The death of a beloved cat can be a difficult experience, in which its guardians must decide to bury the animal. The funeral ceremony of a cat is an important element of saying goodbye to a pet and moving into the grieving period. As part of the Esthima Academy, we explain what a cat funeral means and what it can look like.
A cat funeral by definition
A "funeral", according to the definition of the large dictionary of the Czech language, is a ceremony associated with the burial of a deceased person or animal. The dictionary of the Czech language adds one more meaning to the word "bury" – to definitely lose something.
The burial of a cat, like a dog or other animal, today means not only burial in a cemetery, but also cremation of the animal's body. It is also a farewell ceremony that allows the mourning period to begin.
Cat funeral in history
In 2011, during archaeological work in the ancient city of Berenike on the Red Sea, the remains of more than eighty domestic cats were discovered. A team of American and Polish archaeologists concluded that the nature of the burial of the 2,000-year-old cats suggests that they were buried with dignity and respect. At a time when animal mummification was part of people's burial rituals, Berenike cats died of natural causes and were buried separately, probably as pets.
"The find suggests that there was a cemetery for domestic animals at Berenike, not a deposit associated with a ritual religious burial. It seems to have been a unique place given the relationships between humans and animals. Creating cemeteries for animals is nothing new," explained Dr. Marta Osypińska, an archaeozoologist from the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, who participated in the excavations.
Funeral and mourning
Basia Czyżewska, editor of Vogue Polska, interviewed Anja Franczak, the first Polish guide to the lawsuit. The article raised the topic of the role of appropriate ceremony in experiencing loss. "A few decades ago, death was a part of life – older people were dying at home, their bodies were not repulsive. Family members washed their bodies, clothed them, and kissed them goodbye. Today, we are losing sight of the deceased – we are putting them in the hands of professionals. Rituals were associated with superstition, but they also helped to experience mourning. Today, without these tools, we are helpless to lose loved ones." The ritual of saying goodbye to the body, whether human or animal, can be crucial for moving into the stage of grieving after a loss.
Types of funeral
Conservationists who want to bury a cat can choose cremation or burial in an animal cemetery. Cemeteries for animals are supervised by the veterinary inspection to ensure sanitary safety. A list of them is available on the website of the chief veterinarian.
There are different types of cremations: in Esthima it is a premium cremation with a farewell ceremony, individual and joint (group) cremation.
Cat funeral in Kerberos
The process of cremation in Kerberos is agreed with the cat's guardian, and each cremation allows you to say goodbye to a beloved animal with respect. The animal is not anonymous and its guardians know what is happening to the body. They may be present during cremation in our facility.
Individual cremation ensures that the body of only one animal is cremated in the crematorium. After its completion, the ashes are placed in a cardboard urn and handed over to the guardians along with the certificate.
Funeral of a cat – why not in the garden
Awareness of an impending loss, whether due to the animal's illness or its age, can allow preparation for an appropriate farewell, which is useful in the grieving process, but does not protect us from difficult emotions. The decisions we have to make under stress can be ill-thought-out. It is good to know in advance what procedure is correct in a given situation and why it is not possible to bury an animal in the garden, in the forest, park, on the plot or in general in the ground outside the designated place.
Although it may seem that burying the body of a cat near the house is natural and allows you to maintain closeness with the pet, the separate burial of the animal in the ground is prohibited under Czech law unless all conditions such as the depth of the grave, the distance from the neighboring property and groundwater are met.
Burying animal carcasses in the ground is dangerous and has serious consequences for the environment and human health. The animal may have been a carrier of dangerous viruses or bacteria, and the infectious agents of a buried animal may pose a threat long after its death, even to humans.
Expectations from the funeral of an animal
In a survey conducted in cooperation with Psy.cz and Kočky.cz portals, we found that for 96% of respondents, the passing of a beloved pet is as painful as the loss of a loved one. 24% of survey participants admitted to organizing a funeral in an animal cemetery, and 21% would prefer to have a pet cremated.
How to say goodbye to a cat?
A timely decision about what to do with the body of a beloved cat can bring great relief during the parting period. Figuring out the animal's burial options can help avoid additional stress. Thanks to this, the guardian can calmly decide whether they want to have the animal cremated, receive an urn with ashes, or bury the cat in an animal cemetery.
The urn with the ashes of the cat can be placed in the animal cemetery, but also at home or in the garden so that the pet remains some kind of