Archive for the ‘Pet Caskets’ Category
Why Does it Hurt So Much?
After losing a beloved pet, many people are shocked to discover how deeply grieved they are about the loss. Many feel like there is something wrong with them because they didn’t feel as bad when a human loved one died. This is a very common feeling, and yes, it is normal. Statistics today show that more Americans have pets than children, and most pet owners regard their pets as a member of the family. How we react to a death of any family member – human or animal – depends to a large extent on the relationship they have had with us on a day-t0-day basis. Many have a very strong attachment to their pets and a significant relationship with theim. Most people have a pet because of the companionship a pets provide, hence the more common used term companion animal.
In today’s modern, mobile society, more people are childless, single, windowed, or divorced and with both parents working many children come home to an empty home after school. More older folkes live alone and farther away from their extended families, and to those homebound a pet may be the only social contact they have. A pet gives us constant presence, availability and devotion, and are our best source of unconditional love. They are to many the ideal child, parent, mate or friend. They listen without judgement or reproach, and never give advice. They accept us exactly how we are, no matter how we look, feel or behave. They always forgive readily and never hold a grudge. No matter how much life changes in our unpredictable lives, our pets are always there for us.
When looking to properly inter your lost loved one, a Dog Casket can help bring closure and comfort, knowing you have done the best for him/her when they pass on.
Planning a Pet Funeral
If you have decided you would like to have a Pet Funeral or Remembrance Ceremony, here are some things you wish to consider:
1. Take some time to plan what you’d like to do. Involve all family members including the children. Invite others who loved the pet to help you.
2. Decide if you want to hold a funeral, a memorial service, a graveside service, or all of them.
3. Given your religious beliefs, ask yourself if you want to include religious aspects in the service.
4. Try to make the service very personal. Ask family members and friends to reminisce and recall what was special about your pet.
5. Decide where to hold the service, whether graveside or other. Consider the time, who will speak and who you will invite.
6. If you are burying your beloved pet in a pet cemetery or crematory, decide if you want a pet viewing beforehand, and if you can hold the service there.
7. Ask other pet lovers what they may have done to honor their pet’s memories and ways you may want to adapt their ideas into your own.
Remember that it is normal and healthy to use a pet funeral or memorial service to express your sorrow, proclaim your love and bid a final farewell to such a cherished friend. Use Personalized Pet Memorials to add a special touch to your funeral and to say good-bye to your lost loved one.
Should I have a Pet Funeral?
Choosing to have a Funeral for your Pet is a very personal decision that should include your family members and those who loved him/her. A pet funeral can be as simple as a grave side service, or it could be an elaborate formal service. Planning and participating in a Pet Funeral can bring great satisfaction to those w ho mourn the loss of a cherished companion animal. Such a service can help make the death more real to grievers, and can give the family members the opportunity to express their feelings about the lost pet. It enables everyone to reflect on and acknowledge the important role the animal played in their lives.
A Pet Funeral is generally held within just a few days of death and may consist of a viewing, a formal service and a brief rite at the grave side. It can include just family and friends who cherished the departed, or may include a religious officiator like a minister or Rabbi. Some find comfort in a religious ritual, finding support and meaning in the words that had not they had not been able to express before. The willingness to openly acknowledge and express a family’s greif, and turn to a religious traditon can help bring much needed closure. As part of the Pet Funeral, the beloved pet is laid to rest in the family backyard or in a pet cemetery. A lovely Pet Casket is a beautiful addition to any Pet Funeral and a wonderful way to intern your lost loved one.
Should I Have a Pet Viewing?
Having a Pet Viewing is a very personal decision on the part of the pet owner. It can be a former part of a burial ceremony, or as simple as letting family members and other pets say good-bye before closing the Pet Casket.
Veterinarians are often asked if it is helpful to show the body of a deceased animal to the other family pets. They ask this in a sincere effort to help “explain” the finality of what has occurred let the surviving pets know why their buddy won’t be coming home. A Veterinarian in England granted a woman’s request to have her dog observe a companion dog’s body following euthanasia. The woman believed her dog was better able to accept the loss of his companion when shown the body.
Some scientists argue that animals don’t have self-awareness let alone the awareness of another animal’s mental or physical state. But many pet owners will tell you otherwise. When I had to have a horse put to sleep because of a broken leg, my Vet suggested I let the other horses come say “good-bye” after she was gone. They all came to the trailer one by one and sniffed her. After she was taken out of the pasture, they did not run and pace the fence like horses usually do when one is taken by trailer to a horse show or on a trail ride. I think we need to give our pets the benefit of the doubt and let them view the body of a deceased companion if we feel it would help. It could help bring them peace and some closure to the fact that their friend will never be coming back.
Will My Other Pet’s Know?
Many people wonder if when a beloved pet dies, how the other pets in the family will react. Will they know their friend is gone? Or should I show the body to them and let them say “good-bye”? Veterinarians are often asked this very question, and there seems to be quite a debate over the subject – although there is little evidence to support either view. Some argue that pet’s don’t have the cognitive ability to understand the finality of death, but others believe that pets can see death as we do.
Many people have had experiences with surviving pets that have reported that they grieve the loss of deceased companion animals. Author Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, in her book “The Hidden Life of Dogs” described how a dog howled for the first time when it somehow sensed that its buddy was not returning home after a final trip to the Vet.
It is possible that the dog may not have been so upset if it had accompanied his buddy to the Vet and witnessed for himself the final event. Also, in the book “Dog’s Behaving Badly” the author describes how a dog was put to sleep and the owners tried to conceal it from the other family dog. Upon returning home, the remaining dog frantically combed every inch of the house looking for his companion until he finally found him in the garden in a well-camouflaged grave. There he sat for days, staring off into space with a far away look. It was as if he knew what had happened, and he probably did.
Horse and donkey mares do better if they are allowed to spend time with the deceased foal, than if it is hurried away withour their inspection. If unable to inspect the dead foal, frantic equine moms have even dug up the foal’s remains to seemingly reflect for awhile before coming to terms with their loss.
For a pet who is closes bonded with another, displaying the deceased’s body may help the survivor to accept the finality of the event and to bring closure to them. They may also display classic stages of grieving, just like humans. Don’t be alarmed if they become less active, eat less, sleep fitfully and generally appear depressed. They too are trying to come to terms with with has transpired.
It may help to bury their companion nearby, in a favorite spot in the backyard where they can visit often. Burying your pet in a Pet Casket it is a beautiful and dignified way to intern your beloved companion animal.
Pet Loss and Children III
The best way to help a child overcome a loss of a beloved pet is to talk to them about it. Before a death, when the animal is sick or very old, spend time talking with your child about his/her feelings. Tell them what will happen when the pet dies. Be honest, open and frank with them. Don’t try to hide anything in trying to protect them from reality, it will just prolong the pain. If possible, let your child say “good-bye” to the 4-legged family member before the pet dies. Let your child know that it is very normal to grieve, to feel sad and to miss the family pet. Help them to clearly understand that death is a part of life, and it is not their fault the pet will die.
The death of a pet may bring back the memory of other painful losses or upsetting events. A child who may seem to be overwhelmed with grief and one who is not about to function in their daily routines may benefit from talking with a professional adolescent psychiatrist or other qualified mental health advisor.
You may choose to have the child help you place the pet in a Pet Casket, and then help you bury it in your backyard in or in a pet cemetery. This will allow them to see their beloved friend properly put to rest. It may also help them to gain some closure knowing the pet is resting in peace. They won’t need to wonder where the pet went after he/she died, and may help them not to wonder if the pet will be coming back.
Pet Loss and the Elderly III
Pet Loss for our elderly friends and family members can be especially tragic. Most of the time the pet was the only family member that person had left. Older folks have already experienced much loss, of a spouse, friends and family members. Losing their beloved animal companion can be just as traumatic for them as a human death, for them pets are just as much a family member as anyone else. Sometimes there is even a deeper connection with a pet than with another human that only pet owners can understand. If the pet was a gift from someone now gone, the final symbolic link to the deceased loved one is lost. If there is incomplete resolution of past losses, the pet’s death can also trigger unresolved grief for the pet owner. It can also be a reminder that one’s own health is failing or that the later days of one’s own life are soon approaching. Do you have an elderly family member or friend who is facing the loss of a beloved companion animal? Here are some more suggestion of what you can do to help.
Sometimes elderly pet owners are concerned about what will happen to the pet in the event that they themselves become ill, are in an accident, are hospitalized or die. Many are fearful that their pet will outlive them and will have no one to care them. Sadly these concerns can motivate euthanasia of a healthy pet, or may discourage an elderly person from getting another pet after their loved one has died. You can encourage your senior citizen friends or family members to: 1. Carry a note in their wallet with instructions on pet care, a list of the pets, and who should be called in case of an emergency. 2. Help them draft an estate provision of where the pets will go. 3. Make prior arrangements with family or friends for the pet’s care. Finally, be there for them when their pet passes. Help them make arrangements to bury their pet in their back yard or in a pet cemetery. They may also want to place their lost loved one is a Pet Casket to properly intern them. Help them do the best they can to bid farewell to their beloved companion, it will lessen their grief.
Cats: Finicky but Rewarding
There is definitely a school of animal lovers that simply don’t like cats. This group of people is most often called, “dog people.” They find cats finicky, temperamental, and distant. But for people who are willing to put in the time and effort, cats can be a rewarding and loving companion. Just go in knowing that cats don’t always come when they’re called. They don’t do tricks. Sometimes, they want to be alone. Go in knowing this, and you’re a lot more likely to get along with your kitten.
And as all good “cat people” know, there is something particularly satisfying about the connection developed between owner and cat. But because they’re a bit more work, the relationship is all that much more rewarding in the end. For many people, cats quickly become like a member of the family. Whether they’re scratching their cat trees or resting on their favorite chairs, they’re like a staple around the house. And when they pass, many owners are compelled to acknowledge that passing in a respectful way. If you’ve recently experienced the loss of a cat, look into burying your pet in any number of cat caskets. It will be a fitting sendoff for your beloved pet.
Where Should I Bury My Pet?
As your pet approaches its twilight years, you begin to wonder where would be the best place to lay him/her to rest. You want it to be some place of significance, some place special, somewhere you will see the gravesight often to bring back the fond memories of all the good times you shared together. You may want to mark this special grave with a Personalized Pet Memorial with a picture of your beloved pet and a special tribute that only you can write.
Laser-etched Pet Headstones allow a photograph (not an artist’s rendition) of your pet plus a personal tribute to be lasered on an absolute black granite stone that will last for generations, even outside in the elements. Absolute black granite is the 3rd hardest rock in the world, only diamonds and rubies are harder. With proper care, these beautiful headstones placed under your pet’s favorite tree in the backyard, or in its favorite spot, and can bring a lifetime of memories to you and your family.
People who live in a large city and do not have a yard can have their lost loved one placed in a Pet Cemetery. There are even Pet Cemeteries that are adjacent to human cemeteries so you and your pet can be buried close to each other. There are even Pet Mausoleums available for above-ground burial, if this is what you choose. You may also have an absolute black granite headstone etched for Pet Cemetery burial, they come in 4 inch widths for Cemetery internment. Please check with your local Pet Cemetery to see what guidelines and covenants they have for pet burial in your area. You will also need to purchase a casket for cemetery burial, and you will need to find out if it needs a vault to go with it. Most Pet Caskets are already sealed so you do not need a vault, but every Pet Cemetery is different so be sure to check before you purchase one. There are many different kinds of Pet Caskets available, from the less expensive but practical, up to the Pet Caskets made on the same assembly lines as human ones that are very fancy. You can even chose a Gasketed Casket (sealed) or a Non-Gasketed one (one that is not sealed) The best advice is to do some research, get the facts, and then make an informed decision on where you’d like to lay your beloved friend to rest. Choose a spot that has a special significance for both you and your pet, it will help you feel like you have done the very best you could for them.
Don’t Let Your Love Fade
Your faithful furry friend may no longer walk this earth, but the memories of happy times you shared need not be buried with him. Infinite sadness will not cover the love you feel for your pet because sorrow will fade in time. Say your goodbyes by purchasing the best in pet memorials for the finest sendoff you can give you beloved pet.
It’s easy now to purchase a variety of quality pet caskets online that are suitable for burial or cremation. You also have choices of various urns to use after. Losing a pet is like losing a family member. Celebrate his life by holding a fitting memorial service to help ease the loss.