What are the pros and cons of keeping your cat’s ashes?

When it comes to keeping your cat’s ashes, there are both advantages and considerations to take into account. Let’s explore them.

1. Pros of Keeping Your Cat’s Ashes:
   • Sentimental Value: Many pet owners find comfort in having their beloved cat’s ashes close by. It can serve as a memorial and a way to keep their memory alive. This positive and the one immediately below are the reasons why I have the ashes of my cats in an urn at home in the living room. I feel that it is comforting to me. This is a personal choice.
   • Personal Connection: Having the ashes at home allows you to connect emotionally with your cat. You can create a special space or memorial to honor their life.
   • Flexibility: You can choose a custom container for the ashes, whether it’s a simple urn or a more elaborate commemorative vessel. You can buy urns for pet ashes online for example. Amazon is probably a good starting point. I have an urn made in India in wood.
2. Cons and Considerations:
   • Safety Issues: While it’s not necessarily bad to keep your pet’s ashes at home, ensure that you use a proper container and store it safely. Consider whether curious kids or other pets might accidentally disturb the urn.
   • Logistical Challenges: Keeping track of the ashes can be challenging. Unlike a professional setting, where they are well-cared for, at home, they may not receive the same level of attention.
   • Grieving Process: Consider how having the ashes at home will impact your grieving process. Some people find comfort in this, while others may find it emotionally difficult.
   • Perhaps the biggest negative is that fact that there is no DNA of your beloved cat left in the ashes. This is due to the high temperature of the cremation which degrades the DNA to such an extent that it is not possible to identify a cat or a person once cremation has occurred. This was confirmed recently in the UK during an investigation into the alleged fraudulent behaviour of a funeral service company called Legacy Independent Funeral Directors. I have discussed this in an earlier post too.
   • Despite what I have said immediately above it is very wise to have an individual cat cremation. As least then you know for sure that the ashes are those of your cat.

Ultimately, the decision depends on your personal preferences and emotional needs. Whether you choose to keep your cat’s ashes at home or opt for a different arrangement, remember that there is no right or wrong choice—only what feels right for you.

The ashes of my parents and sister are in the attic! You can see the difference in the quality of the relationships that I had with my cats compared to my sister and parents. My cats have been far more important to me. This is not because I prefer animals over humans. It is just that I naturally end up with a far closer and meaningful relationship with a companion animal than with human relations no matter how close they might be.

RELATED: Cat Cremation Urns

At what temperature are the furnaces when pet cremations and human cremations are carried out?

The temperature at which pet cremations and human cremations are carried out varies, but it generally falls within a specific range:

1. Pet Cremations:
   • The pet cremation process typically begins by placing the pet’s remains into a cremation chamber.
   • The chamber is then heated to a temperature of approximately 1400°C to 1800°C (approximately 2552°F to 3272°F).
   • At these high temperatures, the pet’s remains are reduced to ashes, which are then collected and placed into an urn or other container.
2. Human Cremations:
   • When a human body is cremated, it undergoes a similar process.
   • The body is prepared by removing items such as pacemakers, prostheses, and silicone implants.
   • It is then placed in a container made of flammable materials.
   • The cremation chamber (also known as a retort) is preheated to about 1100°F (593°C).
   • Once sealed, the body is subjected to a jet-engine-like column of flame, which ignites the container and dries the body.
   • As the tissues burn and vaporize, the skin becomes waxy, muscles char, and bones calcify.
   • An average human body takes from two to three hours to burn completely and produces an average of 3 to 9 pounds (1.4 to 4.1 kilograms) of ash.
   • The amount of ash depends more on the bone structure than the person’s weight.

In summary, both pet and human cremations involve intense heat to transform remains into ashes, allowing loved ones to memorialize and honor their departed companions.

Sources: Cremation Resource, Pet Cremations, Bing, Science How Stuff Works, CGAA, My Pet’s Ashes and more.