i feel a bit guilty now, but would you do it?

frivolous_fay

My gran had cans of Impulse when she was dying - not sure if she used them as fragrance or possibly to disguise the medical smells (she had cancer) but either way, I remember my mum and I sharing them between us after she died.

Triker

Love it CoolTrikerChick, you did the right thing.:T

I've decided that I'll put a condition in my will that everything possible is used or donated including food and if it isn't I'll haunt 'em!

flubberyzing

My dad did a similiar thing when his dad died.
His dad died quite suddenly, leaving an almost brand-new winter jacket (we think he'd only worn it a few times). My dad is a similar size, so adopted the jacket, and wore his "free" jacket for quite a few winters until it wore out.
I see no problem at all with taking tinned food. I'm sure the deceased would just be happy that someone was using it, rather than it going to the tip.

Seakay

The majority of people in Britain will live in a dead person's house at some point - but estate agents will do anything to avoid mentioning if someone died in a house because it puts so many people off. Antiques are dead people's possessions.

I think that the people who commented to you are mistaking ignorant squeamishness for sensitivity. Don't let them make you feel bad. You and the house clearance guy are doing a public service as well as earning a living. If it wasn't for you then all the possessions of the dead who die without relatives to manage their estate would end up in landfill.

To be honest, the people who are trying to make you feel bad (for whatever reason) sound like the sort of meat eaters who are too 'sensitive' to even think about abattoirs. You are acting logically and with care, they are covering their own hypocrisy by attacking you.

Sowilo_2

Just so long as the food didn't kill him

valk_scot

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

i honestly dont know, i think there were more than one cat, the old lady lived down stairs in the house for quite a few years, and the cats had the run of the house, and as you can imagine the upstairs wasnt very pleasant:eek:

she had home care twice a day, so i think the local authority must have taken care of that side of things.

I used to live in an area which had more than the usual share of elderly ladies with cats. It seemed to be that if one lady died a cat would then move next door to the next old lady and her cat, lol. One time though I missed seeing a particular cat after the owner died and after a few days got concerned enough to go and peer in all the house windows...sure enough, one very unhappy cat all on its lonesome amongst the packing debris. I had no idea who to contact so knocked in one small window pane, took the cat home, made the window secure and left a letter through the letterbox.

My mother kept that cat for eight years till he died of old age and good living. But I never heard one word back from anyone to do with the old lady or her house. The cat would have died in there from starvation. It's always worth triple checking about an animal, not just assuming that someone else took care of it.

rosieben

CTC, I've just come back from visiting my 83yo godmother; I told her about this thread and how you'd been criticised for taking the food to use. Her comment was that the people who were squeamish about it 'should have lived through the war years!'

we both agreed we'll come back to haunt anyone who takes good stuff of ours to the tip!

Roger_Tatt

olliebeak wrote: »

if you're really feeling guilty, you could try passing it all to somebody you know who could benefit from it or give it to a soup kitchen place who may be able to feed people on the streets with it.

Local cats protection league, or pdsa may be grateful for the cat food.

great comment.

cheerfulness4

Not quite the same situation, but when we had a house fire the restoration team came in a skipped all the clothes, books, basically everything including all the food from our pantry and cupboards.
I remember being inside the boarded up house with my mum and SIL for support while I assessed the work being done and spotting two bottoms with legs kicking in the air 'skip diving' for my food and possessions.
In all honesty, as emotional as I was at the time, it was the first time that I laughed out loud since the awful day it happened.
They had no idea we could see them through the window boards but it was so nice to see that joy on their faces. Harder times for some than others I guess and it didn't harm me as I was covered by insurance and I'd rather the tinned stuff wasn't wasted. Not sure I would have risked the numerous boxes of smokey Readybrek, tho. :rolleyes:

Aril

You've taken a practical approach to a problem that's all and a sensible one in my book.
Aril