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By Liz O'Connell
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Having to explain to your kids that the family pet passed away is never an easy task, and for one couple, it turned out to be a little unusual.
Suzanne and Dillon White spent hours and hours searching high and low for their senior cat named Kitty, opening every cabinet and door. The search went on around their Minnesota home until 3 a.m. only for them to wake up again at 6 a.m. to start looking again.
When the unsuccessful search ended, they knew it was time to tell their three kids the sad truth. But during that difficult conversation, the whole family was met with a hilarious surprise. The couple took to TikTok account @momchats to share the story and with over 10 million views, it is leaving viewers in stitches.
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The Whites explained to Newsweek that Kitty has previously escaped from their two other homes in the past, but she only ever stayed under a bush. She usually freezes when she gets outside. This time was different as even the opening of the cat food did not lure her in.
"She never missed a meal in her life," said Dillon. "When I opened the can and she didn't come, I knew something was off."
The couple posted to Facebook with the hopes that someone in the neighborhood might have seen Kitty. That hope dimmed when a neighbor six doors down messaged them saying they heard a cat crying in distress at night. This concerned them as the temperatures at night were getting down to 39 degrees.
Suzanne said she started to panic the next day when their children began asking questions. That's when the couple knew they needed to explain what happened. Do they tell the truth or not?
They began by telling their three children Kitty is old with some health issues and she was at the vet. The couple said that their children link the vet with the passing of a pet as their previous cat went to the vet two years ago and crossed over the rainbow bridge.
Tears were flowing and memories were being shared during their breakfast funeral. The kids even asked for special heart-shaped waffles in honor of Kity. But their grand plan failed when the unexpected happened.
All of a sudden, they heard a meow coming from outside the garage door. Dillon first thought he was hearing things until the second meow confirmed it was in fact Kitty.
The mood immediately shifted, and they were all cheering. Their 5-year-old son even shouted it was a miracle. Then it turned into questions of, "Wait, I thought Kitty was at the vet."
The Whites had an open and honest discussion, apologizing for why they told their kids Kitty was at the vet. Their eldest daughter thanked them as she understood why they did it. The couple said they never want their kids to be ashamed of their emotions. It can be overwhelming and hard to process, but this will help them move forward as their kids will know it is fine to talk it through.
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Kitty has since been attached to their hips, the Whites said. She typically hides while the kids are up during the day, but now she's been especially close to the oldest.
How To Explain a Pet's Death to Children?
No one likes to think about it, but every family with a pet should prepare themselves for the day their fur baby crosses over the rainbow bridge. This is especially important for those with kids as their first experience with the loss of a loved one might come from a pet. But finding the right words to explain what has happened always proves to be difficult.
Honesty is always the best policy. The American Kennel Club states that parents should not be afraid to have this difficult conversation. Explain the situation—accident, illness, senior age—with your kids in terms they will understand. Answer their questions, as they will likely have some.
It's important to not blame anyone or anything for what happened to the pet. This could lead to confusion or distress. Parents should also be prepared to offer grieving strategies for their children. Validate their feelings and confirm to them there is no time limit on how long the healing process will take. It's an unfortunate situation that the whole family can work through together.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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