Pet Lovers

[FuzzyFace]

WARNING: THIS COULD BE UPSETTING

As a lot of you know I have a beloved cat, BooBoo, who just turned 14. He's in fair health now but he has some of the aches and pains of an old person, just as humans do.

We also know he won't be with us forever, and I've planned for taking care of him when he goes to Kitty Heaven, but here's what worries me: what if he passes away NOT during my vet's business hours? (Our vet has services to take care of a deceased pet and I plan to have BooBoo cremated and inter his remains here at home.)

One his spirit leaves his body, my feeling is that even though I cherish our life together, it's only a shell that's left. But what do I do till I can contact my vet?  Has anyone been through this? I'm going to talk to my vet about this at Boo's next check-up, but it would take a load off my mind if anyone who's been through this could share your experience with me so I'd have some idea of what to do if this should happen.

[Love my grandkids]

Aw, I see how much you love BooBoo. My experience would not be helpful but I sincerely hope your vet can give you some advice that will be of comfort.

[Sweetbay magnolia]

Yes.  Been there.  Emergency vet.  Call, let them know you're coming, wrap pet in blanket and take in.

  They can arrange cremation and the return of the ashes, if you wish.

Or, if you have a mobile vet in the area, see if they can come and take the body, if that is what you wish.

[BirkiLady]

Our veteranian clinic was available 24/7 for such things. Although we didn't have to use those overnight hours, it was comforting to know someone was always there. Ask what their policy and procedures are. If you are in the large city, you may have such a vet who offers emergency care. It's such a difficult time. Blessings as you keep your beloved BooBoo comfortable and painfree.

[Othereeeen]

I have an answer for you that I hope will not upset you....it's what I did when I had to have my cat euthanized and could not bury her that day because I was unable to dig a hole where I wanted in the rock hard soil where I live, especially in dry summer.

I had to wait for a friend who was visiting that weekend...he told me he would bury my cat....

SO....I held her awhile after I got home, petted her a last time, then gently, using two large plastic garbage bags, I put her body in one, laid it as flat as possible and squeezed out the air. I wrapped it again with the second bag. Then I lay her flat in the freezer, and she "kept" until I could bury her, frozen, in the bags.

You could lay her on a piece of stout cardboard within the bag to keep her shape flat..

The body will freeze as easily and completely as any piece of meat or roast. And keep until you can dispose or bury or cremate. NO DIFFERENT from a human body that has to be held until a postponed burial ( like, until the cemetery thaws out, if you live in a place like I do with deep, long penetrating ground freezing, where they can't open the earth until spring. January deaths have to wait in the freezer if they are not cremated).

Sanitary, solid, and effective.

Hope this helps. It is meant to be a suggestion, and I hope it doesn't offend you.

PS: when my friend dug the burial hole, the ground was dry and hard as concrete, but he did it, and now my beloved kitty has flowers planted over her.

Your vet can still do cremation. EVEN IF they had to thaw before the procedure, she'd still be intact. Ask next time you go to the vet.

[kitcat51]

Simply wrap your cat in it's favorite blanket & place in a box, call the vets office to take in or arrange to have the cat picked up. I haven't had a pet cremated but do bury them in a sturdy box with their favorite blanket & toy then place a large pretty rock on the grave. It's always a heartbreaking loss...the best to you & BooBoo. @FuzzyFace

[SXMGirl]

@FuzzyFace, I am sorry that you are now having to plan this for BooBoo.  We went through something similar for our beautiful Darcy.  She started not feeling very well on a Saturday and on Sunday, I knew that it was just a matter of time.  Darcy was at least 17 years old (we got her from the pound as a senior and had her 10 years).  I texted my vet on Sunday morning and asked what the procedure would be if she either got worse or did not make it.  He was available 24/7 for us and ended up coming during a terrible rain storm at night. 

My suggestion is to have everything lined up with your vet and have the vet come to your home.  No matter what happens, everyone should be in a familiar and comfortable place.  I am sure that your vet lives in the area, so coming to your home should not be a problem.  It is times like this that you find out the type of person your vet really is.

Again, I am so sorry.  This is the worst part of pet ownership, and my heart goes out to you and BooBoo. 

[missy1]

Here we can bury out pets in out backyard.  (you probably can't or don't want to)

You just wrap them in a blanket. It would be good maybe if someone had a truck, depending how long you see the vet. (not trying to be morbid) One of mine died in the vets office , and the vet wrapped them in a blanket and we buried them;(

@FuzzyFace

[Bird mama]

I have experience with a pet cemetary that also does cremation.  My first dog was to be buried as I bought the lot next to my Mother's dog a few years before.  Ma didn't want her dog to have strangers on both side of him

When Spottie passed away, we were at the vet and even though the cemetery offered pick up service, I wanted Spottie to be conveyed from one place to the other in my arms in a soft blanket.  It was morning when Spottie died so my sister drove my car to the cemetary/crematory while I held Spottie.

When my Max passed away, it was in the early evening.  Vet was open however cemetery/crematory was not.  Again, I brought Max home with me, kept him overnight in his bed, and then the next morning my sister and I went to the cemetary/crematory.

[Bird mama]

@Othereeeen  What you did is no different that what a 'professional' would do.  I am in Michigan and when Spottie passed away that January, the ground was as hard as a rock and after the funeral (yea the cemetery has a small chapel), the cemetary advised me that he could not be buried until the ground thawed a little.  I got the call on Good Friday that they could bury him so I went to the graveside service alone.