keeping pets ashes

susieanne

Just wondered for any of you who have lost a pet did you pay to keep the ashes ?

OnceUponADream

I have both sets of ashes for our two dogs.

We paid £80 around 7 years ago and £120 last year. They were GSD, I think the price depends upon the size and weight of your pet.

puddy

Hi unfortunately I have been in ths situation this weekend. My cat died Saturday morning. I couldnt face making any decisions over the weekend about what to do with her. I had always thought (shes my first pet), that I wouldnt bury, keep or memorialise her officially because Im not religious and dont believe that theres anything left in the body when someone dies, its just a shell.

But, I then couldnt face the thought of her just being dumped, or cremated and then the ashes going somewhere else. So I chose to get her ashes returned in a picture frame with a nice picture of her in it and her name on the frame. It has been devastating. I keep looking at it out the corner of my eye as it was delivered yesterday. Im not sure its what I really believe in as such but just had to do it this way.

painted

My son has the ashes of his first dog and a rescue macaw he had. He paid for both, they are in wooden boxes. I think the macaw was about £70, that would be about 12 years ago. The times drawing very near for my eldest dog to make her voyage, I will bury her in our garden. Im not religious but want to know where my girl is.

Youdontseeme

I kept William's ashes it cost me about £180 (5 years ago, almost to the day ) they came back in a lovely carved wooden box with a brass plate with name b/day (well gottcha day) and the date he died.

They sit on my Mums bookshelf looking over her shoulder when she is in the pc (as opposed to on her feet which he did when alive) I had always planned to scatter them but could never decide where, and now I find it comforting knowing where he is.

Everytime I go home I have a little "moment" with him.

YDSM

PS Med size dog.

picklepick

My mum had her cat cremated with the intention of scattering her ashes in her favourite place to lie in the garden, but they came back in such a lovely little box, with a plaque on, that she keeps them on the hearth, also a fave spot of Coco's.

She had a little plaque made for the garden in her favourite sunny place aswell.

Mayflower10cat

Yes, we've had all our deceased furry friends cremated privately. We've then buried the ashes with a significantly named rose over the top. When we moved house I took cuttings from the roses and was so lucky they almost all rooted. So I still feel my beloved cats are in some small way with me now. I have friends in the USA who live in apartments with no garden and they simply keep the casket (they're quite attractive) on a bookcase or tucked away privately. They tell me that when they die, they've requested in their wills that their pets ashes be interred with them.

It costs about £80 for a cat, but it does vary for bigger dogs. And I must say, the employees of the two different companies we've used have been utterly sympathetic, kindly and very respectful.

geri1965_2

No, I didn't really see the point. I wouldn't want them in the house and we only have a patio garden.

YorkiePud_3

I think it's very much an individual choice really ... some people feel reassured to have the ashes and keep them and feel that it helps them through the initial stages of grieving for their pet.

Others feel happier to bury their pet, others on the other hand, prefer to leave their pet with the vet for the vet to deal with.

Having seen (at a vet I used to work for) the way the bodies were tossed around and stacked one on top of the other (regardless of size) whilst waiting to be collected, I have always opted to have mine cremated myself.

I go to a lovely place in Sherburn In Elmet (I'm in West Yorkshire) ... they have all the time in the world for you. If you want to sit and chat over a cuppa with them, that's great but if you want to be left alone, then they will respect that ... and that is how it should be.

It is your time to say goodbye to a much loved member of the family and quite right that you take whatever time you need to do that.

Some of the caskets nowadays are in the shape of little wooden animals ... I have seen little carved wood cats and dogs which quite frankly, wouldn't look out of place as an ornament in the living room! It's all down to personal choice and whatever helps YOU at this time ... doesn't matter what anyone else says or thinks ... you are the one grieving and you need to have things how you want them to be.

I was just working out the costs ... my two old greyhounds were £65 some years ago ... and the cockatiel (yes, the cockatiel!) was £85 last year ... you can say roughly £80 to £150 I think.

Oh, and if the pet crem is close by and you want to take your pet yourself and have them cremated on their own (which is what I choose to do ... a lot of places do a mass cremation of many pets in one go), then you can arrange that.

My wonderful vet usually just phones ahead for me to say that I am on my way then the people at the crem are waiting for me, day or night, with the kettle on and a big heartfelt hug ... it really makes a difference to me.

I know a lot of people choose to bury their pets but I hate to think of mine being in the ground ... yet some like to plant something there in remembrance and it helps them more that way .. as I say, each to their own and whatever gets you through it!!

elsien

Mutt no1 died in kennels while I was on holiday. They did ask if I wanted her back out of the freezer when I got back :eek: but I couldn't face the thought of taking her for "disposal" when I hadn't been there when she died. So the kennel owners (as they thought a lot of her) buried her in their front garden under a rose bush so I can say hello every time I go past, which I thought was really nice of them.
Not sure what I'm going to do with current mutt, although I should start thinking about it. I can't see me wanting to keep the ashes - I don't need that sort of physical reminder, but I think I'd like to take them and scatter them somewhere where we like to walk.
I have a work colleague who had her dogs stuffed and keeps them in the house - now that would really freak me out, but each to their own, I suppose.

Edit - I've never thought about the costs either. Not sure I'd be up to "shopping around" - definitely something to start looking into now rather then later.

chez22

I have got the ashes of two of my cats and my dog. I want them to be with me when I am cremated.