Pet Memorials...

Have you ever wondered what some people do to honor the life of their pet? There are so many different ways to honor your pet ranging from ceremonies, to tattoos, and even to jewelry. With this article we will explore some of the vast options for pet memorials.

This particular subject is very near and dear to my heart. In 2011 I had to euthanize Sierra who was my heart cat. I had gotten her as a tiny kitten from a shelter when I was an undergraduate. She was so tiny she could fit in the palm of my hand. We travelled everywhere together and she was my rock during college, vet school, and children. Cats are really good at hiding disease processes until they get really sick, and being busy with ER and kids I didn't notice the subtle signs of kidney disease. After noticing that she had lost a little bit of weight I ran bloodwork and unfortunately it showed significant kidney failure. She was 17 years old at the time but I was not ready to lose her without a fight. I hospitalized her for a week, however as soon as she was off IV fluids her values went back up. To further compound the problem her heart was unable to tolerate further treatment, and for the first time in my adult life I had to make the decision to euthanize. I had been out in practice for four years at that time and had euthanized a lot of patients in a clinical setting. Sierra was the sweetest cat at home but she absolutely hated the veterinary hospital. At the hospital she would turn into a crazy psycho cat, even to the point that the majority of the techs had a healthy fear of her. I had to be the one to hold her for all her procedures so she didn't bite the techs who were just trying to help her. The thought of bringing her into the hospital again and holding her down for an IV catheter was too much. I didn't want her last moments to be that stressful for her and also for my team. Instead I elected to put her to sleep at our home where she was the most comfortable . While she was curled up on my chest I gave her the anesthetic and let her fall asleep in front of the fireplace. Once she was blissfully sleeping I administered the final injection that let her peacefully transition. I elected private cremation and one of my tech's made a lovely shadow box containing her clay paw print. Once I had her ashes back I displayed them beside her shadow box on the mantle, however I really wanted to have a part of her with me when I wasn't at home. I started looking into memorial objects and that is where I came across cremation jewelry. I found a place in England called Ashes into Glass that incorporates the ashes into blown glass resulting in beautiful jewelry and other objects such as paper weights. I reached out to them and they designed a beautiful tribute ring that I have cherished for years. These days there are many different online services that design remembrance items that range from tiny necklace urns to Christmas ornaments. They can use ashes, paw print images, or pictures to create a unique memorial of your pet. I have even seen beautiful jewelry made out of cat whiskers!

Another trend gaining popularity are remembrance tattoos. There are unlimited options for designs and can be as simple as a name or as complex as incorporating a likeness of your pet. Designs using your pet's exact paw prints are one of the most popular. There are many options for purchasing kits to obtain the paw print and the kits are available in both ink and inkless versions. Alternatively you can simply use paint and paper. If you elect to do this before your pet is euthanized use water based paint to avoid toxicity. Visit www.dogtime.com/how-to/73145-take-paw-prints-dog for more information and tips on obtaining a good print.

Some families chose to honor their pet by holding a funeral or choosing a special headstone for burial. Even if you are not able to bury on your property you can still chose to dedicate a spot in the yard. Planting trees or flowers, using remembrance stones (some of which can have ashes infused into the stone), or even having a small water feature can make a beautiful memorial. Shadow boxes are a common indoor tribute and can just be a picture or incorporate a personal item such as a collar or tags along with paw prints and even fur clippings. There are endless possibilities to chose from and it comes down to a personal choice. Other people chose to spread the ashes of their beloved pet at a favorite place rather then keeping them in an urn. Just make sure to follow local guidelines as some places do not allow them to be spread in certain areas.

Pinterest and Etsy are great places to start looking for ideas on pet memorials. Just remember honoring your pet doesn't have to be expensive or elaborate, something as simple as lighting a candle in their memory can be a lovely tribute.