My troublings about remains disposition

I had this cat of 9 years, who died in April. Because I am of limited means, in an apartment, no yard, (property) my mom and I brought him to the funeral home's crematory services. Every day I imagine feeling him, his fur, his warmth, his colors, his mews, and then I get this anxiety which is physical, permeating through my whole body, feeling like cremation is wrong, somehow. To make things worse, I watched the movie Avatar for the first time, on TV about a month or so, back, and the filmmaker made a vivid point to show someone being cremated on there, versus the blue natives placing their dead in a beautiful place in nature, to naturaly decompose amidst flowers and sunshine. That is how my furry son should have been dispositioned. It's how everyone should be dispositioned. Recently, the veteranarian informed me that my second and remaining cat, has high kidney and liver number values, and my first one died of kidney failure. I had made the mistake of searching out on my computer, what cremation is all about. I wanted to see. To imagine my beautiful loved one burning up in dirty blackenning orange fire in a cardboard box is beyond where I can go, I just can't go there. What will I do?

What are your thoughts ATSrs, on disposition of your human or animal dearest? If you'v gone there. Or are able to.

Ah yes the flowers.

I recommend you look at a decomposed body after it was laying in the flowery nature for 2 weeks and then you re-think the cremation thing.

Just my two cents.

reply to post by H1ght3chHippie


Well you make a good point, because I was just thinking of all the insects that would be crawling in and out of my babe. Nothing good about physical death. Sometimes it provides food, but if I was God, I'd make a reality where it didn't.

I have had one cat that I cremated and one that I didn't. The remains of both are buried on our property.

My belief is that once the animal (or person) dies, the part of them that I loved is gone. It's no longer in the body. The body was simply their vehicle, just as mine is.

When I die, I have instructed my husband to do whatever is cheaper. Because once I'm gone, I don't want him to spend any more money than he has to to dispose of my remains. If it's cremation, he can sprinkle me on our property or do whatever means most to him. If it's a burial, go as plain and simple as possible.

I guess it all depends on your view of what the human body actually is and what it represents. You could always drive out into the woods in the evening and bury the remains. You might even be able to pick out a place and dig the hole beforehand, if the location is remote enough. Or I think your vet will dispose of the remains, if you want.

I'm sorry to hear about your cat.

I understand the feeling well about cremation. I go back and forth on it myself at times. In the end though it, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

My husband wants to be cremated so I have had to look into more than usual. And I have come to the conclusion that it is ME who is uncomfortable with it. The person or animal is gone. They feel no pain. It is hard for me to imagine having to do it, but again it is MY issue. Most people are terrified of burning or drowning and I think that explains why a lot of us are uncomfortable with cremation.

I am sorry for your loss, as pets can be like our children. In the end, since your beloved pet can't make the decision himself...it is what YOU are comfortable doing. Death is sad no matter what we do with the remains. Be comforted in knowing that they no are no longer in pain, and know that your decision to cremate your first pet, did not cause them any pain at all.

I am sorry you are having to go through this.

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic

Thank you for condolences. I very much appreciate replies because I get too alone in my head about things, and another's perspective puts me in better balance toward the issue at hand.

reply to post by Kangaruex4Ewe

Most people are terrified of burning or drowning and I think that explains why a lot of us are uncomfortable with cremation

-Very- interesting! Thank you as well.

I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your pet. I know how difficult that loss can be. Our pets really are an important part of our life.

As to cremation vs burial, I don't think it matters one way or another. After all, what would happen if you buried your cat's ashes? It would still be returned to the earth, and reused.

Sending love to you and your ailing kitty....

reply to post by smyleegrl


Much -appreciated- , smyl, maybe your energy could help my surviving baby.

reply to post by Saucerwench

Then I'll double it, just in case

I had a pet cat named Amadeus. I got him in high school, shortly after a half-hearted suicide attempt. Amadeus was everything to me, and I mean everything. Unconditional love and forgiveness, wrapped in orange fur.

He died one evening when he was twelve. I had come home and noticed he was acting funny; withdrawn and hiding. I just knew it was his time, even though he'd been fine that morning. So I sat on the floor, holding him, all night. I fell asleep that way, and in the morning he was gone.

I mourned him for months. Even now, five years later, I still think of him.

Our pets hold a special place in our hearts, and they teach us the meaning of unconditenial love.

Love to you both. And if you ever need to "talk," I'm just a message away.

reply to post by smyleegrl

What a good soul you are. A loss if you were not here too. Know it.
I am blessed to have experienced knowledge of these small ones surviving physical death. I wonder if you have.
It began with my mother and brother's cat's death, back in '07. He had feline AIDS from a wild animal bite before they found and saved him. He had a good life, only 5 years, but they spoiled him. He passed at the vet's. They came home and grieved. That night, in the early hours, everyone in bed, both people experienced him walking on their legs. They nearly told each other simultaneously, this account, over coffee and breakfast, the next morning.
After mine passed, it was about a couple weeks later, I felt walking on my legs in bed. I was certain it was my surviving cat, but I looked anyway. Nothing there. I got up and looked for my One, and he was sound asleep in the livingroom.
I also experienced people ghosts when I worked on a haunted property as overnight security, back in early 2001.
I have a very strong feeling though, as blissfull as heaven stories sound from NDE'ers, that we are not supposed to rush to the other side, and it will be God's (the "light") will as to when this physical mission is done, -otherwise- it will mess up our afterlife placement.
I was homeless for awhile, and I didn't know what to do, so I told some people I was talking to, that I was going to kill myself, (I really was,) and they forced me into the VA hospital (I'm a veteran) and I got help, domeciled, incomed, and unestranged to family. It turns out, I was able to help my family, during their time of what would have been terrible problems for them. Occassionaly, when I'm laying down, I will hear the most otherworldly beautifull harp music (I know, the angel and harps) and I believe the angels are telling me that way, I did the right thing, and heaven approves.