Cremation or burial?

jackbombay · Jan 16, 2009

Which did (or will) you choose and why?

I could really go either way at this point. We have 2 acres, mostly sage, and Jack sure loves to hunt mice out there, so for him to spend eternity in the sage he loved so much seems like a good way to go. I think I'd prefer to plant a nice tree/flowering plant above him rather than a tombstone of any sort, but it would really suck if said tree/flowering plant died.

Cremation seems a little more personal, but I'm not sure if I'd want to have the reminder of his death, vs just having pics of his life.

Hopefully we still have several months to a year plus left with, but I'd prefer to think about this now when I'm not a complete wreck vs when I will be.

Thoughts?

I did search around and didn't find a whole lot on this subject, also I wasn't totally sure which forum to put it, feel free to move it if it belongs elsewhere.

fwiw, Jack has CRF :-(

AbbysMom · Jan 16, 2009

We went with cremation. Our house was for sale when we lost Molly and didn't want to bury her there and "leave" her. I said that once we moved I would bury her ashes at the new house. We've been here 4 years now and I haven't been able to bring myself to do it yet.

monaxlisa · Jan 16, 2009

I selected the havent decided option before I read your post and realized it was about cats and not people

I dont think I'd like to have my pets cremated. Burial would be my preference.

pookie-poo · Jan 16, 2009

Cleo has had CRF for eight years now, so you never know!

When Spooky died, I really wasn't aware of cremation for a pet. She is buried in my garden, with a beautiful pink granite headstone. I wish that I had known about cremation at that time, as I know I would have gone that way. I really don't feel like I ever want to sell this house and leave her. Even though I know it's only her Earthly remains, it is still her. I definitely plan to have all of my kitties cremated when their times come. I also want to be cremated myself. Then I will have all my kitties ashes combined with mine and someone who cares, will spread them somewhere significant to me...haven't thought about where yet!

rapunzel47 · Jan 16, 2009

Depends on the cat. Gryphon and Shasta are out under the forsythia, where they loved to hide and watch. If/when we move from this house, I plan to get two urns and fill them with earth from the burial spots to take with us. Nibs was cremated. We discussed where to scatter his ashes, and realized that he was so not an outdoor cat that there was no appropriate place to do that. His urn is on the end table that was his route to Daddy's belly. It just works. I'm not sure how we'll go with Cindy and Fawn, but presumably we have plenty of time to contemplate that.

twstychik · Jan 16, 2009

I picked creamation... but I hope I'm not close to having to decide. We live in an apartment and while I could bury any of my beloved pets at my in-laws property I think I'd rather keep them close. What I might do it have them creamated, keep some of the ashes in a locket of something similar then spread/bury the rest either at my inlaws or hopefully we'll have a house by then and I'd put them in the garden.

emy4cats · Jan 16, 2009

Originally Posted by MonaxLisa

I selected the havent decided option before I read your post and realized it was about cats and not people

I dont think I'd like to have my pets cremated. Burial would be my preference.

I did the same thing! I have always barried my kitties, but now that I have moved out of my parents house I don't know what I would do. Tink and Fuzzy are back home. I feel like when I moved I abandoned them. Not sure what I will do for Flower and Figaro when the time comes. I hope that when their time comes I will be settled into a house so they can get a burial.

(to get a chuckle Fuzzy passed away about 2 weeks before we moved into the house my parents live in now and Mom refused to leave her at that house and made Dad dig her up and move her to the new house, but I am the crazy cat lady in the family!)

whisky'sdad · Jan 16, 2009

Definately cremation! Oliver was cremated and when Whisky's time comes, I'll have him cremated, too! I'll mix them together and put them in one beautiful urn. They will each have their own nameplate with their dates on it.

jupeycat · Jan 16, 2009

Cremation. I've always had other pets cremated and the vets have disposed of the ashes. I believe that once we (including animals) are dead, the body is just a shell so I don't really want to hang on to my furries' ashes. To be honest it's easier to plan what happens to me when I die rather than my furries.

I hope Jack has loads of happy, healthy years left!!

snake_lady · Jan 16, 2009

I chose burial.

My hubby's parents have a farm... it is where alot of animals are buried including my

Gysmo.

My dog will be the next one we have to bury *sigh*. I'm hoping it won't be for a while though, but I know its coming.

essayons89 · Jan 16, 2009

I wrestled with the decision after Midnight died and I chose cremation. I have shelf on one of my bookcases where I keep her urn along with some pictures of her. After I eventually settle down in a house I'll lay her to rest in a garden.

blast-off-girl · Jan 16, 2009

I chose "stuffed" but I suppose I prefer the term "freeze dried". I know I chose the most unconventional method but it fits with my personality. My sweetheart Buster passed away on January 5, 2009. He suffered from cancer and I knew that I had limited time with him. Three weeks prior to his death, I stumbled upon freeze-drying websites. I remember watching a segment on "20/20" about this topic but thought it was strange back then. Now that I had to face the impending loss of my best friend, it did not seem like such a bad idea after all.

I could not cremate my cat because it goes against my religion, Judaism. Therefore, I had planned to bury him at a local pet cemetery. Unfortunately, I heard terrible things about the cemetery and freaked out. Of course, I didn't have many alternate choice for burial. I live in an apartment and could not bury him in the front yard. Therefore, freeze drying felt like the best option.

One week after Buster passed away, I picked up his body at the vet and packed him in a cooler. The vet tech helped me with the packing and then I drove to FedEx, where he was sent overnight to Missouri. When he arrived on Tuesday, he was still frozen. The place is waiting for me to send pictures for his pose.

I can't wait until he comes back home to me in 10 months!!!

rosiemac · Jan 16, 2009

Cremated, then when i die it's in my will that Rosie, Sophie and Jacks ashes are mixed in with mine, then were going to be scattered in a pet cemetery surrounded by other animals

mews2much · Jan 16, 2009

Stripe,Lucy,Stormy and Yoshi I have here.
I would have liked to bury them but we were in a apartment.
Stripe and Lucy's ashes came back in cedar boxes.
Stormy and Yoshi came back in velvet bags that have Rainbows on them.
Smokey is buried in my dads yard.
Some of the other are also.
I alsmost used that cemetery blast off girl is talking about but they were digging the graves up.
I told her about that before Buster was pts
I am glad Patches went to Napa and not that bad one.
Patches is in Bubbling Wells in Napa.
Here is a link
http://www.bubbling-well.com/

laureen227 · Jan 16, 2009

well, i've done more than one, so i picked the 4th choice.
my 1st cat, who passed at home, was buried in the back yard.
Mouse, who passed at the vet's, was cremated.
the rest - if they pass at home, i'll most likely bury them. but if the vet's, i might choose cremation - it'll just depend on my mood at the time.

bella713 · Jan 16, 2009

I chose burial, because

Bella

is buried in our back yard, she is in a casket and in a cement tomb my DH made with a 70 pound top so nothing can get to her

She also has a Black Granite beautiful tombstone

pami · Jan 16, 2009

I always say burial, but it would be at our family home, not at this home because, I know I wont live here the rest of my life.

twokatz · Jan 16, 2009

It has to be burial, I can't stand the thought of my beautiful babies being burned and reduced to ashes. Tabitha, Missy and my dog Lacey are all in the backyard in boxes my hubby made for them with thier names carved. They also have engraved garden stone markers. My other 3 babies are in the backyard of our former home and luckily our daughter bought it.

jackbombay · Jan 16, 2009

Originally Posted by Blast-Off-Girl

I chose "stuffed" but I suppose I prefer the term "freeze dried". I know I chose the most unconventional method but it fits with my personality. My sweetheart Buster passed away on January 5, 2009. He suffered from cancer and I knew that I had limited time with him. Three weeks prior to his death, I stumbled upon freeze-drying websites. I remember watching a segment on "20/20" about this topic but thought it was strange back then. Now that I had to face the impending loss of my best friend, it did not seem like such a bad idea after all.

I could not cremate my cat because it goes against my religion, Judaism. Therefore, I had planned to bury him at a local pet cemetery. Unfortunately, I heard terrible things about the cemetery and freaked out. Of course, I didn't have many alternate choice for burial. I live in an apartment and could not bury him in the front yard. Therefore, freeze drying felt like the best option.

One week after Buster passed away, I picked up his body at the vet and packed him in a cooler. The vet tech helped me with the packing and then I drove to FedEx, where he was sent overnight to Missouri. When he arrived on Tuesday, he was still frozen. The place is waiting for me to send pictures for his pose.

I can't wait until he comes back home to me in 10 months!!!

Do you have a link handy for the freezedryer you decided to use?

blast-off-girl · Jan 16, 2009

I decided to go with Anthony Eddie:
http://www.pet-animalpreservation.com/

I interviewed three places and I felt that they were the most professional. They are the most expensive but their workmanship is worth it. The other place uses Styrofoam, which seemed pretty cheap. Anthony Eddie retains the skeletal and muscular system, which explains why their process takes the longest. However, they do remove the organs for obvious reasons.

Anthony Eddie also sent me the necessary packing supplies including a cooler, ice packs, bags, insulation, and duct tape. The last thing you want to do when your beloved pet passes away is go shopping for packing supplies. They were kind enough to send the stuff via UPS following Buster's passing.

Cremation or burial?

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