Parenting Column: The hardest part of owning a pet is saying that last goodbye
Louise Flanagan's parenting column features every Thursday in the Donegal News.
Last week, we said goodbye to our fifteen year old cat, Stella. It was really tough on the kids, but a valuable life lesson for them too.
We knew she’d been unwell for a while, so they were prepared to a certain extent, but it still came as a shock for them.
Myself and Ray got Stella as a kitten, way back when our kids were only twinkles in our eyes. She had been with us through it all ever since.
Back in our heyday, when we fell in the door after the nightclub, devouring curry chips, there was Stella delivering a withering death stare, as only a cat can.
When we brought each of our newborn babies home from the hospital, she sniffed them tentatively and then retreated to the farthest corners of the house; she had no intention of interacting with them.
While this mightn’t paint her in a particularly favourable light, it was ideal that she had no desire to be anywhere near babies.
Author's summary: Saying goodbye to a pet is a tough life lesson.
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