These 2^ insensitive blighters are no bleeding good to you Mr Squirrel, do yourself a favour and tell the kid the truth, that its died a horrible death and you've got to bury it before it infects everyone.
A funeral on the front lawn followed by a pizza or something will be good for his morale, and when he's asleep you can go and dig it up again and flog it on ebay and make some dosh from it, win win all round me thinks old boy.