What to do with a dead cat

It is more difficult to explain the passing of a pet to a child, especially a toddler at the age of 2-3, when the experience is deep and intense. The death of a cat can be an occasion to talk about death with older children.

How to get over the death of a cat

The death of a beloved cat or cat is real grief and extreme stress. It is especially difficult if the pet was suffering from an illness before it died, or if you feel a share of the blame for its absence. In this article, we have gathered advice from psychologists, priests, and people who have lost beloved cats to help you cope with the loss of a beloved pet.

Many people become very attached to their cats, and it is not surprising. A cat, compared to a dog, is more independent, but it is in the house 100% of the time and kind of "fills" it with itself – walking around the apartment, meows and so on. "The purr of a cat is deservedly one of the most popular relaxation sounds," says psychologist and candidate of psychological sciences Daria Savchenko. – Many people like to pet a cat to relax, and the very possibility to watch these animals as if it relieves stress. Often, after the death of a cat, the apartment seems empty and cold.

Of course, for all this you can find an alternative, but do not hurry: do it when you have advanced in the living of grief.

It's important to give yourself time, to long for as long as it takes. When the time has passed, it will be easier for us to find new ways of comforting and creating comfort. Maybe it will be candles or music, maybe it will be a new ritual: stroking some tactile-pleasant thing (pillow, plaid), taking a bath, crumpling an anti-stress toy. Fresh air helps a lot (sometimes I feel unbearably homesick), movements that involve alternately the right and left sides of the body (running, elliptical exercises, etc.). You can sit in front of an open window, make tea, and think about what I'm feeling right now, how it's responding to my body. By observing ourselves, we will begin to better understand what works for us.

Of course, it's very important not to over-value anything in your life," warns the psychologist, "whether it's a person, a work project or an animal. This is not good for anyone, and if we lose it, it is much harder to find new supports for ourselves. If the animal was an important, but still a part of our life, at the loss we will have everything else. We will be able to lean on that, live through that pain, and be of use to someone in the future."

How to get over the death of a beloved cat and guilt

"Guilt is always present in the grieving process," Daria Savchenko emphasizes. – It usually manifests itself at the stage of anger, when we look for someone to blame for our grief and often find. ourselves.

Of course, there are cases of criminal negligence or intentional harm, but the question "how to survive the death of a cat" is usually asked by people who really loved the pet and tried to take care of it. They may have overlooked or misjudged something. If the mistake is concrete, we make conclusions: for example, we put bars on the windows before getting a new kitten, if our previous cat fell out the window, and so on.

It's worth noting that we may feel guilt even when the cat has fallen out because the window was left open not by us but by the person we left it with, say, for a vacation. "Why did we even go on vacation without her!" – the owners lamented. On the other hand, if the cat had been taken with us, she could have run away and gotten lost in an unfamiliar place. That is to say guilt will always be present. and I would think of ways to deal with that feeling.

We can do something in memory of the animal: put together a scrapbook of photos, write a story about it. Another option (more for the stage of acceptance, when we have lived the loss, gathered our resources) is to help someone, to share not the grief, but the experience of living it or the experience that we have gained through the loss. Maybe it will be caring for animals in a shelter, maybe volunteering for people, caring for relatives, and so on. We can set up a web site on the Internet with data on the city's veterinary services with ratings and so on.

It is interesting that the problem of guilt is more common among cat owners than dog owners. Precisely because a dog needs more control (and the dog feels good about it) and a cat is more independent, and it can be difficult to maintain the line between freedom and safety.

That being said, a person has to take care of his or her own needs as well. (including being able to take care of an animal): for example, having to open a window, even if there are no bars on it, because of the wild heat, in order to avoid fainting. Every choice we make has the potential to make a mistake, so we need to 'legalize' guilt as one element of living with loss, draw conclusions, and find a way to benefit someone who needs it."

Burial

If you want to bury a pet, you can do it at home or in a pet cemetery.

At home, burying a pet's body is often used by their grieving owners. In this case, the owner has the opportunity to visit the pet's burial site. However, the method is not without disadvantages. When moving, the remains will remain in their former place of residence. Finally, this method is prohibited by some states. Owners who bury a cat at home risk being fined.

There are pet cemeteries in every country. You can ask your veterinarian for help. Before burying, make sure the site will always be used for burial of pets.

Frequently Asked Questions

Although you may be prepared in advance, the loss of a pet is shocking and the subsequent burial work is emotionally draining.

Will someone come to my house and pick up my pet's body?

A mobile veterinary service can come to your apartment. There are also animal control services that will pick up dead pet bodies for an additional fee. The death of a pet is not considered an emergency, so these services do not work at night, on weekends, or on holidays.

If a delay is discovered, what should I do with the body of my dead cat?

Any dead body may excrete feces or urine for some time after death. This is not to say that he was in pain – in death, the muscles of the internal organs relax, releasing their contents.

Depending on the estimated waiting time, carefully wrap the body in a towel and place it in an appropriately sized box. If the wait is more than two hours or if it is hot outside, carefully wrap the remains in plastic wrap, place the body in a large plastic bag, tie it tightly and place it in a box or crate with ice on it.

These things are painful to think about and even harder to carry out. Think about the fact that your cat's soul is no longer in her body. Treating the remains of your beloved pet with care and respect will serve as evidence of your affection and love.

If an animal dies and is left at the vet, where do they put it?

This is a very painful issue ((( On Monday our beloved cat passed away. We did everything we could, but doctors are not Gods, and 15 years is still a serious age for a cat… . There was no place to bury – no way to get to the cottage now, the yard was all concreted and overrun with cars, on the lawn they were afraid the dogs would dig it up… . We had to leave it at the hospital for cremation.
The sanitariums have to cremate animals that have been put to sleep, it's the sanitary standard. If every hospital throws dead bodies in the trash, we'll have a plague epidemic and who knows what else. And of course no one cancelled the law of consumer protection – if we pay for a humane adoption and cremation, no one has the right to tie up in a bag and throw in the trash. I really wish I could believe that.

How can an animal that lived with you all his life and just bury it next to his house in the trash?

My dog died in the vet, they said the law requires them to give the body to a crematorium, but we took him away and buried him ourselves.

They cremate and then you can take the urn if you want, that's what I was told anyway. My cat died at the vet clinic, I took him away and buried him, I didn't want to cremate him.

In big cities, they mostly cremate, and in small towns and villages, they take it to an animal burial site (a specially designated place outside the city, a concrete pit).

But here it's like this: they give a corpse to our students for autopsy, we dissect it, study it, then it's all collected and thrown into an ordinary oven and burned.

They burn it, but most often they take it to the veterinary academy – to students for practice. Then they end up burning it anyway.

Depends on the clinic.
They should cremate, but not all clinics do it.
Small private ones throw them in the trash or take them to the dump with the rest of the garbage.
We bury our own dead animals ourselves.

How to get over the death of a cat

The death of a beloved pet is always grief and tragedy. The first reaction of an orphaned owner to stress may be stupor, tears, and apathy. The realization of loss comes later. To fill the resulting emotional void, distract yourself by taking care of the funeral, since someone will have to do it anyway. Let those who care about your cat's death know.

Do not dwell on your loss. While you may not be able to completely forget your beloved pet, try to think positively:

• Think about the fact that your cat was surrounded by affection and care during his lifetime, he did not die under the fence in the street, but in front of you;
• think of all the good times you had with your cat;
• collect all the things that remind you of him, and put them in a far corner, but do not throw them away – perhaps in time you will want a new friend.

Don't hold back, cry, tears are a relief. Talk to someone who cares about your loss. And if you can't talk to someone who cares about your loss, see a psychologist. There is no shame in this, on the contrary, few people will have the courage to admit their weaknesses and go to a specialist.

If your cat's death came after a long, painful illness, try to rejoice at its arrival – it puts an end to the suffering of the animal.

Don't get depressed about the death of your beloved animals-they're going "to the rainbow."

Keep yourself busy. Find something to do, a hobby to take your mind off of the sadness. Volunteer at a shelter for homeless animals, so you can do a lot for others, but you can do nothing for your pet. Place some poor creatures in good hands, help cure a dog or a cat.

The cat mystique

Cats are known to be natural psychics. They heal, predict the weather and earthquakes, and discover new abilities in people. Much importance is also given to how a cat passed away. It is one thing if death is due to natural causes: old age, illness, an accident. And it is quite another thing when a cat died suddenly, for no apparent reason. People prone to mysticism see here witchcraft, spoilage, human emotions and the influence of otherworldly forces.

Since ancient times it has been known that cats do not die where they live. Anticipating their death, they try to hide far away from prying eyes, closer to the otherworld. Neither scientists nor astrologers can explain this fact.

The legends advise not to harm cats: they will be waiting for their offenders on the other side, and the payoff will be severe. But a grateful cat will definitely try to drag his loving, but already sinned in the earthly life master to heaven.

Video: omens of cats

Omen about the place of the cat's death

It was considered a very bad omen if a cat died at home, it was assumed that in this case the owners were in trouble, illness and even death. In our age of closed doors, when most domestic cats never leave the apartment, this ominous omen loses its relevance, and the death of a cat brings the owners only sadness. In addition, now there is the opposite omen: a cat that died in the house, takes away misfortune from the family. Furry friends protect the peace of the owners: they clean the energy of the house, ward off the evil eye, and extinguish negative attitudes directed to the family.

What does the Law requires?

Back in the mid-90s of the last century were issued Veterinary and sanitary rules for the treatment of biological waste (hereinafter – Regulations). The document was approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Russian Federation (December 4, 1995 № 13-7-2/469), and a month later (January 5) was registered with the Ministry of Justice (№ 1005).

Important! Today, dead pets must be disposed of in accordance with the Veterinary Act.

According to the requirements of this act, if a pet dies, the owner must contact the veterinary service. Usually it is a territorial institution at the place of registration. In this case, you can call both public and private clinics. The latter will have to pay a certain amount of money for the service. Cremation of a pet will cost from 3-4 to 10-15 thousand rubles. There is no other procedure for the disposal of dead animals.

Why can't you just bury it in the ground?

There are several reasons why the disposal of animals should be centralized. First, owners do not always know what the pet really died of. The cause could be a dangerous infection, the consequences of which will still manifest themselves later on.

Secondly, there is a risk that the products of decomposition of the corpse of a cat, dog, other pet will get into the soil, internal waters, will cause bacteriological contamination of the environment. Other animals, smelling the smell, can dig up the grave, thereby becoming infected and become carriers of disease.

Thirdly, a ruined grave site can have an unpleasant effect on the mental state of the owners who come to visit the deceased pet. Not everyone is that groggy, but it's not uncommon for owners to need emergency medical attention after seeing a torn pit and scattered remains of a deceased pet.

What to do with a dead cat or dead dog?

Cremation on your own is extremely difficult, difficult to implement technically and psychologically. In addition, the owner will give reason to suspect him of animal cruelty if:

There is a corpus delicti under Article 245 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. To avoid administrative, criminal and financial responsibility, to carry out the dignity of a dead pet, it is recommended to contact special organizations. An animal disposal service can help. These organizations are gaining popularity not only in large, but also in provincial cities.

Where to go for the disposal of dead animals?

For users of Vyvoz.org website we have collected (and constantly replenish) the list of organizations in large (and not only) cities of Russia, which are engaged in disposal of dead pets:

Ways to dispose of pets

Organizations offer different ways to dispose of dead pets. But they are all limited to the following options:

The second method is the most environmentally friendly. Incineration takes place under the influence of a temperature of 1000 o C. The procedure can be:

Veterinary clinics, special services that provide such services must have their own equipment (ovens) or contract with a disposal company. The process itself takes 2-3 hours.

For your information! Owners of dead animals are advised to ask about the reputation of the service, as scammers who dispose of the body of the animal in a landfill often act under their guise.

The advantage of individual cremation is that the pet's ashes are given to the owner. It can be placed in a specially created commemorative vessel. The ashes can safely be scattered over your own yard, where the pet spent time. For the owners, such an action does not threaten their health in any way.

Biothermal pits are designed to kill thermophilic bacteria. To do this, they create a temperature of up to 70 o C. Livestock burial pits are the easiest and cheapest, but the least safe method of burial. The reason is that dangerous microorganisms persist for a long time in such landfills.

A cat died. What to do?

Today I came home from work at 12 a.m. tired. Found my cat dead. Her name was Lisa, she had lived with me for 15 years. I cried over the corpse for two hours, and walked around for another hour until I was depressed. There was no one around, not even neighbors to whom I should turn. My wife and 11-year-old son are on vacation, they are due to arrive in three days. Lisa is very precious to my son, I keep thinking how to tell him about the loss. I have not called anyone yet, I have not done anything. And who to call at 4 o'clock in the morning? I put the cat on the mat and covered it with a sheet. I'm just now getting over my grief. I didn't expect such a reaction from myself. I never thought I would cry over the death of an old cat. I dread to think what reaction my 11-year-old son would have. Anyway, I have a dead cat in the next room. And I don't know what to do. I can't sleep to finally wait until morning. I don't know what to do next. Who should I call? Should I call my wife, ruin her vacation? What to do with the corpse. I'm just at a loss. Please help me.

Bury it somewhere and tell your son it's lost. You could get a new kitten and tell your son it's Lisa who turned into a kitten.

My son died April 30th, three years old. I still can't get back.

Igor Gladkov Master (1207) In my arms he died, sneezed before he died, now watching the movie https://zona.mobi/movies/kot-iz-kosmosa.

Condolences. But the cat should be buried. Tell my son about the "goo," ran away and never came back. But I would find the words, tell him about the Rainbow Bridge (if my son is impressionable), well, almost the truth. The child is going to face death one way or another anyway.

Don't tell them, tell your son you ran away, then, consult your wife. I buried mine, the little one, at night near the house, in a deep hole. very deep. next to the flowers were for planting on top, so they wouldn't ask what you were digging for. Oh, and another thing. Wrap it in a clean one.

I'm in trouble. My beloved cat has died. What's the best way to bury her with full honors? I'm a hunter. I'll tell you what.

I am fond of hunting, frankly – my hands are up to my elbows in blood, but the corpse of my favorite kitty, I can not even look. I have to give her a decent burial. I didn't even cry like that when my grandfather died.

Everyone who has a cat in his house, sooner or later in life comes a sad period – the old age and the death of a favorite animal. And not everyone can cope with the loss. But the inevitable will happen, whether we want it or not. And the most worthy choice an owner can make is to be with their pet until the end.

It is easier to recognize the imminent passing of a sick pet: the cat becomes weaker, loses its usual appetite, mostly does not get up from its seat, sleeps a lot or lies with its eyes open, and has difficulty breathing and swallowing. But know that your pet will become anxious before she dies.

If the animal is used to being always near you, it may come to say goodbye. Usually a sick animal will climb on its owner's lap with all its might and lie there waiting to be petted, then leave. Cats with a proud character die in the arms of their owners only in exceptional cases.

If a cat has not been ill, but time has robbed it of its vitality, try to catch the moment when it will by all means try to be alone. This is a sure sign that the cat wants out. The animal not only wants to hide, it wants to leave irrevocably and die alone.

Scientists have not studied this behavior enough, but most likely the reason for leaving is… pain. The cat's body is weakened by time and suffers from all kinds of illnesses (though the owner may not notice it externally), and the animal only wants to get away from the suffering, and the normal instinct plays its role here. Such care of a cat looks like humane treatment of its owner and unwillingness to cause him pain, because after leaving a person will not see the last moments of life of a beloved friend.

If a cat has no possibility of leaving home forever, prepare for the fact that at some point the animal will hide in a secluded and inconspicuous place or will die in your absence from home. Once you notice that the pet's behavior has become strange, there is no need to bore them with your "attention" and desire to "cure". It is generally accepted that cats sense that death is approaching, and they only leave when there is no chance of recovery.

How to provide comfort to a dying cat

Contributor(s): Tabitha Kucera. Tabitha Kucera is a registered veterinary technician, cat and dog behavior consultant, and owner of Chirrups and Chatter Counseling Services in Cleveland, Ohio. She has over 10 years of experience working in veterinary clinics, farm animal shelters and cat and dog rescue centers. She has helped develop training and behavior correction programs for various veterinary clinics and shelters, and works as a consultant with numerous shelters and private veterinary practices. She has lectured regionally and nationally in various veterinary technology programs. She is a certified Fear Free ("Stress Free Veterinary") speaker, Fear Free certification consultant, Cat Pawsitive Pro behavior consultant and host of the podcast Tails from a Vet Tech. She currently serves on the board of the Cat Committee of the Guild of Pet Professionals and is president of the Society of Veterinary Behavioral Technicians. Registered veterinary technician with Elite Fear Free and Low-Stress certifications, certified feline behavior consultant, Karen Pryor Academy certified training partner and veterinary technician – behavior specialist.

Number of sources used in this article: 8. You will find a list of them at the bottom of the page.

If your beloved cat is slowly dying, you may have a hard time accepting the imminent outcome. [1] X Reliable Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to Source However, for your part, you can turn your last moments together into the best minutes of your cat's life by making him as comfortable as possible. Instead of getting upset about something you can't change, take advantage of the time you have to make your relationship with the cat even stronger and remember how much you care about him forever.

Creating a cozy atmosphere around the cat

• Consider moving the cat's resting place to a part of the house where there is not much activity or noise. [3] X Source of Information
• If moving the cat's resting place to another room would be too stressful for him, you and your family members should rethink your habits to reduce your activity and noise around the cat.
• Allow the cat to choose where he will sleep. [4] X Source of Information He can instinctively choose a quieter, quieter place for himself.
• Quiet, soft music can help the cat relax. The sounds of birdsong and running water also have a calming effect. [5] X Source of information
• The hustle and bustle of everyday life can be unnecessary for an animal's final days, and it can even aggravate his illness or overall health. [6] X Source of Information

• Because of problems with urinary control or physical inability to reach the litter box, the cat may soil the bedding. [8] X Source of information Choose items that can be washed, such as blankets and towels, as additional bedding materials.
• Foam bedding, while soft, will be quite difficult to wash. [9] X Source of Information
• Check regularly that the bedding is clean (not wet or stained with feces) and wash it as needed.
• Extra bedding will also make sure the cat stays warm. An elderly, dying animal may have difficulty maintaining body temperature and therefore become cold. [10] X Source of Information

What to do with an animal's body if it cannot be buried

By law, animal corpses are cremated or decontaminated in biothermal pits (these are special isolated structures in which bodies decompose faster and without danger of introducing bacteria into the groundwater). The second method is usually used for farm animals.

There are also special measures for the place where the animal died. If the body was lying on the ground, it must be disinfected. According to the law, this requires sprinkling the area with dry bleach at the rate of 5 kilograms per square meter and digging it to a depth of 25 centimeters.

How to bury an animal according to the law

1. Call a veterinarian.

A veterinarian must be notified of the animal's death within 24 hours. The specialist will examine the body and find out why the pet died.

A veterinarian will also be needed if the pet has had a miscarriage or stillborn offspring. The miscarriage may be due to infections, so a doctor's visit will help save the pet and legally dispose of the fetus or cubs.

2. Take the body to a crematorium

You can immediately call a veterinarian from a clinic that provides cremation services. In this case, the specialist will take the pet's body to where you need it.

If the veterinarian was from one service and you plan to cremate the corpse at another, you may need a certificate on Form No. 4. It indicates whether or not the animal has a disease.

Addresses and phone numbers of crematoriums have to search on the Internet: there is no common base for such services.

The cost of cremation depends on the weight of the animal: the more it is, the more expensive the procedure will be. Usually several bodies are burned in ovens at the same time, for an individual version of the service you will have to pay extra. Photographs or video reports are available upon request and for extra money – will be useful for suspicious owners who doubt that the ashes of their pet are in the urn.

For mass burning ashes can be also given, but there will be remains of several animals in the container.

3. Decide what to do with the ashes

There is no biological hazard in this case, as the bacteria are destroyed by the high temperature. The urn can, for example:

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