What are your plans for when a little one passes?

[smarch]

I saw an old thread on here somewhat similar that gave me this idea. You can answer for any and all other pets you keep too.

What are your plans or intentions when a pet passes?

For me, im not very keen on the entire idea of rotting in the ground, so even for myself personally I plan cremation. For my pets I plan the same, although i'm not currently sure where I plan to put or keep them, since I do plan on keeping many pets other than torts through the years. But I know for franklin personally, since in theory we should live close to the same time, He'll have been with me longer than anyone, so his ashes specifically I want to keep and in the end I want our ashes to be buried together.

Sorry if its a creepy subject, I know many people hate to think about death, I know i'm much like my grandfather who always talked about his, I made it less scary for him though.

 

[lisa127]

I've lost two pets in the past 2.5 years. I had them both cremated and they sit on my dresser. My oldest dog is 13, so I'm sure she will be the next to go. That will break my heart.

For myself I would choose cremation as well. However, I will say that cremation for loved ones does leave me feeling kind of empty. When my nephew passed away a couple of months ago he was cremated. My sister has his ashes of course. Therefore, I have no where to "go" if that makes sense. I was very close to him ad that is important to me, but seeing as how I'm not his mom I don't have his ashes here in my own home. So I'm feeling kind of lost. Though I of course know it doesn't really matter. That is no longer him.

 

[smarch]

I've lost two pets in the past 2.5 years. I had them both cremated and they sit on my dresser. My oldest dog is 13, so I'm sure she will be the next to go. That will break my heart.

For myself I would choose cremation as well. However, I will say that cremation for loved ones does leave me feeling kind of empty. When my nephew passed away a couple of months ago he was cremated. My sister has his ashes of course. Therefore, I have no where to "go" if that makes sense. I was very close to him ad that is important to me, but seeing as how I'm not his mom I don't have his ashes here in my own home. So I'm feeling kind of lost. Though I of course know it doesn't really matter. That is no longer him.

My uncle was cremated and then buried. I've been saying that's what I've wanted for years and years (and i'm only 20). I also never liked the idea of just sitting in a jar on someones mantle, I mean a pet is one thing but a person is kinda strange to me, but we all handle death so different.
I know theres this really strange thing where you can get ashes put into tattoo ink and have a loved one forever with you, which in a way is cool and touching but I also find that kind of strange and creepy.

 

[Saleama]

I've lost two pets in the past 2.5 years. I had them both cremated and they sit on my dresser. My oldest dog is 13, so I'm sure she will be the next to go. That will break my heart.

For myself I would choose cremation as well. However, I will say that cremation for loved ones does leave me feeling kind of empty. When my nephew passed away a couple of months ago he was cremated. My sister has his ashes of course. Therefore, I have no where to "go" if that makes sense. I was very close to him ad that is important to me, but seeing as how I'm not his mom I don't have his ashes here in my own home. So I'm feeling kind of lost. Though I of course know it doesn't really matter. That is no longer him.

When my Father passed away we were given the option of having several smaller vessels as well as some that were made into charms for a necklace or bracelet. We chose to keep him all in one spot but maybe you could look into that and ask your sister?
As for my pets. I haven't thought about it much. I lost three baby box turtles last year but I just gave them a quick nature burial in the field behind my house. By that, I mean I just tossed them into the field. I know it sounds awful, but my logic behind that was to simply return them to nature as if they had passed there naturally. My bigger ones, should something happen and I lose one of them will be different. Maybe a small pet cemetary in the back yard?

 

[Yvonne G]

I guess I'm cold hearted. Once the loved pet dies, he's no longer in that body. I recently lost my very much loved Molly kitty. I want to remember her as she was in life, not as a bunch of ashes in a vessel. I wrapped her dead body up in a towel and buried it. I have a picture of Molly as my screen saver, and that is how I remember her. If I want to think about her I look through my albums and remember her through the pictures I've taken of her. I never look at her grave. I don't want to remember that she died and is no longer here. And there's no way I would want her ashes sitting around here. This really turns me off.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Pet cemetery in my back yard, one cremation and one burial on a friend's property - that one needed a backhoe in the winter.

My grown daughter once found a sick feral kitten that was too far gone to be saved & had it euthanized, then brought it to me to be buried here so it wouldn't be lonely.

 

[lisa127]

I guess I'm cold hearted. Once the loved pet dies, he's no longer in that body. I recently lost my very much loved Molly kitty. I want to remember her as she was in life, not as a bunch of ashes in a vessel. I wrapped her dead body up in a towel and buried it. I have a picture of Molly as my screen saver, and that is how I remember her. If I want to think about her I look through my albums and remember her through the pictures I've taken of her. I never look at her grave. I don't want to remember that she died and is no longer here. And there's no way I would want her ashes sitting around here. This really turns me off.

I don't think that's cold hearted at all. I have a kitten buried behind my garage. I don't see it as cold hearted.

 

[lisa127]

When my Father passed away we were given the option of having several smaller vessels as well as some that were made into charms for a necklace or bracelet. We chose to keep him all in one spot but maybe you could look into that and ask your sister?
As for my pets. I haven't thought about it much. I lost three baby box turtles last year but I just gave them a quick nature burial in the field behind my house. By that, I mean I just tossed them into the field. I know it sounds awful, but my logic behind that was to simply return them to nature as if they had passed there naturally. My bigger ones, should something happen and I lose one of them will be different. Maybe a small pet cemetary in the back yard?

Asking my sister that would not go over well. It was a tragic death and she is not doing well. I don't even talk to her about my own feelings because she does not want to hear of anyone else's pain. It is her grief and hers alone at this point in her mind. I can kind of get that. As difficult as it's been for me, it is way, way more difficult for her. It's just exhausting. Trying to be there for her and pretending I have no grief. Then coming home to grieve because being her support just brings it all up again.

 

[jeffjeff]

i'm not keen on the idea of cremation something about being shoved in a incinerator burnt to ash seems a bit disrespectful to me. so i bury my animals. where depends on the animal. i have lost 3 large dogs and buried them in the nature reserve. i would have buried them in the garden but the soil just aint deep enough. being large dogs they had to be at least 6ft deep. the nature reserve was where they loved to go to run about and play so that's where they went. our present dog will go the same place so their all together. smaller pets go in the garden . and i hope the tortoise will out live me.

 

[Turtlepete]

I've had the unpleasant duty of burying dozens of animals, some beloved pets, some hadn't been with us for long. It comes with the territory with most animals that you will out-live them. Eventually you just kind of get used to it. I agree with Yvonne. The bodies are whats left. Personally, I commit them to the soil so that they can decompose and further the world in one way or another.
Most of our beloved pets though, we knew that they were going to pass before they did. Usually do to old age. At that point we have them put to sleep at the vet to end the suffering. The vets handle the bodies. I believe they cremate them.

Everyone handles death differently. It depends how sentimental you are and what you believe. Some need a grave to grieve over. Some would rather spread their loved ones' ashes at sea. Its important to remember though, it's just a body. A body is a vessel, a now-empty one.

 

[kathyth]

I bury small animals in the yard. Larger ones are cremated for convenience.
I agree that once they are gone, I am basically left with pictures and wonderful memories.

 

[smarch]

i'm not keen on the idea of cremation something about being shoved in a incinerator burnt to ash seems a bit disrespectful to me. so i bury my animals. where depends on the animal. i have lost 3 large dogs and buried them in the nature reserve. i would have buried them in the garden but the soil just aint deep enough. being large dogs they had to be at least 6ft deep. the nature reserve was where they loved to go to run about and play so that's where they went. our present dog will go the same place so their all together. smaller pets go in the garden . and i hope the tortoise will out live me.

I never thought of cremation as disrespectful, I definitely see you're point on how it could be though, but its not the way I personally view it since I too plan to do the same to me. I guess my biggest worry about burial of pets is that one day I move and they're "left behind", I also just don't really like the idea of burying because of the whole rotting and decay thing, its always seemed so icky to me. Although I did bury one goldfish, I couldn't flush him, i'd won him at the fair and had him for 2 years and he's buried in the dirt outside near my room where his tank was.
I know Franklin is going to be a different case than any other pet I have, since I really do hope he lives around my years (I mean Russians are 50+ right or did I get screwy info and he'll hit 100s?) so being with him that long and being my very first pet and tortoise, he'll stay close, and although yes I know once theyre gone theyre bodies are just an empty vessel, its something he would have lived with forever and I would have lived with him forever so to me it only makes sence he stays and comes with me to my final resting place. I'm not explaining it as well as I think I am I just cant come up with better words

 

[bouaboua]

Back yard. Under a fruit tree I guess.......

 

[lisa127]

I never thought of cremation as disrespectful, I definitely see you're point on how it could be though, but its not the way I personally view it since I too plan to do the same to me. I guess my biggest worry about burial of pets is that one day I move and they're "left behind", I also just don't really like the idea of burying because of the whole rotting and decay thing, its always seemed so icky to me. Although I did bury one goldfish, I couldn't flush him, i'd won him at the fair and had him for 2 years and he's buried in the dirt outside near my room where his tank was.
I know Franklin is going to be a different case than any other pet I have, since I really do hope he lives around my years (I mean Russians are 50+ right or did I get screwy info and he'll hit 100s?) so being with him that long and being my very first pet and tortoise, he'll stay close, and although yes I know once theyre gone theyre bodies are just an empty vessel, its something he would have lived with forever and I would have lived with him forever so to me it only makes sence he stays and comes with me to my final resting place. I'm not explaining it as well as I think I am I just cant come up with better words

I look at burying as being part of nature. I actually prefer it to cremation.

 

[smarch]

I look at burying as being part of nature. I actually prefer it to cremation.

Have you ever seen the bio degradable cup with a seed you can get and basically your ashes provide nutrients to grow a tree on your choosing. I like that idea. I suppose you could do the same with animals too... I actually may do that with most pets since I forget i'd even read that. Burying is fine, in fact I want to end up in the ground and think my animals eventually should too, but the idea of rotting there is just yucky.

 

[N2TORTS]

For myself depends on the pet ......for the torts ...I have many in "preserved " Jars, others that I let flesh eating beetles feed on , leaving a perfectly intact bone structure within the shell and of course there is the freezer out back . Sure I have buried plenty in the yard - sort of a re-birth for other things in nature. But I like a lot of my deceased collection , as they make excellent "hands on " learning tools . A 3 dimensional object is much easier to learn from than pages in a book .

JD~

 

[smarch]

For myself depends on the pet ......for the torts ...I have many in "preserved " Jars, others that I let flesh eating beetles feed on , leaving a perfectly intact bone structure within the shell and of course there is the freezer out back . Sure I have buried plenty in the yard - sort of a re-birth for other things in nature. But I like a lot of my deceased collection , as they make excellent "hands on " learning tools . A 3 dimensional object is much easier to learn from than pages in a book .

JD~

I'm assuming you had posted in the thread I was reading that made me think to post this about saving shells?
All I specifically know is as much as I want more torts I always want franklin to hold special to me, and franklins the only one I plan to actually keep around (in ashes though since the shell thing to me is like someone saving my spine or something, I don't know it weirds me out a little. (but also like said Franklin's special and more like a "fluffy pet" in my head even though he lives mostly left alone like tortoises should. So its hard to explain, mostly since i'm young and he is my family, I call him my "shell-baby" so I mean for him preserving is like nope because of my emotional connection, i'd rather remember him in life not whats left. but for people to give education and stuff of the anatomy I get the beetle thing.

 

[Abdulla6169]

I just ask God for the best & receive it... It is simple & perfect

 

[jeffjeff]

i got to say this is a weird but interesting thread. but do people really keep the shells of their dead tortoises? not quite sure how i feel about that. i can understand having them if u found one of a wild tort or came across one. but one that was once your loved pet mmmm not sure about that 1.

 

[smarch]

Everyone handles death differently. It depends how sentimental you are and what you believe. Some need a grave to grieve over. Some would rather spread their loved ones' ashes at sea. Its important to remember though, it's just a body. A body is a vessel, a now-empty one.

I think this was basically my reasoning for asking this put into words perfectly. (turns out i'm one of the sentimental people, not that I didn't already know that)