What To Do When Your Cat Passes Away?

Whether you have an old cat or a sick cat, it’s a good idea to be prepared for what happens after your cat dies. While losing a pet is never easy, the shock and grief that come with such a loss will be easier to navigate if you’ve planned for the practical aspects of losing your cat.

If you’re taking your cat to your vet’s office or a pet crematorium or cemetery, or if the body is being picked up, it’s a good idea to prepare the body for travel.

Upon death, bodies tend to release fluid from the mouth, genitals, or anus. All this means is that the body is relaxing after death. It’s completely normal. You may want to clean your cat’s body before getting it ready to transport. Use a damp cloth or cloths to gently wipe up any released fluid. The body may release more fluid while being moved, so be prepared.

Place the body on a blanket or towel and wrap it up gently. If the weather is warm and you may be waiting for a few hours, wrap the body in a plastic bag, and carefully place the remains in a cardboard box. Your cat’s soul has moved on and in caring for his body, you are showing him one last time how very much you loved him. 

You can take your cat to your vet’s office for disposal or storage until you have the body cremated or buried. Many veterinarians will handle the cremation process for you.

Should I Cremate My Cat?

Whether or not you choose cremation is up to you. There are several options for the body including burial or disposal through a veterinarian’s office or the local animal control. Some people also choose taxidermy. Cremation gives you many options for honoring and remembering your pet. It’s also less expensive than burial in a pet cemetery. In the next section, we’ll discuss what to do with your cat’s ashes if you choose cremation. 

What To Do With Cat Ashes

If you've decided to cremate your beloved cat, here are a few ideas for what to do next. These ideas work can use all the ashes or only some, giving you the ability to choose more than one option. 

• Have a burial

Burials are a time-honored grief ritual and may impart a sense of closure for those who are grieving. Many people will bury some or all of their pet’s ashes. This gives them a specific place to come and visit their pet. And there may be a sense of peace that comes with returning your beloved cat’s body to the earth. Honor and mark your cat’s grave with a beautiful, granite memorial stone from the Living Urn. It’s designed to withstand all weather and can be customized any way you choose.

• Scatter the ashes

Ash scattering is another time-honored tradition for saying a final goodbye. This may be a good choice for a cat who loved the outdoors and was always roaming around. Scattering her ashes sends her on a final adventure. Like with a burial, it’s fully appropriate to have a small gathering and ceremony for the scattering. The Living Urn offers a beautiful and functional scattering urn for pets. The easy-to-use locking mechanism keeps the ashes secure during transport, even if you are scattering at different spots.

If you’d like to scatter your cat’s ashes over the water, the Living Urn offers cat urns for water scattering. This biodegradable urn can be written on by you and others who loved your cat. When placed on the water, it will float for several minutes, releasing the ash gently into the water. Scattering ashes on the water is a beautiful way to say goodbye and honor the memory of your cherished cat.

• Use an indoor cat urn

The Living Urn offers beautiful feline urns that will allow you to keep your beloved departed cat close by. Their bamboo cat urns are engraved with the image of a cat, your cat’s name, dates of birth and death, and a saying of your choosing. These graceful urns will compliment any home’s décor. 

For the plant lovers or the cats who were plant-eaters, the Living Urn offers a beautiful ceramic planter urn. This cat urn features an enclosed compartment for your cat’s ashes and another space for planting a gorgeous houseplant. Now your cat can spend his eternity next to his favorite toy and snack. 

The Living Urn also has a beautiful, artisan-designed wooden planter cat urn. The graceful lines of this urn speak to honor and vitality and have space for a small, but lovely houseplant on top. You can order your houseplants through the Living Urns award-winning nursery. 

• Turn them into a tree

With the Living Urn’s BioUrn for pets, you can grow a beautiful memory tree from your cat’s ashes. The Living Urn makes growing a tree easy and foolproof. It’s meant for everyone, even those who have a black thumb. This is especially meaningful if your cat loved trees, whether for climbing or napping under. Grow a lasting memorial for your cat today with The Living Urn.