# is it sick and twisted?



## CurlyQRexluver (Sep 6, 2012)

That I am so in love and obsessed with my 2 cats that in like 15 years when they pass I will probably go to a taxidermist and have them made into lamps or something :shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock:


Fur reals though... I can't imagine ever burying or cremating them... 

My husband says I love them more than I love my kids...which isnt true... I love them exactly the same! :heart

So am I a complete weirdo since I have the intention of stuffing my cats when they die?


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## builder (Sep 2, 2012)

Well I’m speechless. I know that it is done a lot, but I’m not sure it’s for me


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## coyt (Jul 15, 2012)

Yipes. Well. If an animal is are dying naturally rather than killed to be stuffed, then I personally don't see an ethical issue there. Whether it's weird or not, well, I guess that's a matter of opinion XD It seems weird to me, but hey, there's things I like that seem weird to other people.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Personally, I couldn't do that. It wouldn't BE MowMow, just an empty (and pretty creepy, imo) shell. The essence of what makes him MowMow wouldn't be there.

If I wanted something that LOOKED like him but wasn't really him I could just get another cat the same color, also I think I would find it sad to have to see it and miss him all the time. wishing he was back.


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## jusjim (Jun 30, 2009)

One of the saddest visions that springs to my mind when I think of taxidermy is the stuffed Dalmatian in a store window all dressed up. Every so often the accessories would change. It was sad because I guessed the original owner had passed on. We don't preserve our human loved ones that way, why would we do it to animals?

An album of nice photos, though, is, I think, a better idea as it stimulates memories of the living animal. I like to look at Zenobi's photos now and then even though it makes me sad.


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## binkyhoo (Feb 16, 2003)

If you want to, but my gosh thats sad.


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## minikin44 (Aug 25, 2012)

I think it's make me cry all the time... I have enough trouble with my dog's urn


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

I'm leaning towards cremation. Then I'd like them scattered with my remains so we're together.


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## scottd (Jun 28, 2011)

I have decided to have our pets cremated. I think looking at my cat after she has died would just be too weird and stressful for me.

We've all decided that we will get a permit to bury my mom's dog's ashes at her grave. That is what she would want. In hindsight, I regret not having her cremated as it's always what we talked about but I let my grandmother make the decision. I would have just added his ashes to hers then.


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## maggie23 (Mar 10, 2012)

wouldn't be my cup of tea, either. i think it would freak me out more than anything because like someone else said, it would be like an empty shell. i would know her soul is somewhere else (if you believe in that kind of thing).

it's obsessive enough, i think, that after our first kitty passed, we were on hands and knees collecting every little bit of fur we could find while the tears were pouring out.

we definitely prefer the cremation route so we can spread them outside where her spirit can be free!:angel


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## binkyhoo (Feb 16, 2003)

maggie23 said:


> it's obsessive enough, i think, that after our first kitty passed, we were on hands and knees collecting every little bit of fur we could find while the tears were pouring out.


Yes. When Soo Wuzzieboo died. I could not wash the comforter on the bed for the longest time. Su sheddings. And when I finally did I cried.


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## Arianwen (Jun 3, 2012)

I'd hate it but that doesn't mean that it's necessarily wrong for you. I would find it a constant source of pain. I believe that the real essence of a dead animal is elsewhere - where I will eventually meet up with it again but whatever my beliefs, I know I couldn't handle this. Most of my old pets are buried in the garden or in fields- since they changed the laws about disposing of horses, I have used a crem for them but A stuffed creature that looked like them but wasn't them would be terribly distressing for me.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

CurlyQRexluver said:


> Fur reals though... I can't imagine ever burying or cremating them...
> 
> My husband says I love them more than I love my kids...which isnt true... *I love them exactly the same*!


Ummmmmmm, I hope for your kids' sakes that you go first. :shock:


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## CurlyQRexluver (Sep 6, 2012)

marie73 said:


> Ummmmmmm, I hope for your kids' sakes that you go first. :shock:




yes. Because I would totally stuff my human kids. :fust


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## Wannabe Catlady (Aug 6, 2012)

It's definitely interesting... If it makes you feel better though, that's all that matters. We've always had our pets cremated, and then bury the ashes with a new tree, so it's more of a happy circle of life. 


Sent from my iPhone using PG Free


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## CurlyQRexluver (Sep 6, 2012)

Wannabe Catlady said:


> It's definitely interesting... If it makes you feel better though, that's all that matters. We've always had our pets cremated, and then bury the ashes with a new tree, so it's more of a happy circle of life.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using PG Free



Ive had one cat cremated, it makes depressed thinking off him as a pile of burned ashes in a box.... I keep the urn in the closet.


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## Penguin_Dreams (Sep 28, 2012)

If it's weird, I'm in the same boat. Before I lost him, I seriously considered having my previous cat stuffed in his favorite pose which looked so regal and commanding. But when he got sick it happened so fast and I was such a mess, I didn't have any kind of plan and it seemed a little disturbing to ask the vet for the body... and then what? Keep it in the freezer until I found a taxidermist? I was just so devastated from losing him that making any kind of decision seemed overwhelming. 

However, I'm now thinking Diva would make a beautiful little rug someday. Like a miniature version of one of those large game animals that might get put in front of a fireplace. I don't know that I'd actually do it, but the thought has crossed my mind.


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## Penguin_Dreams (Sep 28, 2012)

Arianwen said:


> Most of my old pets are buried in the garden or in fields- since they changed the laws about disposing of horses....


When did they change that law? And is that a state law, or national? I had one horse die on me and I feel horrible for not feeling worse when he had to be put down. He was my third horse and my parents bought him for me to be competitive at the local A show level. He was easily the highest quality horse I'd ever had hopes of owning. He had a nice disposition and was attractive and well trained, but I hadn't really had much of a chance to really bond with him before he colic'd, ruptured his intestine, and had to be put down.

I didn't feel bad about him dying... and I feel just awful about not feeling bad about that. I didn't really feel anything about it until I found out he wasn't buried on the stable property, but just carted away in the middle of the night to wherever dead horses go. That's when I started sobbing.

Sorry, that's probably less of a question, and more just me trying to get that off my conscience. It happened over 20 years ago and it still bothers me sometimes.


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

Any kind of dead animal; wall mounted, rugs, anything, puts me off. I think it's disrespectful, they're just seen as art/fashion/wealth indicator/bragging rights etc. and in general that sort of thing belongs in museums for educational purposes.

This put off feeling would be magnified a million fold if was done to an animal I care about. I do think it's a very weird thing to have done to your pet, one you love. It's not done to people, so why is it acceptable for your beloved animals? Also, not to mention very expensive. 

I feel the ultimate way to love them and honor them is to let them go back into nature the way we're all meant to or to scatter their ashes, not have their insides hauled out and their outsides lacquered with a billion chemicals in order to sit and collect dust for our sake.

I also don't think it's the healthy thing to do in order to move on. Just think if you did this for every pet you own... in your lifetime your house would be overrun with memories of pets, all stuck in one position. Pretty haunting.

Give me a nice framed photograph, album or a professionally done painting any day.


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## Penguin_Dreams (Sep 28, 2012)

Carmel, I don't see how it's disrespectful, though I can certainly see how it would be off-putting to many people.

When my previous cat had to be put down, the vet let me know of cremation options. There were various urns at different prices, all potentially containing the ashes of the one constant thing in my early adult life. Right there, in that moment, I decided that for me, it didn't make any sense. The cat, his personality, his quirks, his affection, his essence... it was gone. All that was left was an empty vessel and in that moment, it didn't much matter to me if it was cremated into ashes, turned into food, dissected and studied, or whatever. The life was gone from that body. The thing that made him important and valued was gone. At that point, what was to be done with the body was just a pragmatic issue.

So I look at my two that I have now and their physical bodies have no bearing on how I feel about each of them. It's just a container that holds whatever it is that makes them different and unique, and loved. Hopefully it will be a very long time before I have to do deal with their passing, but it will happen someday, and when it does... well, Diva is quite attractive and has a luxurious coat. It's not about either honoring or disrespecting her once her life is over, but about having something beautiful and unique that was earned through care and service. It wouldn't change the fact that this little girl that I love, with all her wonderful and irritating qualities, her strong will, her intelligence, and her affection, would be gone. So why not take the part she left behind and make it into a piece of art or fashion? It's not like it would change the time we had together or take away the pain of losing her.


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## Kittybuns (Sep 19, 2012)

If that's what you want to do and don't think it will make it harder for you to recover after your deaths, I don't see why you shouldn't. It is your decision completely and wouldn't hurt the cats or anyone else so I think you should disregard negative opinions. If your husband or kids (other people who share your home) are creeped out by the idea though, I think you should take that into consideration. I have thought about having my favorite bunny's skin cured or whatever after he dies, but the idea of his skin being cut off is really disturbing to me and I'm afraid I'd feel awful looking at it. Will probably clip off a bit of his fur (not the skin) and a few whiskers, then have him cremated, which is what I've done with my other bunnies who have passed away. It seems less invasive. Will do that with Declan too when he goes to kitty heaven.


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

Penguin_Dreams said:


> Carmel, I don't see how it's disrespectful


We'll just have to disagree...

The way I see it, while animals don't have the concept of taxidermy or any other concept of being on display, so it's not going against their _wishes_, it is disrespectful to the nature of things. It's not natural, and after you're gone, no one is going to care about the pet and what you've done with it in a meaningful way. It will likely just become a display piece of no importance. I would not want to be stuffed and lacquered/have parts of myself turned into something I'm not, to be stared at by people after I'm gone, and I don't think I know anyone that would. I will extend that courtesy to my pets. Since I love them a great deal, I am going to treat them as humanely as they can be treated, even in death... and people aren't treated that way, so my pets won't be, either.


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## Arianwen (Jun 3, 2012)

Penguin_Dreams said:


> When did they change that law? And is that a state law, or national? I had one horse die on me and I feel horrible for not feeling worse when he had to be put down. He was my third horse and my parents bought him for me to be competitive at the local A show level. He was easily the highest quality horse I'd ever had hopes of owning. He had a nice disposition and was attractive and well trained, but I hadn't really had much of a chance to really bond with him before he colic'd, ruptured his intestine, and had to be put down.
> 
> I didn't feel bad about him dying... and I feel just awful about not feeling bad about that. I didn't really feel anything about it until I found out he wasn't buried on the stable property, but just carted away in the middle of the night to wherever dead horses go. That's when I started sobbing.
> 
> Sorry, that's probably less of a question, and more just me trying to get that off my conscience. It happened over 20 years ago and it still bothers me sometimes.


I'm in the UK and they have changed the law nationally here and you can no longer bury horses in fields even if you own the land. It really comes down to them either being cremated (which Is what I have done) or having the body taken to the local kennels to be eaten which I couldn't handle for my darligs even though I know it is a logical thing to do..


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## rightsaidfed (May 31, 2012)

whatever you need to do to ease your pain is the best thing for you to do. I couldn't personally do it, but that doesn't make it wrong.

To those saying that it's inherently disrespectful - I disagree. I agree with the concept of turning your pet into a household object, but so many of us hold very sentimental feelings towards important objects in our lives. Just as I wouldn't toss My grandfather's War medals into a moving box only to uncover them all gross and dusty years later, I'm sure someone who has their pet preserved in this way wouldn't just toss it in a corner to collect dust. We lovingly look on objects to remember how they made us feel, and I don't think preserving a pet is any different.

I would never do it because I would be sad and slightly creeped out, but I do see how someone could consider this to be a very positive experience and wanted to try to help make that clear in case others don't see this side of it.


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## dweamgoil (Feb 3, 2010)

I don't see anything wrong with it, either, as long as you can move on emotionally. Last year, I took in a kitten with FIP and he quickly downturned and passed. A month later, we had him cremated. He now sits in my livingroom.

I have had visitors ask about the urn and some are judgmental, some are not. Either way, it doesn't bother me because I know that he will always be with us as a beloved member of our family regardless of how short his time on this Earth was.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Whenever anyone talks about this it reminds me of the TV show Mama's Family. 

Jump to 7:23 in the video.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

CurlyQRexluver said:


> yes. Because I would totally stuff my human kids.


Note to self: CQR has no sense of humor.....


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

I personally don't see the difference. Why would you be willing to stuff the cat but not the kid?


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Kids are bigger, they'd cost more money....


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

True.


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## dweamgoil (Feb 3, 2010)

OK, If I had like Michael Jackson money, I'd totally get this:

Animal Mummy Gallery

Bling, bling!!!


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## CurlyQRexluver (Sep 6, 2012)

MowMow said:


> I personally don't see the difference. Why would you be willing to stuff the cat but not the kid?



My kids arent as cute.


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## coyt (Jul 15, 2012)

Okay so oddly enough I came upon this website

Stuffed Animal Pet Replicas

They will make a plush version of your cat. And apparently one of the options is to hold the ashes from a pet that has passed. Or you can just make a cute cuddly toy (or rocking chair?!) without having to skin the animal XD


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## 3furbabies (Dec 7, 2011)

I couldn't do it. Not because its creepy because I would cry all the time missing them. I plan on cremating all my animals(dog and three cats) and maybe getting a cabinet to put them and any future pets in with a picture In front of the urn. I am just afraid I would break down anytime I was in the same room as it. My animals are my babies and I get teary eyed anytime I think of them not being with me forever. :'(

Also, I don't think I could ever get any other cats/dogs that look the same as my current ones. I have all girls so next time probably have all boys... I don't want to be reminded of my past babies.


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## Dave_ph (Jul 7, 2009)

Your cats may not be in the best of shape whn they pass. Maybe not an image to preserve. I have photos instead


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

Dave_ph said:


> Your cats may not be in the best of shape whn they pass. Maybe not an image to preserve. I have photos instead


Good point, Dave. I think videos, however short or unremarkable, would be the best way to remember them. 

I guess I'm the only one like this, but when we lost Rookie, I rushed home and _got rid_ of every single thing of hers. The pain is so deep, that my compulsion was to rid myself of everything even remotely connected to her. I think I'd be the same with Murphy. It's just a defense mechanism, I guess, to keep myself sane while going through the piercing grief. And what the heck, I figured if we got another cat we'd want all new stuff anyway (which we did, 3 weeks later).


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## jadis (Jul 9, 2011)

My kids joke with me, saying that I love my heart dog Frosty so much that I'll probably have him stuffed when he dies. I would never really do that. I would imagine I will have him cremated and possibly have an artist do a nice memorial painting if I can stand to look at it, then try to find another dog with a great (and weird) personality like his.

I was surprised at myself this past spring when Pookie died at age 17...I went to put her picture out and I couldn't do it, her pics and her things made me feel bad. When I was looking for another cat I specifically wanted one that did _not_ look like her as well. I would have thought it would be the other way around but not for me.


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## 3furbabies (Dec 7, 2011)

jadis said:


> When I was looking for another cat I specifically wanted one that did _not_ look like her as well. I would have thought it would be the other way around but not for me.


This will be the same for me. I haven't lost any yet, but in the future I don't think I could even own another calico, tuxedo or blue point rag doll. I want another ragdoll but it will be the opposite (seal point male)


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## fizzletto (Oct 13, 2012)

I know that I couldn't deal with seeing my dead cats in front of me all the time. There is a company I know of that cremates your pet and then turns their ashes into a necklace/bracelet for you so that they can be with you all the time. I think that's what I'd do.


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## Penguin_Dreams (Sep 28, 2012)

coyt said:


> Okay so oddly enough I came upon this website
> 
> Stuffed Animal Pet Replicas
> 
> They will make a plush version of your cat. And apparently one of the options is to hold the ashes from a pet that has passed. Or you can just make a cute cuddly toy (or rocking chair?!) without having to skin the animal XD



That is amazing! Now I really wish I had better pictures of my previous cat. Some of those are incredibly realistic.


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## dlowan (Jul 13, 2012)

Hi Curlicue,

I think it's pretty wacky to want to stuff your cats, but if it makes you happy and doesn't freak out your whole family, what the **** does it matter what I think?


Now to the important stuff! You have Rexes? Cornish or Devon? I am in thrall to my two crazy Cornish and I'd love to hear about other's!


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## binkyhoo (Feb 16, 2003)

As someone who lives with a great amount of taxidermy, my family is a bit into the mounts, I doubt that any pet will ever look like it was. It might be the pelt but not the face.


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## Arianwen (Jun 3, 2012)

With you, binkyhoo! My aunt had all sorts of stuffed animals about (mainly hunted) but that was just sooooo different!!


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