When that final day comes. Do you...
Discussion
Speaking to someone the other day we got round to 'doing the deed' and they always leave their pets with the vet and to me that sounded a bit odd. So...
Do you leave them at the vet to dispose of or do you take them home to be buried?
If you take them home do you bury them with their favourite toy/bowl/lead?
We have ALWAYS taken them home and they are all buried in the garden (4 and counting
).
Do you leave them at the vet to dispose of or do you take them home to be buried?
If you take them home do you bury them with their favourite toy/bowl/lead?
We have ALWAYS taken them home and they are all buried in the garden (4 and counting
).Everyones different, most people these days leave them with us for cremation, quite a few have individual cremations. Burial just isn't a practical option for many.
I do not want to bury my pets I want them cremated and have their ashes back, many prefer not to have the back, either way it is still a professional licensed company that creamtes them.
I would want collars/ bowls etc. I still have the collar from our first dog, my parents still have her water bowl that is in use today for the other pets but it will always be Megs bowl. Jimmy is still using the very first feed bowl we bought for him (it says puppy on it, I really hope he has it, if it survives his life I'd keep it.
And whatever anyone does please don't ask us to take in your cats for cremation after they have been buried for several months because you are moving. I had to do this for someone a few weeks ago (in a practice I locum for, so it was agreed by a staff member there but I got the job on the Sunday!) Tbh I felt it was more than my job description! Felt for the owner but I think that was a step too much.
I do not want to bury my pets I want them cremated and have their ashes back, many prefer not to have the back, either way it is still a professional licensed company that creamtes them.
I would want collars/ bowls etc. I still have the collar from our first dog, my parents still have her water bowl that is in use today for the other pets but it will always be Megs bowl. Jimmy is still using the very first feed bowl we bought for him (it says puppy on it, I really hope he has it, if it survives his life I'd keep it.
And whatever anyone does please don't ask us to take in your cats for cremation after they have been buried for several months because you are moving
. I had to do this for someone a few weeks ago (in a practice I locum for, so it was agreed by a staff member there but I got the job on the Sunday!) Tbh I felt it was more than my job description! Felt for the owner but I think that was a step too much.I do think its a bit heartless to just let the vet incinerate them, as after that, if you don't have an individual cremation the burnt moggie/doggy/whatever will just go to landfill.
I for one, will either be burying or having an individual cremation for my cat, as I cannot remember a time before having her, as mum an dad got her when I was 4 and now I'm 25, so has been around practically all my life.
I for one, will either be burying or having an individual cremation for my cat, as I cannot remember a time before having her, as mum an dad got her when I was 4 and now I'm 25, so has been around practically all my life.
Jasandjules said:
I have the vet come to our house to release them. Thereafter they will take them and cremate (individually) and I get the ashes back.
There is no way I would just leave the ashes to be disposed of by someone else.
Exactly the same for us, my boy was let go curled up with me on the sofa with Mr 13th. My next boy died suddenly at home, a deverstating loss. We took him to the vet to be cremated. They have their sister, a moggy, with them; all sat on my sitting room shelf.There is no way I would just leave the ashes to be disposed of by someone else.
In time I will know how to let their ashes go, just still not ready yet.
RIP my lost fury family and thank God for my remaining fury family, couldn't adore them more
I had my beautiful girl individually cremated at CPC in Cambridge. I went to the actual cremation and was given time with her body before she went through... I then waited a few hours and was able to take her ashes home with me. They are beside my bed and whenever I go away they come with me.
Personally I prefer not to 'collect' previous pets. My first cat (c.1986-2000) lives in a small box in the airing cupboard but that's an exception. I said goodbye to the next cat at the vets and will probably do so again next time. You have to clear the ground mentally and make a fresh new start I think.
One interesting idea is to give each successive pet the same name - which lends a thread of immortality, though for me each pet is different and should have a different name.
One interesting idea is to give each successive pet the same name - which lends a thread of immortality, though for me each pet is different and should have a different name.
We have three cat ashes boxes on the top shelf in the front room:
Pudla - Put down due to serious old age (21)
Ickle - Run over
Mr.Sax - Put down this year after a long thyroid illness and he just withered away
I've said to my missus, when I get cremated I want to be scattered with them all.
Pudla - Put down due to serious old age (21)
Ickle - Run over
Mr.Sax - Put down this year after a long thyroid illness and he just withered away
I've said to my missus, when I get cremated I want to be scattered with them all.
Since I have no interest in being memorialized or buried when I die myself,I take a similar view for pets.Cremate me and scatter the ashed.
I grieve when the bad day comes,I hold the dog while it is euthanized and spend a few minutes before leaving. However,I do not collect the ashes or bury it at home. Mind you,burying a Great Dane would not be a trivial exercise.
I grieve when the bad day comes,I hold the dog while it is euthanized and spend a few minutes before leaving. However,I do not collect the ashes or bury it at home. Mind you,burying a Great Dane would not be a trivial exercise.
RDMcG said:
Since I have no interest in being memorialized or buried when I die myself,I take a similar view for pets.Cremate me and scatter the ashed.
I grieve when the bad day comes,I hold the dog while it is euthanized and spend a few minutes before leaving. However,I do not collect the ashes or bury it at home. Mind you,burying a Great Dane would not be a trivial exercise.
this, definitely, and SimpoTwo's comments. We've lost 3 cats so far and none of them came home with us from the vet. I actually couldn't bear the thought of their bodies buried in the garden, must be a childhood thing as none of the family cats ever came home either. Cremation yes, but we don't want the ashes back. I don't need the mortal remains to remind me, that's what photos and memories are for.I grieve when the bad day comes,I hold the dog while it is euthanized and spend a few minutes before leaving. However,I do not collect the ashes or bury it at home. Mind you,burying a Great Dane would not be a trivial exercise.
This is why there is no right or wrong to this subject and I always tell people so. It's a personal decision based upon personal experiences/ emotions/ feelings. None of it means you loved that pet any less or more than another. As long as that pet had the right care and attention when it was alive that's what is important to everyone else.
I think this thread really does show the variations of how people deal with the after.
I think this thread really does show the variations of how people deal with the after.
Albert Bridge said:
I had my beautiful girl individually cremated at CPC in Cambridge. I went to the actual cremation and was given time with her body before she went through... I then waited a few hours and was able to take her ashes home with me. They are beside my bed and whenever I go away they come with me.
I really like this. I wish I'd known about individual cremations when I lost Cracker (4 years ago tomorrow 
)We had our little man individually cremated. There was a mixup with the paperwork as they thought we didn't want him back.
It was sorted and have the ashes but there is a nagging doubt that its not him in the box. I have no idea what to do with them ?!?
From memory the last vets bill came to £420. Was a tad shocked as the fees for the burn up wasn't that far off we paid for my nan! We chose this method as he was very much a part of the family for 16 years so he was treated like one of us right to the end - without the full Catholic mass though ;-)
The whole end game thing and resulting process at the vets has completely put me off having another dog. I would really love to rehome a staffie but can't bear the thought of having to do 'what's right' again.
Writing this has remind me how much I miss the little f
ker.
It was sorted and have the ashes but there is a nagging doubt that its not him in the box. I have no idea what to do with them ?!?
From memory the last vets bill came to £420. Was a tad shocked as the fees for the burn up wasn't that far off we paid for my nan! We chose this method as he was very much a part of the family for 16 years so he was treated like one of us right to the end - without the full Catholic mass though ;-)
The whole end game thing and resulting process at the vets has completely put me off having another dog. I would really love to rehome a staffie but can't bear the thought of having to do 'what's right' again.
Writing this has remind me how much I miss the little f
ker. 
Our original family of 2 both died at our previous house, and we buried them in the garden. which was fine til we moved and that was hard leaving them - we'd had them when we first married and they made 17.5 and 18, so it was big wrench leaving them. I coped by bringing with me seedlings of the white rowan I'd planted over Boris (my familiar, witch's tree for witch's cat!) and 2 of them ar egrowing in our garden here.
The 4 casualties I've had here - 2 to FIP - all had individual private cremations - we're lucky there's a pet crematorium 10 miles down the road. Their urns sit on a shelf in the kitchen and my husband has been instructed that when I go my babies come with me and we all get cremated together.
In PH mode however, they won't be too pleased with my scattering place choice - Junction corner at Doune Hillclimb which was the scene of my first ever major off so I can watch and see how everyone else does it properly - and trip up those people I don't like!!
Nina
The 4 casualties I've had here - 2 to FIP - all had individual private cremations - we're lucky there's a pet crematorium 10 miles down the road. Their urns sit on a shelf in the kitchen and my husband has been instructed that when I go my babies come with me and we all get cremated together.
In PH mode however, they won't be too pleased with my scattering place choice - Junction corner at Doune Hillclimb which was the scene of my first ever major off so I can watch and see how everyone else does it properly - and trip up those people I don't like!!
Nina
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