was hard, but he immediately forgave the dog when we explained how the dog doesn’t t know he can’t play with a chicken. He was very sad and we tucked the chicken in a box and properly buried her. I think that helped.

If you can’t bury the snake with your child, it might be better to say the snake escaped, but be careful with that, too because he might try to catch outside snakes thinking they might be his lost pet.

You know your child. Trust your instincts. Hugs for your family.

3 Likes
#10

I’m so sorry. I’m glad it happened when he was asleep though and he didn’t have to see it. My sister and I came down for breakfast to find a hamster in pieces one morning. We don’t know if it was the cat, the dog, or more likely both, but I didn’t blame either one for doing what their instincts tell them to.

Sooner or later we all have to learn to deal with a loss… I’m sorry it’s happening now for your son. It sucks.

2 Likes
#11

I told him as soon as he got up this morning. I told I had something bad to tell him, sat him on my lap on the couch, and told him the snake escaped and the cat killed him. He took it so in stride I’m a little afraid it is going to sink in and hit him harder later. He already knows this is what cats do, it’s my husband who is determined to never forgive her. He’s a pretty outdoorsy kid, he understands how nature works (and he can definitely tell his snakes apart from our native snakes).

Thank you everyone for talking me down, I was awake for hours last night.

I’m hoping he won’t ask to see the body

14 Likes
#12

They really do. Though as much as my son loves these ones, I can’t recommend them. Our ball python is absolutely lovely, but my son’s snakes are/ were Lake Chapala garter snakes - pretty, but nervous, darty little critters. I’m kind of hoping to replace him with a hognose rather than another Chapala.

We also had a toad that died without warning just last week (its been a rough fall, we also euthanized our old dog last month). My daughter (4) took that one pretty hard. We’re thinking about getting a tortoise when we’re ready to replace that one.

1 Like
#13

Corn snakes are the sweetest pets. Even wild ones I’ve had to relocate are just easy going and kind creatures.

3 Likes
#14

I am so sorry.

Nothing is much harder than telling our kids one of their pets has died.

I would just tell him what happened. Death( and grieving because of it) is a reality and there is really no getting around it.

It helps to let him get another snake when he is ready.

#15

Oh lordy. Yeah… that would suck.

I had a California Kingsnake… pretty docile and fun.

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