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We chose to have our last bunny who passed cremated. Up until then we had let the bunnies all be "taken care of" by our vet. I have since learned what that actually meant and that will never happen again. But when I was a kid and our family pets died it was always up to my parents. The first ones that died that were on my watch were my bunnies - that's all I knew to do
Then my Friskie passed. We elected to have him buried at the local pet cemetery. I live in a big city and we can't bury them in our yards. I know I won't live in this house forever anyway - so just as well. We had the plot dug deep enough that when my dog goes he will be buried with him - they were good friends.
My hubby already says he wants "his Simon" cremated. I don't know how I feel about it. We are not religious people. Nobody in my family is cremated - so it's strange to me. My bunnies ashes sat out for awhile but then they got put in a storage box. It was hard. What do you do with the ashes after awhile? What do your kids do with the ashes of your precocious pets? It's not like someone will always keep them and think they are special the way you do. It would kill me to think that someday someone thought of my babies as unwanted trash or knick knacks to get rid of.
Nic's ashes are in a handblown glass vessel. When JJ eventually (never!!!) dies I'll keep his ashes as well. When I die, it will be my will that all of our ashes are mixed and sprinkled on a mountaintop where I once vacationed in Vermont. If you opt to be buried, you could have your pet's ashes with the casket.
I'm also getting a nose print done of JJ while he's alive- you can wear it as a necklace and I think they're gorgeous.
We chose to have our last bunny who passed cremated. Up until then we had let the bunnies all be "taken care of" by our vet. I have since learned what that actually meant and that will never happen again. But when I was a kid and our family pets died it was always up to my parents. The first ones that died that were on my watch were my bunnies - that's all I knew to do
Then my Friskie passed. We elected to have him buried at the local pet cemetery. I live in a big city and we can't bury them in our yards. I know I won't live in this house forever anyway - so just as well. We had the plot dug deep enough that when my dog goes he will be buried with him - they were good friends.
My hubby already says he wants "his Simon" cremated. I don't know how I feel about it. We are not religious people. Nobody in my family is cremated - so it's strange to me. My bunnies ashes sat out for awhile but then they got put in a storage box. It was hard. What do you do with the ashes after awhile? What do your kids do with the ashes of your precocious pets? It's not like someone will always keep them and think they are special the way you do. It would kill me to think that someday someone thought of my babies as unwanted trash or knick knacks to get rid of.
I really just want to address your last paragraph. When my Mom died just over 2 years ago I put the boxes with her former cats' ashes in the casket with her. That was her wish and I had no problem with it. My husband and I have already discussed this concerning our cats' ashes. They will be placed with us in our caskets. I know this is a morbid topic but it does ease my mind knowing we already have a plan. Hope this helps.
In a cremation the fire is directed directly onto the body, the temperature are over 1800 degrees inside the hearth (where the pet is placed).
Glad you posted the first hand experience with this. can you clarify why the 850 degree is constantly showing up as the minimum temperature, although I see manufactures specification on equipmrnet listed above 1500 degree? I am starting to think the 850 temperature is actually some regulation thing (one place said because all crematoriums exlusive for pets are licensed as waste disposal incinerators so the 850 is the minimum they must operate at for that licenese even though pet cremations are done at higher temps). Does that sound about right?
First off, I'm sorry to ask such a morbid question but this is killing me and my husband. Yesterday we got Titi's ashes back and they look like a bag of sand. I have 4 other cats ashes and they are all grayish/whitish with bone chips. They all look nearly identical. Titi's ashes are beige with colored flecks and no bone chips. They look like sand with some cat litter thrown in. We spoke with our vet who can't explain why they look this way. We spoke with the crematorium which we found out does not specialize in cremations. They mainly dispose of medical waste. They assured us the ashes were Titi but we were given no certificate. They said maybe it had something to do with the grinder! Now I can't get that image out of my mind and I don't understand why he would need to go through a grinder. I am sick to my stomach over this. The arrangements were made through our vet. He said he has used this place for over 30 years.
Has any one ever looked at their pet's ashes? Does any one have ashes that look like Titi's? And does any one know how we can have this checked out? I thought getting his ashes back would bring some comfort, having him home again. I need to know because this is tearing us apart. The grief will never go away if I don't get some answers. I apologize for such a morbid question. Can any one help?
Your right I also peeked into my little black bag the other day after receiving My kittle back, An yes also i seen white sand i am goingot take it to vets an get it checked out im also so so sick over this
I really do sympathize quite a lot, but now you know why I have gotten to the point where I ask for a group cremation and do not ask for the ashes.
(My only psychological problem is that I have this phobia that they "feel" being burned. I keep hoping that they are dead all the way...even though we always are present at the euthanasia. But I worry about that for humans, too!!!)
I really just want to address your last paragraph. When my Mom died just over 2 years ago I put the boxes with her former cats' ashes in the casket with her. That was her wish and I had no problem with it. My husband and I have already discussed this concerning our cats' ashes. They will be placed with us in our caskets. I know this is a morbid topic but it does ease my mind knowing we already have a plan. Hope this helps.
We have the ashes of one cat only. (Did not want the others.) I think you have a good idea. I like it.
I always cremate my cats and have a shelf of little boxes of them. Never have I opened them to check what was in there.
Frankly, and I adore my animals, they are gone, all I need are the memories I have of each one of them. All I need to know is that I gave them a wonderful home, tons of love and a smooth and painless good bye. That is all I will ever need to know.
I don't mean to sound heartless, but when I have a pet put down, I leave the remains at the vets, to do whatever they do. Then I give the money I would have spent on ashes and an urn to an animal shelter or a spay and release program, where it will do far more good. I think my deceased pets, who were mostly rescues, would have approved.
They will continue to live on in my heart, not on the mantel.
Last edited by weltschmerz; 07-08-2013 at 05:26 PM..
There's a woman here who runs a program where she takes in pets of abused women who have left home. Battered women shelters don't allow pets. You'd be amazed at just how many women stay in terrible relationships only because of their furbabies. When the women get back on their feet, they can have their animals back. This program is desperately underfunded. I've donated quite a bit rather than spring for cremation and urns.
But that's just me. I'm not terribly sentimental, I guess.
when I have a pet put down, I leave the remains at the vets, to do whatever they do. ...
This is what we did last week, and also 4 or so years ago. I actually gave it some thought this time, through the rest of the evening and again in the morning before we took her over to the vet. This cat was certainly mine, for 17 years since a kitten, so it was mostly on me if I wanted to do anything different than the previous time. But once again I couldn't come up with anything that made sense to me to do with returned ashes. I didn't want an urn or other such container type thing, and although she spent 10 years here at the house and I could scatter ashes outside where she enjoyed looking out, the house is also not permanent enough to me to want to leave them there. And really, even if I spent another 30 years in this house, I didn't have a strong interest in it. Amber would live on in photos and in the memories I have of her, regardless of what I did with her body. So, I opted again for the group cremation without returning the ashes. I suppose this opens it up somewhere along the way for mistreatment of the remains, but I just have to trust the people.
It is a personal choice what you do, nothing to do with heartless or anything. I wouldn't begrudge the people who choose to get urns and so forth even if it does mean they don't make donations. Likewise, I hope the folks who make that choice won't see ours as being too cold and impersonal. Ultimately, in the time of grieving and getting through the loss of one's companion, I think it's okay to make whatever decisions bring the most comfort.
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