Death of a Pet and Doing a Memorial

I am so sorry for your loss today. I think a bush/plant is a wonderful idea.

When we lost our first Cocker (14 yrs ago) , a friend gave us a pretty plaque for outdoors. I still have it out by the front door and we always think of Maggie when we see it. We also had her cremated and she is in a locked cedar box with her name engraved on top and sits on our mantle.

We also a rabbit and 2 other Cockers cremated and in their own cedar locked box on the mantle.

We just lost our 14.5 yr old American Cocker this past Dec. They are a huge part of the family. I still mess up and call Fluffy on occasion and when I do our other 2 dogs, (9 yr old English Cocker and 8 yr old Toy Poodle) come running. It is also sad when we are outside because Fluff LOVED our backyard. We've noticed the other 2 dogs sniffing around outside like they might find him.

It has been a big adjustment for our family and my daughter is 19. I think no matter the age, there is a bond with our pets and it hurts greatly when we lose one.

I am sorry for your loss and I hope your nieces will be adjust and like your idea.

On Mother's Day last year, the day after our wedding celebration, my best fur friend of 11 years, Magickitty, died. He was seizing nonstop and we had to put him down. I was heartbroken and I still miss him very much.

We brought him home and buried them under a big old oak in the back yard that very day. I cannot even imagine leaving him at the vet's office. His home is where I am and so I needed to bring him home and put him where I'd know where he's laid to rest. My sweet husband dug a big hole, I tucked him into his favorite kitty bed, and we buried him together, as a family. We placed a nice stepping stone over the spot and a pretty hanging plant above. My eyes are misting up just thinking of him now.

If you can, call your vet and ask if you can bring him home. A pet funeral is a very important act of closure for anyone who has loved an animal. Bury him with his favorite toys and say a prayer to comfort the kids. It will help.

I'm so sorry for the loss of your sweet Butterscotch. I know he's waiting for his favorite person, along with my MK, at the Rainbow Bridge. ♥

I'm so sorry for your loss. I always have my pets cremated and have for over 25 years (all the way down to the hamsters and the mice). Our pet cemetery returns them in a pretty locked cedar box with their name engraved on the top and their details on the bottom. In the past couple of years they have also included ceramic paw prints of our pets with a little stand. My guinea pig died a couple of months ago now and her little footprints were pretty sad. That has worked for us.

So sorry about your cat. :(
It's a good idea. Just ask them and see what they think.
When my beloved 14 year old cat died, I was a complete mess. The kids were young and my son was very sad. We brought him home and buried him beside a large rock in our yard. I took it upon myself to put a small solar light by his grave so it shines at night. Even to this day (2 years later), my son will go out to the rock and write things on it about our cat or draw a pic of him with chalk. Talk about waterworks!

I think it is a wonderful idea, and the best way to bring it up would be to share your personal memories of doing it when you were a kid, & how you enjoy being able to "visit" with your pets whenever you see those bushes/trees.

So sorry for your loss *hugs* T.

Tell them about your idea, and ask them if they would like to do it, or if they would like to think about it for a while. After thinking about it, they may decide they like the idea, or they may come up with an idea of their own that they like better.

No it's a great idea. Sit down and have a family meeting to discuss a memorial service for your beloved cat. Let the children write something to say and maybe make a marker to go in front of the bush.