Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Making decisions about burial
• Part 2 of 3: Burying your pet
• Part 3 of 3: Having a ceremony
• Tips

Losing a pet is never easy and it can be very difficult to say goodbye to your pet. Sometimes burying your cat and holding a ceremony can help cope with the passing. If you want to bury your cat, find out if you can do this in your yard. Choose a suitable place, as well as a box and a grave monument. You will have to put your cat in the box, dig a hole and then decorate the area. Having a place where you can visit your deceased pet will make it less difficult for you to say goodbye.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Making decisions about burial

1. See if burying your cat is allowed and safe. For many people, it is important to give their pet a final resting place, but you shouldn't just bury your pet anywhere. In principle, you can bury your pet in your own garden or in your own soil to a depth of at least 75 centimeters. However, there are municipalities that impose additional conditions. So it is best to contact the municipality before burying your cat to find out exactly what the rules are. You are not allowed to bury your cat in a public place such as a park.
   • Don't bury your cat near water. This can contaminate the groundwater.
   • Also, make sure you don't dig up cables and pipes in the ground. Choose a piece of garden that is far away from your home. If you come across cables while digging the hole, stop digging, fill the hole with soil again and choose another place.
   • If you live in a rental home, you are not allowed to bury your deceased cat in your yard because the yard is not yours.
2. Choose a place to bury your cat. Once you've figured out the rules for burying your cat, choose a place to bury your cat in your own yard.
   • You may want to choose a special or symbolic place to bury your cat. For example, if your cat was often near the wildflowers in your garden, that might be a good place to bury your cat. However, if your cat liked to play in the woods, you shouldn't bury it there. You may only bury your cat in your own soil.
   • Also consider the practical side when choosing a place to bury your cat. Of course you do not want a grave in a place in your garden where the grave is often walked over or where the grave will be disturbed. Choose a spot in your garden that you don't normally visit. If you have young children, choose a place where they don't play.
3. Choose a box. It's a good idea to choose a box or something else to put your cat in for burial. This is especially important if your municipality has certain conditions for burying pets. You may have to use a certain type of material because there are fears that the soil will otherwise become contaminated. Know that it is in any case not allowed to use plastic.
   • You can buy a box for a pet on the internet. If having a real box is important to you, this may be the right choice for you.
   • However, a box can be expensive. You can also bury your cat in something like a cardboard box. If your cat had a basket that he liked to sleep in, consider burying your cat in his basket if allowed by city rules.
   • If you don't want to use a box, you can always wrap your cat in a towel or linen bag before burial.
4. Choose a grave monument. There are many things you can use as a memorial for your pet's grave. You can purchase a memorial for your pet online that you can customize to include your pet's name and other details, such as date of birth and death. However, if you cannot afford this, there are other options.
   • You can collect rocks and boulders in your backyard and stack them near the grave. If it is important to you to have your cat's name on the memorial, paint your cat's name on a larger stone.
   • If your cat loved a particular plant, consider placing a plant near your cat's grave. You can also plant something bigger like a tree.

Part 2 of 3: Burying your pet

1. Bury your cat as soon as possible. It's best to bury your cat before the body starts to decompose. Ideally, you bury your cat the day it died or the day after. Especially during the warmer months, it is important that you bury your cat quickly.
   • However, if your cat dies in winter, it is not always possible to bury it quickly. The ground may be frozen. In that case, ask your vet if he can keep your cat's body until you can bury your cat.
   • You can also wrap your cat in a towel and place it in a Styrofoam container filled with ice. However, only use this method if you want to keep your cat's body for several days before burial. You can't keep your cat's body like this for the long term.
2. Gather your supplies. You will need certain materials and tools to bury your cat. You can buy most things at a hardware store near you if you don't already have them at home. You need the following:
   • Gloves
   • Spade or shovel
   • Twine to tie around the box or crate
3. Place your cat in the crate of your choice. Wear gloves when burying your cat's body. You can bury your cat along with its favorite things if you wish. For example, you can wrap your cat in its favorite blanket. You can also put your cat's favorite toy in the crate with him or other items your cat loved.
   • Make sure to tie the box with string after placing your cat in it.
4. Dig a hole at least three feet deep. Make sure the hole is deep enough so that predators don't dig up your cat's body. Make sure to make the hole wide enough to accommodate your cat's crate.
   • Do not forget to stop digging immediately if you see cables and pipes. Fill the hole and find another place to bury your cat.

Part 3 of 3: Having a ceremony

1. Have a short ceremony. Many people say it helps to have a ceremony when burying your cat. Before burying your cat, say something briefly, sing a song, or recite a poem.
   • Consider inviting friends and family members to say goodbye to your pet.
   • A ceremony can help a lot, especially for young children. You can encourage them to collect items that will remind them of their deceased pet. They can put these items in the ground along with the cat's box.
2. Lower your cat into the hole and fill the hole with soil. After you have said something briefly, carefully lower your cat's box into the ground. Fill the soil with the soil you dug up. Make sure to press down on the soil you put in the hole. This way, predators cannot dig up your cat.
3. Place the grave monument. Don't skip this. You may not find it important as a symbolic gesture, but a grave monument ensures that the grave is not disturbed. If you bought a grave monument, put it on the grave. If you're using rocks or other materials, pile them up in your cat's final resting place.
   • If you are planting anything in the ground, make sure to put something heavy around the bottom part of the plant to keep predators away.
4. Decorate the grave. When you have placed the grave monument you can start decorating the grave. You can use temporary decorations such as flowers and plants.
   • If you have young children they may want to decorate the grave. You can encourage them to do things like write notes to the cat or draw pictures to put near the grave.

Tips

• If it is not possible to bury your cat, you can have your cat cremated and scatter its ashes somewhere.
• Find out in advance where you can scatter the ashes. Many municipalities have rules for this. Pet crematories generally have a special scattering field where you can scatter your cat's ashes. However, you can also choose to put the ashes in a box or urn and keep it in a safe place.