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Original poster

What happens with the body if put down at home?

42 replies

BrainInAJar · 12/12/2023 19:24

Hello

I'm hopefully not yet there but when the time comes, I ideally want my cat to be PTS at home.

It might be the local vet or one of those dedicated home visit vets, depending on who has availability.

Do they take the body away? Straightaway? I'm not sure yet but I wonder if I will want to "keep" her for a short time, maybe to help me come to terms with it. Has anyone done this and did you find it helpful?

Would I then drop her off at a pet crem say the following day?

I want to try and think about my decisions in advance so I'm not overwhelmed when the time comes.

Thanks

OP posts:
DingDongBella · 12/12/2023 19:37

I don’t know the answer to your question but I imagine the vet/receptionist would be able to give you the options. I had a cat die naturally at home and we just buried her on the garden.

Tracker1234 · 12/12/2023 19:40

Our dog was put down at home and was a large breed. The vets came to me and then gently took our lovely dog in a bag with a couple of their favourite items to take with them on their next journey.

FloofCloud · 12/12/2023 19:55

I'm so sorry you're going through this awful time, which is so common to us, but so hard.
Personally I have always kept my cats and buried them in our garden- lit last beloved cat died when my children were 9&12 and they'd know him since they were born, such a hard time for them 🥺 and is too but it wasn't our first time listing a beloved old cat. We kept him in our home all day til we'd all said goodbye and buried him with a special blanket and in a nice box and buried him really deep. He now has a space to add a plant in the spring.
I'm so sorry but the best thing is to ensure you and your cat find peace together and adore your loving memories of them 🥰❤️‍🩹💔

Original poster
BrainInAJar · 12/12/2023 19:57

I will go for an individual cremation but I'm not sure where to scatter her. Maybe in the garden here where she actually went but it is communal and I will also feel extra sad if I ever move house! Maybe at the pet memorial garden or a local beauty spot which I could visit. Maybe keep her and have her scattered with me one day. I'm mindful not to leave too many tasks for others though (I have no children so limited people to take care of this stuff)

OP posts:
Original poster
BrainInAJar · 12/12/2023 20:00

Thanks everyone. It may not be for a while yet. She's on medicine and we're taking it day by day.

But it will happen.

I was watching old videos of her earlier - she was much fatter and more playful a few years ago. You can see now she's thinner and slower. She used to jump up on the wardrobe and run up trees. She hasn't done that for a few years. She also doesn't even lie in her sunbathing spots anymore.

But she does still like a cuddle and her food so it's not time yet.

OP posts:
margotrose · 12/12/2023 22:26

One of our cats died at home in May - we buried her in the garden.

I'm so sorry - it's awful x

IHS · 12/12/2023 22:33

When my William was pts at home, the vet took him away then the pet crematorium collected him and I picked up the ashes from the vets surgery.

Dunmuin · 12/12/2023 22:56

When ours was put down at home, the home visit vet asked very tactfully what we would like done.

We had several options: bury him in the garden, take him to a pet crematorium (the vet left a card for one that she recommended), or take the the body to our usual vet surgery who could arrange for either group or individual cremation.

We kept him at home overnight after he was put to sleep, then took him to our usual vet surgery. They arranged crrmation and let us know when the ashes were ready to pick up a week or so later.

I don't think it's unusual to want to keep the body at home for a day or a night. In fact when we had to have a different cat put to sleep at the vet surgery, we took the body home with us to keep overnight and then took him back to the surgery next day to be sent for cremation.

Dunmuin · 12/12/2023 23:03

P.S. I think there was also an option for the home visit vet to take the body away immediately if we wanted, and take it for cremation - I can't remember for sure.

The vets will be used to this situation and know all the options. Whatever you feel is right at the time, you will be able to do that. I have always found vets very understanding of the grief we feel at losing a pet. Perhaps contact them in advance to check whether any arrangements need to be put in place regarding a home visit, so that you have the practicalities prepared.

Be aware that a home vet visit may be costly, and there will also be cremation costs. So that may be another thing to prepare for.

mrmagpie · 12/12/2023 23:09

I've had quite a few cats PTS over the years, the last one was my beloved boy in May this year. I'm so sorry you're going through this.

What I would say is that they change quite quickly after death. Within about ten minutes they look, well, gone. I'm trying to be delicate about it, but the point being that you might not want to hold onto the body for too long. I didn't really like seeing my pets like that and after the initial relief that they were out of pain, it was very clear that they weren't there any more and I personally found it upsetting.

Just something to think about, but take each day as it comes for now.

OrganicCamomileTea · 12/12/2023 23:14

We buried three cats, five gerbils and umpteen frogs at the end of the garden (not all at the same time, I hasten to add!).

If you have enough space, I think home burial is a good solution. You can hold a little ceremony and children can pick flowers and put on the graves if they want to.

Catsmere · 13/12/2023 01:54

I used to bury my cats at home, but stopped doing that about fifteen years ago. The vets always took their bodies to cremate after that, and I collected the ashes, which I keep in little urns. Last time I was in Queensland in a small town whose vet didn't offer that service, so I had my Maddie cremated by a specialist company who also provide cat or dog themed urns.

Heronatemygoldfish · 13/12/2023 10:54

We buried our old lady in the garden. We don't have much topsoil here so couldn't go very deep, so put a 30cm diameter stepping stone over the top to stop anything big disturbing her, surrounded by mini daffodil bulbs so every spring we get a little ring of gold.

Original poster
BrainInAJar · 13/12/2023 13:08

Thanks everyone. I can't bury her in the garden, it's communal.

Given the comment about her "changing" perhaps I won't keep her overnight then. I'm sure the vet will just give me a few minutes after she's gone and then they can take her.

I'll go for an individual cremation as she doesn't like other animals! I'll need to decide what to do with the ashes.

But as I say, we may be some way away from it yet, fingers crossed, we have a telephone consult with vet tomorrow to discuss increasing her medication.

I'm really trying to just enjoy what time we have left even though I cry every time I think about it!

OP posts:
Toddlerteaplease · 13/12/2023 13:57

I had an individual cremation at the vet. Both of mine are in a Monty Bojangles cat tin.

TastyLikeARaindrop · 13/12/2023 17:46

So sorry you're going through this, op. I definitely wouldn't recommend keeping your cat overnight afterwards. Both of ours were pts at the vet and we took them home and they were collected by a pet cremation service within an hour or two. Those couple of hours with them were really tough and we felt a sense of relief once they'd been collected. We got the ashes back in a lovely urn within a few days.

TastyLikeARaindrop · 13/12/2023 17:49

Oh and we scattered some of their ashes in their favourite spots in the garden along with some wildflower seeds.

C00kp1ssBabtridge · 13/12/2023 17:56

Sorry to hear you are going through this. We had a home visit from Cloud 9. The crematorium came after around 1hr to pick up his body and they gave us a lovely wicker basket to put him in and a blanket to cover him. They then returned his ashes a few days later to our home.

florentina1 · 13/12/2023 18:35

The vet who put our dog down took her away. We put the ashes I a pot and and planted rosemary as that is traditional remembrance plant.

Catswillbecats · 13/12/2023 18:39

Our 16 year old little girl cat was pts at home. Our lovely vet came with the nurse. We left the room for a few minutes while they placed the cannula. They called us back in. The vet said as soon as we were ready to let her go to just give the word. The cannula tube was slightly longer than normal if you see what I mean, so the vet wasn't touching her but stood slightly back. Our cat was on a fluffy blanket on the coffee table . We all stroked her and kissed her. I was kneeling on the floor stroking her my head against her head, talking quietly to her. Then I nodded to the vet and she gave the injection. I felt the life go out of her, it was so strange, as she just fell in a heap. The vet listened for a heart beat then said "She has left us". We wrapped her up and put her in her carrier. My dh had picked the vet and nurse up so he took them and our cat back to the surgery. We collected her ashes a week or so later. Haven't decided what to do with them yet. Our cat had jaw cancer so it was the right thing to do. The charge for the procedure was £120 - cremation about £90 I think. We couldn't bury her as we have no garden. Hope this helps.

Gettingbysomehow · 13/12/2023 18:42

I laid my girl out with flowers and lit candles, covered her with a blanket and took her for cremation the next day. The cat before was laid out in the summer house in the same way then buried in my garden.

Catswillbecats · 13/12/2023 18:44

Just to add it was heartbreaking but I am so glad we did it at home.

Original poster
BrainInAJar · 13/12/2023 19:31

Thank you so much everyone for sharing your stories. It really helps me to plan a little for what lies ahead. Emotionally and practically.

OP posts:
DeadbeatYoda · 13/12/2023 22:05

I have had one very old cat and 2 old small dogs put down at home. They are all buried in places they loved to chill around our garden. I have a nearly 18 year old dog who I will afford the same end to, if needs be, but she is much too big to bury at home. She will be cremated and her ashes buried under the flower bed she so loves to lie in ( and destroy my crocosmia 😆). We have a local pet cemetery who are amazing with much-loved pets and horses.

Potentialmadcatlady · 13/12/2023 22:20

I tend to prebook the crem and once vet has left take them straight there.. my local crem has a lovely viewing room with candles etc.. they lay them out ( I generally take their own bed/blanket and they use that) and then you can spend time with them and leave when you are ready. Their ashes are ready to collect about 48hours later.
Because most of mine are rescue guys, who have had a rough time before getting to me, I keep their ashes in a special cupboard- they go in there with a fav toy- I can’t bare to think of them out in the cold again so they all go in there together. Weird but I find it comforting that they are home and in the warm.

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