Anything else I could've done?

pleasedelete

My cat died a few weeks ago. He was found in the hedge on our very long road (don't know by who) . Not necessarily run over- no signs and he was very old. He was taken to a local vet who contacted us as he was chipped. We buried him in our garden. We got him as a rescue 14 years ago- age guess then 5-8. I was glad to get him back but had we not known I think we would have assumed that he had passed away somewhere.

anon123456

Personally i can understand the OP's actions but do not agree with them.

The comments about if you let a cat run free surely you should expect the worse? Sorry what?!?! 99% of cats are allowed outdoors and if they get run over one of the reasons of getting a microchip so that vets etc can contact you to collect remains and inform of the worst.

If someone else took the decision to bury my cat in their garden without the decency to check with a vet i would be livid. Surely the OP could have wrapped in a towel put in a box and taken it the next day.

OP: The decision you took was not yours to make and was selfish as you didnt want to deal with a corpse for 12 hours. If this ever happened to me i would have the decency to think of the owner

hartleysjam

Olokia wrote: »

There was a similar thread a couple of months ago and I'll say the same as I said there.

I know it was well intentioned and everything but I would have been extremely annoyed if you had buried my cat. She is microchipped and I would have been worrying about her when you could have just taken her to the vet and I would have known straight away. Plus I would have wanted to bury her in my own garden or cremation to keep her near.

If my cat is ever in that situation then I hope that someone will take her to the vet. Leaving them out in the road is worse but being buried somewhere else is only slightly better.

Good grief! would you rather the OP left your cat in the road to be picked up by the bin men yes? you'd have been none the wiser then either. I do understand to a point but hindsight is a wonderful thing. I rather my girl buried in a garden where soemone gave a monkeys about her final resting place then in the back of a rubbish truck. sorry to be graphic.

OP, if it were my girl I would hope that someone like you would have least given her a resting place.

Olokia

hartleysjam wrote: »

Good grief! would you rather the OP left your cat in the road to be picked up by the bin men yes? you'd have been none the wiser then either. I do understand to a point but hindsight is a wonderful thing. I rather my girl buried in a garden where soemone gave a monkeys about her final resting place then in the back of a rubbish truck. sorry to be graphic.

OP, if it were my girl I would hope that someone like you would have least given her a resting place.

If you read my post again it says that leaving them in the road is worse but someone burying my cat before going to the vet is only slightly better.

Should I just not bother getting a microchip next time then as everyone seems to think it is better to just have someone else bury the cat and leave me worrying.

I just can't understand some people who post on here.

Person_one

Olokia wrote: »

I just can't understand some people who post on here.

Me neither, they come on a thread where the OP is upset, they criticise a kindly meant action and try to make her feel guilty when the deed is long done and there's no changing it.

Just don't understand it.

hartleysjam

Person_one wrote: »

Me neither, they come on a thread where the OP is upset, they criticise a kindly meant action and try to make her feel guilty when the deed is long done and there's no changing it.

Just don't understand it.

Exactly! :T

hartleysjam

Olokia wrote: »

If you read my post again it says that leaving them in the road is worse but someone burying my cat before going to the vet is only slightly better.

Should I just not bother getting a microchip next time then as everyone seems to think it is better to just have someone else bury the cat and leave me worrying.

I just can't understand some people who post on here.

Like I said Hindsight is a wonderful thing, The owner was found the poor kit wasn't chipped in anycase, the OP did what she could and by the sound of it the poor thing was a bit of a mess and the OP was clearly distressed.

Not everyone has the foresight to chip their pets anyway.
Stop being so brutal & unkind.
if you have nothing nice to say perhaps say nothing......

Olokia

hartleysjam wrote: »

Like I said Hindsight is a wonderful thing, The owner was found the poor kit wasn't chipped in anycase, the OP did what she could and by the sound of it the poor thing was a bit of a mess and the OP was clearly distressed.

Not everyone has the foresight to chip their pets anyway.
Stop being so brutal & unkind.
if you have nothing nice to say perhaps say nothing......

I'm not being brutal nor am I being unkind. The op came on here to ask what she should have done and I am being honest and telling her what she did was wrong. I'm not the only one who thinks this but obviously people don't want to hurt the op's feelings and instead say "There there, of course what you did was right".

I am very surprised the owners of the cat weren't annoyed but then again I'm sure they were too upset to complain. I would have made the op dig up the cat again herself (I'm not going to do it, it wasn't my mistake) and give me the cat in a box so I can put her in her rightful place. Otherwise it was theft of my property. (Law's words not mine, I don't like calling cats property).

It makes me angry to even think that someone would bury MY cat in their property. That and the fact she has a microchip for a reason. I don't read newspapers or read notices in local shops or anything like that so how else would I find my cat other than the vet calling me??

Also, I would probably want to visit the grave occasionally. Would the op or anyone else who made the mistake of burying someone else's cat really appreciate me going into their garden now and then??? I don't think so and therefore couldn't go visit.

hartleysjam

Of course you are absolutely entitled to your opinion.
The owner did not want the cat dug up though?

I had my dearly missed and adored Cat cremated and her ashes are in a ceramic cat painted with her colours (she was a tortotise shell) It cost a fair bit of money but it was how I wanted to have her after she passed, I will do the same for my dog and my other cat, I don't give a monkeys uncle if people think thats over the top but thats what I chose as I was fortunate to be with her at the vets when she passed away from a tumour. So please don't think I do not understand what you are saying about having your cat close to you after its passed. I get it.

but.....
some people aren't able to be at their pets side when that happens and I know that had Razz been run over someone took her body in rather then her end up in the bin, the owner had an oppotunity to have the cat dug up but didn't want too, I probably would have but that's just me. The fact that someone made the effort to get the cat some peace after it had already suffered is commended by me. Thats my opinion thats all.

Olokia

hartleysjam wrote: »

Of course you are absolutely entitled to your opinion.
The owner did not want the cat dug up though?

I had my dearly missed and adored Cat cremated and her ashes are in a ceramic cat painted with her colours (she was a tortotise shell) It cost a fair bit of money but it was how I wanted to have her after she passed, I will do the same for my dog and my other cat, I don't give a monkeys uncle if people think thats over the top but thats what I chose as I was fortunate to be with her at the vets when she passed away from a tumour. So please don't think I do not understand what you are saying about having your cat close to you after its passed. I get it.

but.....
some people aren't able to be at their pets side when that happens and I know that had Razz been run over someone took her body in rather then her end up in the bin, the owner had an oppotunity to have the cat dug up but didn't want too, I probably would have but that's just me. The fact that someone made the effort to get the cat some peace after it had already suffered is commended by me. Thats my opinion thats all.

I also do understand that the op did what she thought was right. I would rather someone took my two off the road than leave them but had taken them to the vet instead of bury them. The excuse of the cat was pretty bad is a poor excuse. A cardboard box in the garage/shed/room that no one is going to use that night/cupboard is easy. When my guinea-pig died, my mum put her in a cardboard box in a cupboard until I got home from school so that we could bury her together.

I can't visit my childhood cat's grave when I want because he is buried at my parent's house in France. I also can't visit any of my other pets because I have moved house. So thinking about it, I want them to be cremated when they die. I can't do that if someone buries her at their house.