When Dash was PTS, we had her cremated and kept her ashes.  I kept them in
our house for a while, and then next time I went back home to MD, took them
with me and we buried her outside what used to be my bedroom window.  That
was where she sat every morning and chirped at the birds.
We live in a condo, so I was kind of forced into cremation since I have no
yard to bury her in, but I think I would have done the same thing.

Aw, Lyn, I'm so sorry. With Marley, I never got his remains. I
opted for a necropsy because they didn't know what was wrong with
him other than speculating megacolon. The necropsy proved that was
correct, but also cancer. I never got his remains. For Shadow, I
got his ashes in a box that looks sort of like a coffin, but not
quite. They gave me a certificate that says it is his remains and
his only. It is a sealed box and I've never thought of doing
anything else with it other than keeping it on a shelf with other
things that are special to me. The thing that I did for Marley that
I haven't done for Shadow yet is to capture him permenantly in
pictures. I have one of those photo frames that you put snapshots
in and I filled it with pictures of Marley. Above it is a poem.
That is his memorial. The special thing about Marley's memorial is
that there are pictures of him with Eric, my son.

We were in a rental house when Mac died.  We had him cremated and bought a
concrete lawn ornament of a little tiger. (Mac was a tabby.) My husband
bought a special drill bit and drilled a hole in the bottom of the lawn
ornament and filled it with Mac's ashes.
We took him with us when we moved to our new home.
Annie

FYI  When my Siamese (RB 16) died, I had her cremated.  I kept her ashes
in a lovely urn on my dresser for five years.  I eventually decided to
bury her ashes in the yard and plant a small spruce tree in that spot.  
Whenever I go out and see the tree, I think of her.  MLB

I was *going* to bury the body of my first cat, Sabina, in the perennial
garden.  But stones & rocks always work their way up in the soil here, due
to freezes & thaws each winter, so...  I decided that I didn't want to deal
with the possibility of finding her bones in the top several inches of soil
some day, while working in the garden, after they worked their way up
through the soil.  Instead, I had her cremated, & later buried her ashes
underneath a brick walkway that's in the backyard, next to the garden (&
near the screened porch where she spent quite a lot of time), when I laid
the walk.

My second cat, Debbie, was also cremated.  But her ashes are still in the
container they came back in, in a secretary in my living room.  Whenever I
open that desk's lid, I say "Hi" to her. ;-)  It's been over 3 years since
she died, & I have no plans to bury her ashes, scatter them, or whatever.  I
think they'll just remain in the house.

The whole thing's a very individual choice.

Cathy

***L,

I went through what your going through just recently when Blue passed away
Nov.20th-04. I have a huge backyard and Blue always loved* being outside in
the backyard. However, I couldn't imagine for some reason (I guess becuase
he was litterally like my beloved baby child) buring him in the backyard and
having his body outside in the cold, dark ground. It somehow seemed so
impersoral to me. Also, like you, I thought if I sold my house then he would
still be in the backyard and not with me.. So, I had him cremated and put in
a beautiful blue urn, which I now placed in my china hutch. This was the
only pet that I've done this with. But there was none like Blue, ever. It
gives me some comfort to know that his remains are with me, inside, where
Blue was and stayed mostly.

I'd call your vet tomorrow and ask if they cremate, and find out the
details which is what I did about 2 weeks before Blue passed on. If they
don't they can recommend a vet who does.

ML

-> What did you do with the body or ashes?  The reason I'm asking is I
-> have a dog that's terminally ill and I want to prepare ahead of time so
-> that I have a plan.  She's still hanging on (and doing ok), but the vet
-> expected her to pass months ago.    I'm thinking about putting her in
-> our back yard, but if we sell the house, she'll be left behind.   I'm
-> also thinking about sprinkling her ashes on her favorite beach, but
-> that's a place she only went a few times over the last few years - not
-> really representative of her life, if you know what I mean.  How did
-> you make the decision of what to do with the body?
-> TIA for any help,
-> -L.

I've had three cats die in the past few years. I had all of them
cremated. Their ashes are in "urns" on my fireplace mantel. When
it's my turn, I want them (and any other pets that have passed
between now and then) buried with me in my coffin.

With each of mine, I buried them in the back yard (even though that meant
leaving the burial place behind when I moved).  I marked the location by
planting a tree beside it.  I always looked at the tree planting as a
symbolic act (the continuation of life), and the tree also served as a
reference point.  In the future, I may order a small stone with my pet's
name on it.

MaryL

Buried him, planted a rose bush called "eternity" on top. I no longer live
in that house, but I know my cat lives in a rose bush.

We have buried our animals. That does mean leaving them behind at some
point, but that is something we just have to accept.

We mark their graves with plants. Fiona had a blue azaela since she
had beautiful blue eyes. My dog loved to take care of kittens and
puppies, though she never had any of her own. We planted an apple tree
so that she could "bear fruit". It was something symbolic, and the
tree is doing great.

I believe we have 2 dogs and 6 cats buried in our yard. We've been at
this house for over 15 years. We lived in Iowa for 4 years, and we
buried 3 dogs there - 2 from my grandmother, and one from my mom.

What I've done is bury them in the back yard.  After time nature takes
its course and the remains re-enter the cycle of life, so nothing is
left behind.  You'll take your memories with you if you sell the house.

I'm very sorry about your dog.

It's a very individual decision what to do with the remains.  Here are
some possibilities:

1. Bury her in your yard.  Illegal in most areas, but if no one is
looking, who cares?
2. Bury her in a pet cemetery.
3. Cremate her and keep the ashes in a box or urn.
4. Cremate her and scatter her ashes in one of her favorite places, or
in one of yours.
5. Cremate her and scatter some ashes in a favorite place, but keep
the rest..

If you plan to move and want to be able to be close to her, the third
or 5th option might be best.  If you have roots where you are, all of
them are possible options.

Think about what *you* really want to do -- what will give you the
most peace and comfort when the time comes.  Look into your own heart
for the answer, and I'm sure you will know what to do.

Blessings to you,

Ginger-lyn

When my beloved cat Zipper passed away I had him cremated.  I have his
cremains in a small cedar box that is in my living room.  It is very
comforting for me to have it with me.  Sometimes when I clean my living room
I hold the box and think of my cat and all the wonderful time we had
together.  I don't think I will ever part with it.  I can not stand the idea
of scattering his ashes.  Somehow the thought of opening the box is just not
something I can do.  One day I think I will permanently seal the box inside
a larger chest perhaps with a favorite toy of his and a few words of what he
meant to me.  I'm very glad I kept his ashes.  For me, it would have been a
mistake to not keep part of his presence.  It's hard to say why I feel this
way - I just loved him and I will always want him close to me.

Paul

When my brother had our dog euthanized, I believe the vet refused to let him
take Puma's body.  We had the choice of cremating him or not getting to keep
him at all.  This probably had to do with the laws in our area; you may want
to call and ask before you actually make plans.

I am so sorry to hear about your furbaby. My thoughts are with you both at this difficult time. Cherish the moments you have. What you will do with her body will be a very personal decision.