When your beloved pet passes away, you’ll want to consider how to create an acceptable memorial of them. You probably don’t want to bury them in the backyard. This is where most people turn to pet cremation. It is one of the easiest ways to make sure your pet’s remains are handled properly and humanely.
Choosing a trustworthy pet cremation service is of the utmost importance. One question is almost inevitably asked along the way, too: How do I know if I got all pet remains from cremation? The reality is that you don’t. At least, not all of the remains. However, there are some things that you can do to make sure that your pet has been properly cared for along the way.
First, it’s important to realize that pet cremation services are quite common. Dogs, cats, and horses are cremated regularly – and some people will also choose to cremate birds, reptiles, and even smaller mammals. The average company is quite trustworthy, so there’s really nothing that you have to worry about.
Second, there are ways to determine just how much of the remains you want to receive. Do you want just enough to fill a memorial urn? Or do you want to make sure that you have the entire animal? These are things that you should know going into the process.
You can choose to have your pet’s remains cremated in their entirety or you can choose to have only a portion of them cremated – such as if you want to take advantage of taxidermy first.
Whether you choose to have all or some of their remains cremated, there are three options that are generally available:
Communal: A communal cremation is where your pet is cremated alongside other animals. Since all of the animals are cremated together, you won’t get your pet’s ashes back.
Partitioned: In a partitioned cremation, multiple pets are cremated at the same time, but there are walls to partition the animals. You will get your pet’s ashes back, but you may get the remains of several other animals, too.
Private: In a private cremation, your pet is the only one being cremated. As such, you will get all of their ashes without having to worry about whether there are the ashes of other animals in the mix.
Not all companies offer all of these services, so you’ll want to consider what you find to be acceptable. Private cremations are slightly more expensive, but they also cater to you and your deceased pet in the most compassionate way possible. Ask about what is offered so that you feel comfortable with how your pet will be processed.
Often, it comes down to making sure that you choose a reputable company. Look for reviews, talk to past clients, and be sure that you know what you are getting once the process is complete.
How Does the Cremation Process Work?
The cremation process will work similarly with any crematorium. The first step is that you get your animal in the hands of the crematorium. If they are local, you can simply deliver the pet. Otherwise, you will need to ship the remains overnight so that they can be properly processed before any kind of decomposition sets in. Often, your vet can arrange all of this for you, especially if you are in the planning phases where euthanasia will take place.
The pet will go into the machine, where it is exposed to high heat. Organs, fur, and such are left intact as everything will be dried and turned to ash in the process. The only time this isn’t the case is if you’re asking for taxidermy or another service, too.
The remains will be exposed to a heavy-duty magnet so that any metal is removed. This includes pins, needles, ID tags, remnants of collars, and anything else that may have been in or on the pet.
If there are larger pieces of bone, they will be pulverized into a fine powder. This ensures that all of the remains that you receive will look uniform. Due to this, it is all the more reason to ensure you’re working with a reputable crematorium – all animal remains look the same once they have been cremated.
Depending on the process and the size of the animal, the entire process, from cremation to pulverization, will only take a few hours. This means that if you work with a local place, you can have them back on the same day if there is a sense of urgency.
Otherwise, you can allow for the ashes to be mailed back to you – which can take days or weeks depending on the services you have requested.
How are the Pet Remains Prepared for Return?
Once the pet cremation process is complete, the ashes will be returned to you. In most instances, the remains are placed in a plastic bag. You can also work directly with the company to determine if there are any customizable options you want to take advantage of – such as a box or an earn. Many of these can be engraved with the name of your pet or have a photo of the pet included on it.
The ashes are carefully packaged so that there is little to no disturbance. Depending on the pet cremation services that you have requested, you may also have some or all of the pet taxidermized. This is particularly desirable if you want to be able to have your pet available to look upon for years to come.
By working with a professional pet cremation service, like Animal Family Pet Preservation, you can trust that your beloved pet is being handled with the utmost respect and dignity.
Ultimately, you have to ask questions. Be sure that the company handling your pet has experience and uses standard pet preservation processes. Pet cremations can vary. However, when you want to make sure that you have gotten all of the remains, simply ask for a private cremation service. It will ensure that you are able to have an incredible memory of your pet without having to worry about anything along the way.
