Chi Chi didn't go to a farm in Connecticut

We live rural. In the course of my children's lives we have had many, many animals:

• 6 dogs
• 6 cats
• 2 rabbits
• 2 guinea pigs
• 31 chickens
• 2 turkeys
• 4 hermit crabs

Now, we don't have all of those animals right at this moment. As diversely as they arrive, some of them have gone. We have had to re-home a few, but most that are no longer living with us have passed on to that pasture in the sky.

When the first one died Brandon and I contemplated what we would tell the kids. Do we lie? Do we stretch the truth? Will they understand? Parents often underestimate kids; they don't give them enough credit for being smart enough to see beyond our "stories" or "white lies" and suspect that we are deceiving them in some way. To me, deceit becomes distrust. And I want my kids to trust me, to believe what I say. So, we sat them down and told them the truth. Yes, the cat went missing. Yes, it is possible that it could've ran away and is now living with a nice family. But more than likely a coyote had it for lunch.

Like I said, I'm a realist. I can't see lying and having my kids run around telling stories about their pets when some other kid stops, laughs at them, and tells them their parents lied. In Season 1, episode 3 of my favorite sitcom ever, "Friends," this conversation took place:

Chandler: Yeah, it's like when you're a kid, and your parents put your dog to sleep, and they tell you it went off to live on some farm.
Ross: That's funny, that, no, because, uh, our parents actually did, uh, send our dog off to live on a farm.
Monica: Uh, Ross.
Ross: What? Wh- hello? The Millners' farm in Connecticut? The Millners, they had this unbelievable farm, they had horses, and, and rabbits that he could chase and it was- it w- .....Oh my God, Chi Chi!

The only problem is when "some kid" is my kid. At parent teacher conferences I happened to run into a fellow parent. Apparently Logan was at school chatting with one of his friends. His friend was telling him how his kitten had gone missing. His mom had told him some Disney story of what probably happened to his kitty. To which my dear five year old son replied, "That's not what happened. A coyote ate it. We've lost a few cats that way."

Ahhh, as a parent you have to run interference all the time to uphold your philosophy over others. But that's what life is, right? Dealing with everyone's beliefs and opinions? That family had a conversation they hadn't intended to have. We had one in response to the situation as well; another opportunity for us teach the kids about life, about reality. And that's okay with me, as a parent it's my job.
No, we won't have any dogs moving to farms for a better life; no rabbit that died because she missed her former family too much. When the hermit crab needs to be pulled out of his shell because he died and another one might want his shell? Well, the kids are charged with that gross job because it was their pet, and that's life.