Final Resting Place For Your Sweet Bunnies

[Miyuki]

Hello all, I don’t want to stir up any kind of negative energies or anything but I was just wondering what you chose to do with your bunnies after their passing.  Maybe it is too personal of a question…  I know I think too much… but I’m pretty much at the point where I have to decide when to put Inkblot to sleep.  And I’ve read that if possible you should try to make arrangements for pets.  This is my first rabbit/pet so I really don’t know what happens after.

I hope I’m not offending anyone by posting this here.  I wasn’t sure where a good place to put this was.

[jerseygirl]

I think this is the appropriate place for your question – and a good question too.

It’s something I’ve thought on from time to time and it is tricky to find something you feel is a fitting resting place for your pet. I’d be interested to hear others responses too. I did read that Scooter and Annette had Reno, who past recently, cremated. She was put with one of their other bridge bunnies. It’s really a personal thing, what you choose, but it’s good to look at what options there are so you find something your comfortable with. I am so sorry you are facing this difficult decision.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

We laid Kokanee in my parent’s garden. But I think if I’d been able to think about it more I may have chosen cremation. I think it’s nice you can put them in an urn and always have it with you.

[Sarita]

I have chosen private cremation for all my rabbits that have passed on. The only problem I have now is what I want to do with all the cedar boxes that they come in. I have about 5 I think and I know there will be more. It feels sad to have a collection like this and I would eventually like to find a place to bury them – a friend of mine wants to go together and bury our rabbits remains (all cremated) at Best Friends Sanctuary in Utah which I think sounds like a nice peaceful place so I am going to look into that.

[Miyuki]

Hey all, thanks for your replies. I was looking into my options locally and we do have a few options here. I thought about the pet cemetery but it is actually kind of far since I don’t really like to drive. It is connected to a cemetery that I have relatives at though. Then there is cremation which I thought about more. Supposedly there is a crematory here that will pick them up and drop them off on Oahu so that might be helpful as they are quite a ways away from where I live. I thought about our yard… but in all honestly it is a big mess and I don’t think she’d be at peace in our yard of weeds heh.

So far I’ve got no plans to get another bunny in the near future so I suppose cremation wouldn’t be such a bad thing to do.

[MarkBun]

My girlfriend keeps the ashes of her past rabbits. Dr. Harvey does an amazing thing here where she sends a bereavement card along with a tuft of the bun’s fur wrapped with a ribbon bow.

As for myself, it may sound cold but I just turn the body over to the vet for disposal. My bun is already gone off to another, better place and neither of us have any need for the shell anymore.

[Sarita]

Actually Markus I understand how you feel and I have a friend that feels the same way – I don’t think it’s cold at all and I think it’s probably a healthier way to be…after all it’s the thoughts that count in the end and the memories.

[TARM]

I turn all of my animals over to the vet for group cremation. I don’t need to be collecting boxes full of animal ashes…I’ll never scatter them anywhere, though I am considering cremating one of my dogs when she passes. She’s my soul dog and I’ve never bonded with an animal the way I have with her.

[KatnipCrzy]

I like the option of cremation with getting the cremains back.  And from there it depends on personal preference and what your pet was like.  One of our cats that had to be euth- I buried his cremains on the farm where I got him from (my Grandparents farm).

I decided to have Penny cremated also and to get the cremains returned to me- I think I will plant either a rose bush or ornamental apple tree in our yard later in the year and bury her cremains at the same time.

I live in a subdivsion so I am sure that burying a dead animal is probably illegal- and cremains give me time to plan as there is no urgency.  Plus areas of our yard are clay under the topsoil- so I am not sure if we would be able to dig a hole deep enough for a body- but the whole does not have to be as deep for cremains. 

There are quite a few keepsakes that can use a small amount of the cremains- such as glass bead necklaces that are custom made, and also (more for dogs and cats) a paw print pendant that uses enamel and a tiny portion of the cremains in the finishing process-  http://www.puppypaws.com

[Miyuki]

Hi Katnip thanks for sharing. I think the rose bush or tree sounds like a nice idea. I’m sorry again about Penny’s sudden passing.

[Binkles]

Binkles is buried in my backyard. I’m the kind of person who likes to have a definite final resting place to identify a loved one with.

On top of her grave is a stone bunny statue (which we think looks uncannily similar to her) and next to it is a cement stepping stone I made with her name, dates, and a mosaic of her with a rainbow and a cross on it. I lined her grave with smooth river rocks and planted a gorgeous bright pink crepe myrtle right behind it. Binkles’ crepe myrtle. It really is pretty memorial. Maybe I’ll post pictures some time.

Anyway, I also bought a little ‘urn’ heart necklace and placed a lock of her fur in it so I’ll always have a little bit of her with me.

But..

Please only read on if you are the mood for some tragedy/ disturbance..

The ONLY reason I now regret this is because…well…our town (my childhood home..) is being quickly destroyed by development, has been for the past twenty years but it’s recently exploded in development in the last five or so. It’s a narrow peninsula in Florida surrounded by water on three sides, so naturally they want (and have succeeded) to turn our cozy little fishing village into a resort town. They’ve just gotten through buying up all the property behind ours in order to put a new main thoroughfare through..

..which means that undoubtedly at some point within the next ten or twenty years, our property will either be bought up or taken by imminent domain to build commercial property..

…..

..so as ghastly as it is (and damn traumatizing to have to deal with within the same year of her passing) I’ve had to consider exhumation and relocation. But I don’t know. As much rain as we get here that modest little wooden box may well be completely obliterated. Hindsight 20/ 20, I would have probably opted to have buried her in a pet cemetary, even though there are none close by. At least I would have a definite, final final resting place for her.

If that beautiful crepe myrtle is ever gone, I’ll know..

[ScooterandAnnette]

Yes, we have Reno’s ashes in with Keiran’s.  Keiran’s were placed in the smallest urn the pet crematorium in Edmonton had, and it’s just way too big for a little bunny.  It’s probably too big for a cat actually.  The crematorium in Winnipeg had the tiniest little urns that I’ve ever seen, and we did contemplate getting one of those for Reno but decided that a) we didn’t want to start a collection of urns on the mantle and b) we rather liked the idea of her ashes being with Keirans, so at least they’d be able to keep each other company.  Yeah I know it’s kind of weird in a way.

If we’d had longer with Keiran I’m not sure that we would have kept his ashes, but we had so very little time with him and we just weren’t ready to say goodbye.  And now it just seems like the right thing to be able to keep them with us in some fashion.   I think that the guy from the crematorium said that with Reno the urn is only about 1/3 full, so we’ve got plenty of time before we have to find something else to do with them.

Just as a note, they had some other pretty unusual options for pets.  One of them was a dual-purpose end table/casket.  Yep, you read that right.  When your pet is alive it functions as an end table with a little bed in it for them to nap, and then later when they’re taking their forever nap you just take the dowels out and voila, instant casket.  Somehow I just can’t see having that in the livingroom and saying oh yeah that’s what we’re going to be burying little Fluffy in once she crosses the bridge…
This is a picture of it:

That’s the owner’s dog modelling it, lol.

I think we’ll stick with the little urn on the mantle.  I do have to say though that if we didn’t already have just a plain white one I’d probably be looking at getting one of their brass “going home” urns.  I think they look quite nice.

– Annette

[BinkyBunny]

I get the cremains back in a beautiful little wooden box (redwood I think) – it has a little brass plate with my bunnies name on it.

I will eventually put there ashes somewhere, but right now because we rent, I am going to wait until we have a permanent place of residence before I do that.

[KatnipCrzy]

That is what I struggle with too- is a permanent resting place.  I figure at some point my Grandmothers farm might be sold and even my Mom’s house if something were to happen to her- I would not move back to my hometown.

It has been about 3 years since we lost our first pet- and I think the discussion has made me realize that I might be ready to let her cremains go now.  I just need to find something that is special enough and has emotional meaning. 

Penny loved apple branches- so that is why I am considering some type of apple tree or ornamental apple tree- we have a small yard- so I would have to figure out where to place it.  But my other concern is that I DO NOT have a green thumb at all- either plants thrive due to luck and location or they die.  But I think I am just going to have to go for it and hope for the best.  I am such a softie that I would consider the death of the tree or plant to be a negative thing and not honoring to my pet and I would feel bad.  I have to say- I wish in that respect I was more like Markus and able to not place such sentimental meanings on physical things- body, cremains, memorial plant/tree. 

[MarkBun]

Posted By KatnipCrzy on 04/16/2009 08:59 AM

 I wish in that respect I was more like Markus and able to not place such sentimental meanings on physical things- body, cremains, memorial plant/tree. 

 

Heh, sometimes I actually put too much meaning on things.  It’s also one of the reasons I do what I do.  I know my pets wouldn’t want me to get sad everytime I passed an urn or a tree I planted them under.  Although I never forget them, a constant reminder does wind up making me a sad bunny dad.

[ScooterandAnnette]

Scooter here.  I’ll add also that Keiran was the first pet that Annette and I as a couple have lost.  We bought a little garden statue of an angel holding a bunny from a nursery in memory of him.  A photo of it is below. We need to repaint it but it sits in the garden and comes back in at the end of the season.

Not sure if we’d ever do this, but another possibility if you have oodles of money is to convert some of the cremains into a gem-quality diamond.  LifeGem does this (http://www.lifegem.com) and will also work with pet cremains if they have enough to work with.

[MimzMum]

I am very fortunate as, living on my own property here in Alaska-where rules are not so strict as in suburban/urban/city areas, all our dear pets we brought with us from California and the ones we have loved and lost here are buried in a small copse behind our house, so they can be close to each other and us even in death. I too, Sarah, have worried however, that if we ever lose ownership of this place that, with the fact that the ground is frozen and most likely any remains will take more than one lifetime to decompose, someone who may develop this property further might disturb them all.

I agree also with Markus…the life is in the soul of an animal or person, and once the soul leaves it seems kind of unnecessary to hang on to the shell in any form…but I can’t say I would have the strength to just give over my pets remains to the vet or whoever to dispose of. I prefer to take the task on myself.
It is good to have somewhere to visit when one feels the need to commune. But I like to think I can do that anywhere. My grandfather used to say that no energy is ever wasted in this universe…and he wanted me to remember that after he was gone, (he was cremated and his ashes were spread in the Pacific Ocean), that I could just take myself to a quiet place anywhere, preferably by the water, and he would be there with me. I like to think it is so.

[Binkles]

Personally I feel Binkles everywhere. (I mean I know she’s not literally there, just that she is always in my heart and perhaps looking down at me from heaven.) But I do enjoy going out to visit her grave every once in a while. I always leave feeling very refreshed.

..Actually there’s a story that goes along with this too.

And this is only for you religious ones, or the ones who otherwise believe in an afterlife for animals. The rest of you will just think I’m crazy and desperate, but that’s okay. I’ve been holding off sharing this story with you guys for a while now, just because it’s so larger-than-life, and unbeleivable, even for me. But it happened..

One day not long after Binkles passed, I was out kneeling down at her grave, crying my eyes out like a mad woman and stroking the ears of the little bunny statue there. I knew that my wallowing wasn’t doing her any good, and it wasn’t doing me any good, but, you know, I couldn’t help it. Then -swear to God- I heard a noise from somewhere behind me that could or could not have been interperated as “Sarah”. I almost didn’t acknowledge it, because it was silly to think that someone had actually said my name; no one was home, nor were the neighbours. I thought that it surely must have been just the wind or something you know. But after about twnety seconds of contemplating and rationalizing it, I turned just too see, and for some reason when I did, my eyes didn’t fall to the ground or house or anything normal like that; they immediately fell UP to the sky on a cloud..

..that looked just like a bunny.

It was wild. I’d never had any real supernatural/ divine experiences like that, but I’m convinced that this was one of them.

[jerseygirl]

Thanks for sharing that. That’s beautiful – don’t worry if anyone thinks it’s crazy, if it gave you peace at that time, then that’s all that matters. Oh and so you don’t feel too alone in this, I sometimes here my name called out, clear as a bell, when ‘no-one is there’.

[MimzMum]

Sarah, I completely empathize with your experience. I cannot tell you how many I have had like that. I realize I can be fanciful at times and definitely have an imagination that can be a curse and not a blessing…but having been through things like this, there is not doubt in my mind that someone called your name. I’m certain of it. *nods*
Little glimpses of heaven. If we were given long ones, of what use would be faith? (((((hugs)))))))

[Lisa_43]

When my pets pass I have them cremated, they put them in a box with and a plaque with what you would like to say on it, I then bury in the garden out the back . I like to think they are surrounded by nature.

[2lops]

We buried Delilah in the far right corner of our backyard. She died around the start of October (Sept 29th) so we couldn’t really do anything special… but since it’s warming up I’m going to make a garden over the burial. I bought a rusted mountain iron memorial stake off ebay (they had “uppie” eared rabbit stakes as well as lop eared).

(pic from ebay)

I just love it.. for some reason I think it resembles her chubby little body so well.
Once I’m finished the garden I’ll put the stake in too.

*sighs* she was such a great rabbit.

I remember seeing a jewel booth at a fair once, you can convert your pets DNA into a necklace or something.. honestly I think this is actually a good idea. They’re just tiny little capsules on a necklace that will remind you of your pet..

http://www.perpetua.us

They’re fairly expensive like the “life gem” thing mentioned by Scooter. But hey. It’s something special. A pet only passes once. If you move from your house (that you buried your pet at) or have your pet cremated and put the ashes somewhere, you may sometimes feel even farther away from your pet.

[jerseygirl]

I like that 2lops!

House Rabbit Society has this ref on it’s homepage at the moment  

Memorial Gallery Pets, a company that makes memorial jewelry for pet owners, has just created two new rabbit memorial necklaces. With the purchase of an up eared rabbit or lop eared cremation jewelry pendant, a percentage of profits are donated to HRS. Be sure to enter HRS in the order notes so that HRS gets a donation from your purchase.

 memorialgallerypets.com

[Miyuki]

I also like your bunny stake 2lops! I was just looking at that website. They have an urn with a rabbit figurine http://www.memorialgallerypets.com/…abbit.aspx and you can choose several different rabbit colors. I think that’s nice. Most times you only see cats and dogs.

I also saw the two pendants and I like the lop one (even though I’ve never had a lop!).

[Spacehopper]

Bettie Bean was laid to rest in my parents garden yesterday, with a picture of Brian Bubblebum in with her for company. And in a patch next to my childhood bun Saffy. Now we are trying to find a nice ornament to go on top before the patch blooms with lovely colourful flowers.

[Miyuki]

Sadly, the reason why I started this thread has finally come. I have opted for private cremation. I’m not sure what kind of urn they will be giving me but I’m sure whatever they choose should be fine. I’m not sure where she will go. I had a custom figurine made. You send in pictures and they try to sculpt your pet with 60% – 70% resemblance to the photos. The urn and the figurine will probably be put somewhere together.

Spacehopper – Your garden sounds wonderful! Hope you find an appropriate ornament!

[BinkyBunny]

miyuki – again I am so sorry. I would be interested in photos of the figurine (if you want to share).  What company does this?.

[Miyuki]

I don’t mind sharing!  I will have to go and take photos of the figurine.  I had it done through http://www.unusually.com.sg/.  I didn’t do mine through the website though.  I emailed them and founder told me they could do a rabbit and from there he asked for the photos and sent me a link to a PayPal payment.  Within a week he emailed me proofs of the figurine asking if I wanted any final touches.  It is a pretty penny though.  I originally saw this doggie sample unusually.com.sg/shopping/product_info.php and I thought it might be nice.

I will try to get some pictures up tomorrow!  I am a little tired now that I just spent the last hour looking for an urn because the tin one from the crematory has a horrible flower design on it !

[sibley]

The iron stake is very cute. I like the info here. I was thinking, what do people who live in apartments do when their pets die? I looked it up for my city. You call the city and then put your pet in a box or a bag between the road and the sidewalk and they’ll come by and pick it up within the day. I wouldn’t want to leave my pet out there like that, that’s terrible =(

 

EDIT:  I’m also super grossed out by the dna… giving them a drop of blood to get the dna with is ick, and the dna reminds me of that movie where they clone the dead dog… 6th Day I think.. with CA gov  …  I think I’d opt for a pet cemetery or maybe sneaking into a park and burying in a wooded area.  Then getting one of those nice non-dna necklaces.  My religious views make me uninclined towards cremation… plus I took a class once and we went into a crematorium.  Nowadays the fire department is frequently present because large people create grease fires =/

[Miyuki]

Here are some photos of the figurine that I had made.  It probably would’ve been better if I had pictures from all angles of her in the same position.  But it turned out okay.

 

[bunnytowne]

OH my Miyuki you  made a beautiful figurine.   I thought something had happened since you had hay you wanted to send out. 

You know this is a good idea. asking about what to do with remains.   After Laith was whatever you call it after death and they are cut into and looked at to see how the organs were and what was wrong with him.    AFfer that hubby put him in the freezer.  I found him a few months ago.

I didn’t want to bury him here.  I put him in the garbage.  Sounds bad I know. I figure even with myself that the life force is gone when we pass on.  The body is no longer needed or useful.    Actually I really didn’t know what to do with it.  The back area is wooded and weeded and ugly.  I didn’t want him there.  I guess where his body went is just as bad tho.

I had dreams with Laith that he forgave me his passing and that certainly helped.  I felt bad for putting him down but he was in pain and hunched up a lot.

Having found out about creamation for pets I might look into it.  I dont’ know if it would make me sad having the remains in a little urn or not.  I could try it and see.  That is in the future tho.  Hopefully my little darlings will live long and healthy lives.

And Miyuki I sure hope you are able to get another bunny.  I know it hurts right now. In time perhaps you will. 

[kralspace]

I think this is a good thread. Sad, yes, but something we have to think about and I’ve valued reading everyone’s decisions.

I used to bury all our pets in the yard by the roses, it was outside of the fence so my nosey dog couldn’t investigate and unearth anyone. It’s been almost 6 years since I lost anyone and our neighborhood has changed. People let their dogs and cats run loose and they get into everything now.

I think I will have my furbabies cremated and bury/scatter their ashes on our gravesite. My husband passed away in 2003 and our cemetary is absolutely beautiful, large overhanging oaks, thick grass, well taken care of. You can sit out there on a nice day and see wild bunnies, songbirds, hawks, squirrels everywhere. Beside just being an awe inspiring location, they really will be waiting for me 😉

I agree with Sarita, it’s scary to go home at 3 cats (5,12 and 17 years old), 18 year old dog, 4 & 1 year old piggies, 6 rabbits ranging from 7 to 2 yrs old. I always hold my breath if someone is slow to come greet me. I was owned by my horse for 33 years. I finally had to put her to sleep in 2001 at the age of 49 and that was unbelievably hard. I got her when I was 16 and lost her when I was 49 (I laughed about us being the same age)

Again, thanks for bringing up a necessary subject, it’s really helped me.

[Mr.Bill]

When Trixie passed we laid her to rest in our backyard. She had one favorite spot she’d always run to when we let her out with us. It was just a small dip in the back corner. Nothing special. Nothing but grass. But she always spend her time there. So it just seemed right to lay her to rest there. We wrapped her in her favorite blanket.

Scamp, my dog, isn’t doing too good. He’s 12 this year and has just recently been stricken with a neurological disorder which leaves him constantly acting like he’s dizzy and stumbling to the side. Our vet said there’s nothing more that can be done other than giving him motion sickness medicine. We’re going to tuff it out as long as he can stand it, but when his time comes I believe we’ll have him cremated. There’s a swimming hole I always take him to and he just loves it every time we go. I know burying him there isn’t an option, but spreading his ashes there would be.

[LillyBear]

I am very glad for this thread as tonight I have to decide what to do.. i feel like id like private cremation.. but i really just dont know what to do..

[BinkyBunny]

Miyuki – that is a beautiful figurine!  Reminds me of a figurine that Mimzmum and her daughter made for me to honor Rucy.  I have it sitting on a shelf in the bunnyroom near Rucy’s urn.

I had buried my first bunny, Forrest, but since then I really will always do the cremation because I can figure out a better resting place especially since I may not always be at the place I live.

These are the urns that I get back from the vets  – I am waiting  to figure out what to do with the ashes exactly, but for now the little cedar boxes are pretty and I like having them in the bunnyroom. Makes me feel closer to Rucy and Bailey. (sort of morbid, I know).

And then my husband bought me this little Fairy Bunny Keeper Figurine box in a local gift shop.. This is where I put Bailey’s fur that the vet had tied in a little yellow silk bow for me.  I wish we would have done that with Rucy’s fur, as I would have added it in the little box. I don’t know why I didn’t even think of it. I think I was just so shocked…it just passed me by.

[ScooterandAnnette]

Scooter here. Binkybunny, that is a very pretty figurine, and I really like the tuft of fur tied in a ribbon. I wish we’d thought of that for Keiran and Reno, but we can do that for the rest when their times come. It’s definitely a lot easier to have something from “real” than ashes.

We’ve never opened ourselves the urn where Reno’s and Keiran’s ashes are held, and in fact asked them to seal the lid shut with silicone gum when Reno’s was added. That way it can be opened if and when we add more, but it won’t slip open. I guess I just don’t want to see the ashes themselves. And besides, it looks like, well, grey powder. Hard to remind oneself of the bunny compared to the fur in a ribbon!

[Miyuki]

Those are pretty boxes BB! The one I got was… bad. I didn’t want to see the ashes so I just took the little container and slipped it into a bigger urn which is actually a photo cube. That’s also a nice little figurine box!

[jerseygirl]

BB, your vet is awesome – how thoughtful!

I can across these websites yesterday – some more options. It’s 7 links that come under the heading ” Urns, Memorials, Keepsakes ” halfway down the page. Sorry, it is in amoungst alot of other shopping websites. homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/rabshop.html

[Author]

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