Everyone can understand the pain that someone goes through when they lose someone they love. No matter who it is, whether it’s a family, friend, or pet, the pain is all one and the same. Facing the imminent death of your feline best friend is one hard pill to swallow. Even more, it’s hard to accept when its death is unsuspected and sudden.
The disposal of your deceased cat is a complex but necessary topic to discuss. When you know what to do in such a situation, you can better prepare for the inevitable. Most especially when your beloved cat has aged a lot and is terminally ill, it’s essential to know what steps to take just in case the time for its passing is already near.
- Wrap Up Your Pet
When you realize your feline friend has reached the end of its life, the first action you need to do is to wrap up its delicate body. One hard reality about an animal’s death is that decomposition starts immediately after, which isn’t pretty. Bodily fluids may leak from the body, so having some potty pads or a large trash bag underneath is a big help. This must be done as soon as possible. Whether you’re planning to have cat cremation or burial later, this is the first necessary step to take.
Wrap your dead pet’s body carefully and remove its collar if you wish to keep it. Make sure its position is relaxed and curled up. This would ease your worries, knowing it’s hard to accept how much pain your beloved pet had suffered.
For the cover, you may choose a soft and comfy towel or blanket. When the remains are appropriately positioned and wrapped up, you can put them inside a trash bag that’s properly sealed.
After this process, put the bag in an area with a cool temperature to slow down its decomposition since you’d need some time to prepare for its cremation or burial. However, be mindful of the time as you can’t put it aside long.
- Seek Advice From Your Veterinarian
If you have a personal veterinarian, you know their advice is always helpful when it comes to taking care of your cat. Now that your cat is gone, your vet could still assist you in dealing with the dead body of your pet, so it’s best to contact them next.
If your vet is away on a holiday, you can find another vet who might know someone who could assist you and pick up your cat’s remains. Usually, vet clinics or offices offer these kinds of services. They could pick up your dead pet and store it in a designated area in their clinic or office while burial and cremation arrangements are being discussed and prepared.
- Decide If You Want To Go For Cat Cremation
You can either bury your dead cat or go for cremation. But if you’ve decided to go with the latter, an animal shelter or a veterinarian can arrange it for you. For your dead feline friend, you can choose between these two kinds of cremation services:
- Communal cremation: In this kind of service, your cat would be cremated together with several other dead pets, whose remains will all be disposed of in accordance with local laws. This is an economical choice since you won’t have to pay a fee for this type of service.
- Individual cremation: In this option, your cat will be cremated alone, and you can ask for your pet’s ashes afterward if you wish to keep them as a remembrance.
In the ordinary course of cremation, pet remains are returned to their owner for final disposition. The prices for pet cremation procedures and the urns for the ashes would all vary.
- Assess If You Want A Conventional Burial Instead
If you don’t wish your cat to be cremated, you have the option to bury your deceased pet in either a cemetery or your own backyard. This would all depend on your preference, space, and resources, as well as local laws. Here are points to consider when burying your cat.
- Burial At Home
Pet owners often use this method when they’re grieving and have difficulty detaching from their pets. Holding the burial privately may bring closure and keep the remains of your deceased cat close to your home. However, it might defeat the purpose if you decide to move house in the future.
Another concern is some local laws don’t allow backyard pet burial. Fines and legal consequences may result if such laws are violated, so be aware of the existence of such laws.
- Burial In A Pet Cemetery
As the name implies, pet cemeteries are solely for burying animals. You may be able to get a referral from your veterinarian or ask for help in arranging burial services if you’re having difficulty finding one in your area. When selecting a cemetery for your cat, consider whether the lot is intended only for pet burials and if they offer proper maintenance and care for the place.
Conclusion
Whatever is the cause of your cat’s death, its loss will always be painful. This is why people refer to it as the heartbreak they choose. It’s fine to grieve and cry over your feline companion. This will allow you to take some time to comfort yourself and eventually accept the sad reality that your beloved pet is gone. Whatever way you choose to deal with your deceased cat, it’s practical to be informed of the steps to take when the tragic moment finally comes.