I have become morbid! This has been brought about by reading an article in the Times newspaper in which they report that “Germans are laid to rest beside pets”.
My mind also turned to the original and first domestic cat that we know of found lying in a grave next to his/her human companion, in Cyprus. They were buried around 9,500 years ago. Surely it’s completely natural for a person to be laid to rest with her pets?
In Germany, two pet cemeteries have agreed that pet owners’ remains can be buried alongside those of their animals.
A spokesperson for the German Cemetery Association, said:
“We have been approached time and again for this service and so we are now obliging.”
The first cemetery providing the service is in a town called Braubach. The other is in Essen. More pet cemeteries will follow. Currently the rules stipulate that the pets and their owners must be cremated.
At the moment, the Evangelical church has so far rejected the idea of joint funeral services. I have never given thought to a joint funeral service. I suppose at one’s funeral service, which might well take place at a crematorium for people, your pets’ ashes could be brought along and, at the same time, your cats could mentioned at the service and then the ashes merged together into one. Then the ashes could be interred in the crematorium’s grounds or local pet cemetery if they are different places. Or they could be taken away by the executor of the deceased’s Will….
I intend to be cremated. I certainly want my ashes to be placed with the ashes of my cats. Currently, I’m minded to direct, in my Will, that the mixture of my ashes and those of my cats are taken to the Himalayan Mountains in Pakistan where they can be sprinkled from a high precipice, where they can be with the majestic snow leopard, my favourite wild cat, for eternity, without being disturbed.
That is extravagant. But it would make for a nice trip for the executor to my Will 😉 . He could treat is as a fully paid up holiday.
There is no reason why the ashes of the deceased’s cats could not be placed in the coffin if the person does not request cremation.
This is a follow up to a previous article on a similar subject.
I’ve left my body to medical science/transplants. When my consciousness is no longer inhabiting this body I don’t mind how it is recycled.
My godmother kept the ashes of her beloved pet dog and these were buried in her coffin with her.
As for me, I’m fine with being recycled into Soylent Green for cats (if anything is left after organ donation or medical science has finished with me).
Are you doing to direct in your Will that you are mashed up and made into cat feed!