Well the cows  went last Friday and all of a sudden she is fine with it LOL. I didnt lie to her at all. She knows which ones we are eating. I also sent 2 to the saleyards so 4 cows are gone now.

I have considered all of the below answers (wow what a lot of emotions from childhood memories) but I did decide that I wouldnt lie to her about it. The cow was never her actual 'pet' as such but she just had a sort of ownership over it. She is looking forward to tasting the meat. So am I!

this is tough. i had a lamb as a pet. we would bottle feed her. then she grew into a sheep. My family had her butchered and she was our meal. Of course i didnt eat any . i couldnt bring myself to.

when i went overseas for the first time in 1979 , my uncle lived in the country. he had a sheep slaughtered for dinner. I happened to walk past in the kitchen and saw it there with his head still atached. Even though he wasnt my pet, needless to say i wouldnt eat any meat that night . Only pasta.  My uncle was so upset. He tried to get me to eat meat but i couldnt bring myself to eat it. Mind you i have seen whole meats hanging in the butchers but somehow seeing the head still attached made me more emotional .   I was 20 at the time!!! 

i dont know whats the best thing to do but i know if you tell her the truth she will be upset. It wont be a short term upset either. It will stay with her.  She probably wont eat any either.  

anniexxx

In farming communities, or where livestock are kept as pets, its important that children learn early on that an animal is intended for the plate.

Sure, you are going to have tears, but telling them the truth isn't going to haunt you as badly as not telling.

I wish I could help you with your question I'm a big softy - I would let Rai keep his cow LOL

Just wanted to wish you luck!

My mother also raises cows...  Depending on your type of cow you could say you sold her as a milking cow and leave it at that.. Maybe she won't realize that you have twice the amount of meat you would not normally have from one cow.

Good luck with that...

Would you believe my mother has named all her cows, brushes their hair, and scratches their face lightly and they love it.. It is going to be very hard for her to part with her cows when they are old enough to go....

i would tell her the "white lie", i remember when i was a kid i had a pet chook ( well it wasnt really my pet but ya know lol) and one day we had roast chick for tea..then later my mum told me that it was my chook..i burst into hysterics and ran to my room..after that i decided to become a vegitarian...i lasted like a month or so lol, anyway..i wouldnt tell her that you sent off the cow to be killed, saying it went o a better farm with lots of other cows would be better, then when she is older i would tell her :)

dont lie to her. my grandad did when my rabbits went missing and we had yummy rabbit stew. it broke my heart when Dad finaly told me a few years later.

just remind her thats what life is about. if you are religious remind her that god gave us grain and animals to eat.

But dont lie to her

I think this one very much depends on your daughter's personality..  Is she likely to get over it within a reasonable period of time?  If yes go with the harsh truth..  And then just make her favourite meal not hiding the fact that it's meat.  Then she can either sit by and eat vegies whilst the rest of the family eat dinner..  Or she can get over it and eat it..

I have not experienced it.  But I believe it is reasonably common for children to go through a stage of not liking the fact that they are eating animals.

Good luck