My son killed my kitten?

Question

My daughter boyfriend found a starving kitten. You could feel all the bones and the skin would pull away. Anyway I started feeding her and she was finally starting to walk around and want me to pet her. While I was on the phone when my six year old son went into the laundry room and was playing with the kitten and throw her into the air and she landed on the concert floor. I am not sure how many time he did this but I when I found her, her eyes were starting to glass over. I can understand maybe a 3 or 4 year old doing something like this but not a 6 1/2 year old. I could not look at him for the rest of the night, I did give him a hug and told him I loved him before he went to bed. I am just heart broken and hurt. What is the best way to handle this problem? He took a life and now I will be scared for him to be around my other animals.

Answer 1

Some 6 year olds are too immature to handle a small pet. Apparently he is one of them. Have you taught him compassion for others, that we all (and pets) have feelings and expect him to be nice and gentle with them? I would have punished him, severely for it. It was a living creature and he should know the diff at 6.

Answer 2

Punish him SEVERELY!!! This is absolutely unacceptable. Get him into counseling NOW and put him on lockdown at home. Did he show ANY remorse?

Answer 3

Animal abuse is a major sign of ADHD.

Answer 4

W.O.W..I'm 15 and can't imagine doing something like that when I was 6...I saw this question on the screen when you first get into yahoo answers (no I wasn't in the parenting section) and I think this is really sad. And scary. I would probably punish him till he's 18. I don't have kids (obviously) but I would not be forgiving. He should have known not to throw the kitten, especially after he did it once and the poor thing was probably in so much pain. Maybe you shouldn't go too hard on him...he may be tramautized enough from the incident. But anyway I just wanted to say I'm so sorry about your kitten :**o*(

Answer 5

You really need to sit him down and discuss it with him. Let him know you aren't supposed to behave this way.

Answer 6

He might not have meant to do that

just ask him if he meant to hurt it

Tell him killing and hrowing kittens is bad and he shouldnt do it again

Answer 7

You really need to sit down and have a conversation with him about this. It's not a good thing at all, tell him that he needs to treat animals with respect. If he continues to kill animals I would highly recommend talking with a psychologist/counselor because it can lead to mental issues and sometimes even to the point where they are killing people.

However at 6 1/2 I can't say that he was really intentionally trying to kill the animal, but still talk with him.

Answer 8

Counseling and therapy

I've heard that serial killers have three things in common:

1) cruelty to animals, 2) obsession with fire and 3) I forget (sorry).  

Nonetheless, the fact that your son could not empathize with the kitten's pain is troubling.  Even 3/4 year olds are unlikely to do something like this.  I teach Kindergartners and while they may rough on puppies and kittens they understand when they are TOO rough and when an animal is hurting.  When they see a hurt animal they would immediately go into "mommy will take care of you" stage.

Yes, you should seek help.

Answer 9

I would document his behavior.  He may have been playing, but as you said, he's old enough to know better.  Playing with a kitten is patting and holding - not throwing in the air.  Sociopaths are notorious for cruelty to animals as children.  My ex husband, a sociopath used to blow up frogs with firecrackers as a teenager and it went on from there.  Wife killer Alan Blackthorn killed his own pet duck by throwing it in a pen full of pigs.  I don't want to alarm you, but isn't it better to nip this in the bud before it escalates?

Answer 10

If you KNEW he was tossing the kitten into the air why didn't you stop him from doing so in the first place?

Answer 11

Hmm are you sure he threw it?  I would talk to him about it.  Find out exactly what happend.  DId he come to you and tell you that the kitten was dead, or did he just ignore that fact.  I would be concerned about remorse of any kind even if it was an accident.   ( i mean him being upset about it or just blowing it off like nothing happened).  

Sometimes kids do things without thinking of what could happen, which is normal at 6 1/2.   Sometimes they can't comprehend death and hurting of something.  

I would talk to him about it.  Let him know how you feel about this whole thing, ask him how he feels about it.  i am sure he feels bad about it .

I took a few baby ducks one time into a  classroom ( 2nd graders).  One little boy grabbed the baby duck by the neck and proceeded to " take him to show his friend".   I had to leap over kids to save this duck.  He didn't know he did anything wrong , but almost killed the duck.  Kids are kids...He might have just been playing and had no idea that missing the kitten and it hitting the floor would kill it, because on cartoons they don't die, and stuffed animals don't die..  understand.  I wouldn't go to therapy just yet, just talk to him.

And hugs**  sorry about the loss of your kitten.

I have to ask though.. after the FIRST time you told him to put down the kitten and he didn't, why didn't you take the kitten away from his hands ?????  and after the second time why didn't you deal with it before he killed the cat????

Answer 12

A 6 1/2 year old is old enough to have compassion and empathy for other living things. Take him to see a counselor to discuss his thoughts and feelings. There is def. something wrong.

Answer 13

I would not take it lightly. I do not think he is a future serial killer. I think he should punished big time, and you need to explain to him that he has to have respect for life. He would get his hiney spanked big time if it was my child, and if I ever saw any signs of behiavor like this again I would do counseling and talk to a doctor

Answer 14

Get him to some help that is not normal behavior have a phsychologist check him out THATS CRAZY WEIRD!

Answer 15

you NEED to discuss that with him and make him realize how wrong it was. he needs to understand that a pet has feelings and has life...it's not a toy.

Answer 16

i would watch his behavior cause psychologist say hurting animals is often the early signs of serial killers.  I wouldn't let him around the other animals with out someone watching..to bad you couldnt see his reactions when it happened that would hepl alot on intentions.

Answer 17

Maybe you should get him help!Killing animals or just little things is a clue that he might be in to violence and i am sure you don't want that!I think maybe letting him go see someone that might help him but he is so young you might want to talk to his school counselor and set up some kind of time where your son can talk to the school counselor.Also you might want to set up a time where u can talk to his teacher alone. Inyway good luck with your son.

Answer 18

he was probably jealous of the kitten maybe you were giving it to much attention... but if he did not feel guilt about it there might be a problem because having pleasure in killing small animals could lead to something more serious as he gets older so if he did not feel bad about it i suggest getting help

Answer 19

ok listen... he was playing with the kitten right? then let him know that next time, with animals they are very gentle things, and he has to be gentle with them, and that he needs to just pet and rub.

and dont you worry, he didnt mean it, he was playing with the cat! dont be scared just let him know he cant play with animals like that!!!!

it will be just fine!

Answer 20

Take him to a residential treatment center for children immediately. This is very alarming. I sense your concern and I do not feel it is your fault or the way he has been raised but an organic mental illness inside him that needs to be diagnosed and treated immediately.

Alternatively at least take him as soon as you can get an appointment to a child therapist for an evaluation.

Best to you.

Answer 21

You need to talk to your son and enroll him in counseling. Doing harmful things to animals is a sign something else could go awry. Please let him know you love him, and get him the attention he needs before it's too late. I worked for Children Services, and harming and killing animals is definitely a sign that he's headed for trouble. Sure he's young, but at his age he should know what harm he could do to an animal-or anyone else that lives and breathes. I am so sorry about your kitten. I'm sure he didn't mean it-but you need to be on the safe side. Contact a counselor.  

Good Luck!

Answer 22

I'd beat his butt.  A 6 almost 7 year old should knovv better than that, i'd be sure and have a talk vvith him and let him knovv that you dont treat animals like that. If it vvas me then I vvouldnt allovv him around any other animal until he can prove that he vvill treat them vvith respect and not abuse them.

Answer 23

that was sad im sry but o welll thats the way of life                        

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Answer 24

take him to conseling. or try to talk to him.

Answer 25

maybe he didnt really understand the conquences, he was playing with it like a toy, was he upset that it died? i would just talk to him about it, but watch for other things like this animal abuse and playing with fire,  thats a serious sign of abuse, and not to freak you out but most serial killers have animal abuse in their past, its probably just an accident so i would just talk to him

Answer 26

It sounds like he DID empathize with the kitten's pain based on the details you included.  I wouldn't write him off as a serial killer just yet, but DO keep an eye on him.  Talk with him about what happened, let him express himself about his emotions regarding it.  Let him know you're disappointed in him and very hurt for the kitten.  Take him to the Humane Society and ask a volunteer to discuss the responsibilities in owning a pet.

Answer 27

I am sure he didnt do it on purpose.  You just need to teach him how to handle animals properly and what he can and can not do with them.

Answer 28

I just can't help shaking my head over some of these answers!!

OK, first of all, kids develope at different rates. As far as 6 1/2 being old enough to know better, I agree.. on average I'm sure it is. But how much time has the child spent with small animals? What is his maturity level?

And just because he accidentaly kills a kitten, and feels remourseful about it, doesn't mean he is a future serial killer!! Kids, even at that age, are curious, and don't always understand the consequences of their actions. The poor boy felt horrible. Does no one have any compassion for him?

I would make him understand how serious what he did was. This isn't something to be treated lightly, but its doesn't mean that he has serious issues either. How is his behavior otherwise? What is his maturity level? Is he upset? Take these things into consideration.

I do KNOW how you feel though, when my son was four he got some sissors and cut the tip of the cats ear off. The cat was fine, I don't think it phased her at all, but I paniced and thought about counseling too. He was very remourseful, and came and told me right after he did it. After we all calmed down, he was punished and he wasn't allowed to touch sissors again for another year. He has grown into a wonderful, and normal, kid.