What to do with cat's ashes?

Mods, I apologize in advance if this is the wrong spot of the forum--I really am not sure where to post it...

Today, we received Hobbes' ashes. I never have had a pet cremated before. With Willi, who died a month before Hobbes, I decided not to get his ashes back, which I now regret. I was just beside myself with grief, and didn't know if I wanted his ashes--or knew what to do with them. I only have experience with burying our pets (at Mom's house); but, since I grow most of my own veggies and fruit, I don't think I want that here. I don't think it's a safe idea, and even though I loved my kitties so much, I, uh, don't want them in my food source.

I now plan to have all of my cats cremated when the time comes; I have 7 left, so space may be an issue with their ashes. However, I don't want to sprinkle them anywhere (honestly, I don't even want to SEE them reduced to ashes--I don't plan to open the box). An urn is out of the question; I don't want it knocked over by the other cats. Also, all of my guys are strays, and I think the reason I chose to keep Hobbes' ashes was that his life before us was so pathetic and unstable. With us, he finally had the first REAL home in his 11-year life. I kind of thought it appropriate to keep him here somehow.

I thought about buying a large, pretty box, and placing the individual boxes in that; perhaps wrapping those in some pretty fabric first (the boxes are sterile-looking), and then placing the big box in the attic.

Perhaps I'm obessing about this, but...I plan to hang veggies up from the attic rafters to dry after the harvest season this year. Would it be hygienic to do this with the ashes being in the same room? I'm sorry if this sounds disgusting, but I need some advice.

What I mainly want to know is: what did you do with your pet's ashes, apart from burying them or scattering them?

Thanks.

At their last house, my in laws had a small shelf that they kept their dogs ashes on along with a picture of them. In the house they are in now, they have them on their mantle. I hope that helps.

Two of my RB cats are in little wooden boxes just on my shelf - they are pretty sturdy and have never been knocked over by the cats. I guess they just *seem to know*.

Do they have that option at the vets?

Maybe something like this?

http://www.memorial-urns.com/picture_urn_m1.html

http://www.memorial-urns.com/Faithful_FriendPetUrn.html

http://www.paws2heaven.com/Classic_Cat_Urns.asp

But, if you want to store them in a special box in the attic, I think that would be fine even with drying veggies. As long as the box is sealed, I doubt very much that the ashes would do anything to the veggies. I think the whole process pretty much kills any bacteria anyway. Do whatever you feel is best, and what is comfortable for you.

Jack's ashes came in a tin, sealed with a (best description) tar like substance. I had to open it, to see "him" again. I have a small quantity of his ashes (and a small quantity of Damita's hair) in a locket I used to carry around (no longer could, it bothered me too much).

His ashes remain in the tin, in the box that I got them from at the vet's office, on my dresser. He slept in bed with me every night I fostered him, it was just "right" that he continues to be by my side at night.

Here is a thread on cremation jewelry, should you be interested.

Like WellingtonCats, I have two of my RB kitties in wooden boxes. They are sealed, so even if they were knocked over, it wouldn't be a catastrophe.

I like keeping these boxes with me, but I've also wondered what I should do in the long term. Eventually I think I might bury them on my father's property; he had a nice piece of land in a very quiet, peaceful place, and he has buried other family pets there.

I have not had any cats cremated. When the time comes, if I outlive my cats, I would consider keeping them in something like this:

http://www.huggableurns.com/huggable_urns.htm

I don't think there's anything gross about hanging your veggies in the same room as the ashes.

Originally Posted by Going Nova

I have not had any cats cremated. When the time comes, if I outlive my cats, I would consider keeping them in something like this:

http://www.huggableurns.com/huggable_urns.htm

I don't think there's anything gross about hanging your veggies in the same room as the ashes.

Click to expand...

That is so cute! You can hug them like they're really there. I know there are some people who are distraught about losing their pet and sometimes sleep with the urn. This is much more comfortable!

I'm not sure if these are for me--I hope I don't offend anyone (and I do appreciate your ideas), but they kinda creep me out for some reason. However, if one knows how to thread a needle, you could make more realistic cat ones, and for far, far less money (I think that $189 for what essentially is an opened-up stuffed animal is a rip-off). I would just buy a regular stuffed animal, one that has a seam up the back, and then use a seam ripper to carefully open the stitches to expose the stuffing, and as long as you need in order to insert the ashes pouch. Remove enough of the stuffing to do this, then you have 2 choices for closures: if you don't plan to remove the ashes, you could just buy or sew a drawstring pouch (sewing it would be very simple), insert it, and then hand-sew the opening shut again. If you want to be able to re-open it, you could somehow sew Velcro along the slit's edges.

This way, you'd have a lot more leeway in your choice of stuffed animal--perhaps you could even find a very realistic version of your cat or dog. Now, I didn't look through all of the samples, but the grey cat they had looked kind of fakey to me. I know I have seen much more realistic, and cheaper, stuffed cats somewhere. I think for well under $50, you could do this; probably for much less (or even stumble across one at a yard sale?).

I can't believe I just did my typical Martha-esque rant about cremated pets! This is going too far, even for me! Seriously, I just thought I could save someone some much-needed money. When a pet dies, you most likely have tons of vet's bills.

Thanks again for your suggestions. I really do appreciate your ideas.

I would like to plant a tree in my yard and place the ashes of Roxy and Little Girl in in the ground along with a memorial plaque of some sort.

I have a buddy of mine who works at a machine shop who thinks that a
thick stainless steel disc enscribed with the cats' names last a few hundred
years underground.

My cremated pets are in decorative wooden boxes (from Hobby Lobby), and are kept on the entertainment center in the living room. I know they're there, but it's not obvious to anyone else - it just looks like a collection of decorative wooden boxes. I've actually received a couple of additional nice wooden boxes as gifts from people who noticed the ones I already had - I'll use those when the time comes.

The ashes originally came back from the crematory in an urn, but I just broke the urn open (after calling the crematory to confirm they were in a plastic bag inside the urn) and put the bag of ashes inside a box with a photo of the pet and the pet's collar. The crematory told me they could transfer the ashes for me if I wanted, and the next time I could ask for just the ashes back in a bag, no urn (or they do offer decorative wooden urns, too, and even picture frames that hold ashes that you can put a photo of the pet in and hang on the wall or put on a mantel - no one else needs to know there's ashes in it).

I really wouldn't be concerned about the ashes being in the attic, if that's what you want to do - they'd be sealed up.

I have Patches in Bubbling Wells in Napa.
Stripe and Lucy are in cedar boxes and Stormy and Yoshi are in Velvet bags with the Rainbow Bridge Poem on them.
I have them in our bedroom right now.
Th others are in my dads back yard.

We keep our pets ashes in their urns. We have 6 animal's urns on our shelf. (5 dogs,1 cat).

I have Sphinx's remains in a cedar box (It came back this way from the vet's) in the bedroom right now (which was one of his favorite rooms).

None of my cats bother it in the least (I think Kuce knows who it is since she was adopted with him and Luvbug also seems to know).

The only cat I ever had cremated was Juniper, and I 'planted' the box of ashes in a large garden pot with a juniper tree over him. I brought it with me when I moved and it is on the terrace.

I had an urn commissioned for Abby's ashes:

http://www.cheerspottery.com/

I have a picture of it somewhere.. the work was wonderful and not very expensive. I will use this artist again.

When Battery had to be put to sleep, my mom received his ashes back in a pretty cedar box. When his brother Mag needed to be put down a year later, she combined his ashes in the box with Battery's (just the bag of ashes, she didnt open either bag). She has their collars resting across the top of the box next to her bed.

Rob and I had Tigger and Monte cremated. They are each in a cat shaped urn.