I am sure that it can be done in a cute way, just taking a look at @voxel_pirate’s animation of a hearthling loosing a hand.
http://discourse.stonehearth.net/t/stonehearth-add-on-for-blender-animation/3561
Loosing a hand does not necesarily need to look gory or anything. Having watched cartoons loosing body parts can easily look funny and/or cute.