What happens after your beloved pet cat dies is not something anyone wants to think about. A pet is as much part of your family as a person, and when something happens, it is enough to break your heart. Of course, this is part and parcel of life, but you wouldn’t be the first who tries to avoid thinking about the ‘what if’.
The cost for cat cremation ranges from $60 to $150 depending upon the size of your cat and a few other considerations discussed further in this article.
The problem is, when ‘what if’ happens, you do need to know what to expect. You will want to give your cat the very best send off and you will want to know that he or she has the honored memory they deserve. This means being informed of what to do next, and the costs involved.
Of course, if the ‘what if’ has already happened, you need to find things out a little sooner than later. This is an emotional and upsetting time, and being able to find out the correct information, without doubts or worries, is vitally important.
The first decision you need to think about is what you want to happen to your cat now he or she has passed. Do you want to bury the body or do you want to have your pet cremated and to keep the ashes? Of course, when a human passes, we have their wishes to consider and we usually know what their preference is on the burial versus cremation, but with a dear animal, we have to do what we feel is best, and the option that we can live with going forward, to help us remember them in the best possible way. We also need to think about costs.
If you choose to cremate your cat, you have a few sub-category decisions to make.
How Much Does it Cost to Cremate a Cat?
Cat cremation costs vary from place to place, so you do need to do your research into where you want this to occur and through which company. If you dealt with a vet towards the end of your cat’s life, speak to them about the best options, as they will certainly have several companies whom they deal with, and who they will be able to recommend.
To give you a general idea of the cost of cat cremation, you’re looking at between $60 to $150, depending upon the method of cremation and what you want to happen, e.g. any specific wishes. An individual cremation, i.e. where only your cat is buried costs more than a communal cremation. This is when the company will cremate several animals at the same time, to cut costs. It sounds a terrible subject to touch upon, but again, you need to know the information, especially when it comes to what you can best afford.
Whether or not you go for a communal cremation depends completely upon how you feel about it. Not everyone will be happy with knowing that their pet cat was cremated with several other animals, and that also means that if you want to keep the ashes, you cannot be 100% sure that the ashes you get are actually from your cat. In most cases, you are not allowed to keep the ashes from a communal cremation anyway, for this specific reason. In this case, the ashes are disposed of by the company, on the grounds of the cemetery itself. Of course, if you want somewhere to go and remember your cat, you could visit the cemetery grounds in that case.
If you want to be completely sure that you have your cats ashes, with no doubts whatsoever, you will need to opt for an individual cremation, which will obviously come at the higher end of the price spectrum. What you should be aware of is that you may have ashes of other animals in with your cat’s because the machine used to create the ashes is the same as those used for communal cremations. Again, this is simply something to be aware of.
Additional Costs to be Aware of
You should also think about whether or not you want a specific memorial service. This will increase the price, and could be something you could do at home, cutting the cost and giving your send-off a much more personal and loving feeling. The choice is yours, but obviously having a set memorial means thinking about where, when, and how, organizing it, and paying the extra cost.
There are a few other costs you need to think about. These make for grim reading, but in order to give you a total overview of how much the process may cost you, we need to mention it. Certain companies carrying out cremation services may charge you to pick up your passed cat after business opening hours, or during weekends. In this case your deceased cat will be taken from the place they died, be it a veterinarian or your home, and be taken to the cremation site. This can be anywhere between $30-45. Not every service charges this, but it’s something else to be aware of and a question to ask.
If you want to be present at the cremation, by your cat’s side, then you may also need to pay an extra fee, which could be up to $30. This price may vary depending on how large the cat is, or how heavy. This isn’t something most people want to be witness to, but if you do, you need to research those costs too.
How Are Cats Cremated?
Once your beloved pet has passed, you need to decide what you are going to do. If your pet died in a the veterinarian facility, it is possible that the veterinarian will be able to make the arrangements for you. Some have their own crematorium areas and this is something you could think about, and if everything is a little too much to think about or do yourself, most surgeries will offer to make the arrangements for you, leaving you free to grieve. The choice is yours, but give it optimum thought because this isn’t something you can go back over and do again differently.
Nobody wants to think about the specifics of what happens when a cat is cremated, but it could be that you have questions and in order to be at peace with your cat’s passing, you need to have those questions answered.
The process of cremating a cat is done with the utmost care, attention, and dignity for your pet. Once your cat is taken by the company carrying out the cremation, they will go to a crematorium. Depending upon the type of cremation you have chosen depends upon when the cremation will take place, as well as the time of the week your pet passed. Some companies do not carry out cremations at weekends.
It will never be that your pet is kept waiting however, so this isn’t something to worry about. When the cremation is due to take place, your cat will be placed in what could loosely be described as a coffin, e.g. a box or container, and they will be transferred to the cremation unit. Upon this, their body is exposed to a very high heat which causes the body to literally evaporate. What is left is the ashes, e.g. the minerals of the body.
All of this is done quietly and carefully. You do not have to worry about any form of noise, industrialization, or disrespect. Companies who carry out pet cremations completely understand the enormity of the task, and the responsibility being handed to them by pet owners who have lost their furry friends.
How Much Does it Cost to Bury a Cat in a Pet Cemetery?
Of course, you could choose to have your cat buried in a pet cemetery instead. In this case, there is more research and cost checking to be done.
Burial in a pet cemetery is the choice of many, but this is higher in cost. If you choose to bury your pet in your back garden, this is something you also need to check with the local authorities, as this is not permitted everywhere. In this case, pet cemeteries offer a safe and peaceful place for your cat to rest. You also know you can visit your cat’s burial spot at any time.
Prices for pet cemetery burial can vary wildly and it completely depends upon your area, how large your cat is, their weight, etc. The best advice is to shop around and find the best price to suit your needs. To give you an average idea, a basic burial for a cat could cost you between $400-600, depending upon many factors. You will probably also need to pay extra for a casket, which could be another $50 to 100, depending upon the design you choose. If you want a headstone for your cat’s burial spot, you will also need to shop around for designs, specifics, and also the best price. This can be anything from $300 upwards.
Your local veterinary surgeon will be able to give you advice on the local pet cemeteries in your area, as well as any companies who can help with the other specifics.