Our cat, that we’ve had since before our 23 month old was born, is likely about to pass away and I don’t know what to say to him about it or what to do if he asks about/looks for her. Advice from those who’ve experienced this?
It’s not really “our” cat per se, it’s my sister’s cat. My sister and her cat moved in with us a few months before our son was born. They live in the basement of our house so the cat is not always around but he does see her everyday, has helped give her treats and dinner since he was a baby, and one of his first words was her name. He really loves her and will sometimes try to go downstairs to see her. He also knows when her dinner time is and expects her to come up to the kitchen to eat then or he will go call for her. She hasn’t been eating since this weekend and was just diagnosed with cancer. My sister is at the vet right now figuring out what to expect going forward, but it seems pretty grim as she’s a senior cat and already has some health issues.
It seems inevitable he will notice her absence and I’m not sure what to do or say then. My sister is having a really hard time with this and I don’t want to make it worse by him constantly reminding her she’s not here. What if he sees a picture of or video of her and him in a few weeks or years when he ca understand more and asks about it?