I'm Curious: What Do You Do With You Piggies After They've Passed?

[BlueBird]

Sorry for being morbid on a Friday night.

Luckily I haven't had to deal with this in my mini-herd yet but it does play on my mind since my guineas are all rescues and we aren't 100% sure what ages everyone is and I just want to be prepared.

My problem is, I don't have a garden (unless you count having a few pots on a balcony). So the traditional method of simply burying them in the garden like I did with my pigs when I was a kid isn't really an option for us. Getting them cremated at the vets never to see them again seems so impersonal for our fur babies. But keeping them around the flat in urns is a nice thought but equally I think if they could comprehend the decision I think they would choose to have their bodies outside (somehow), preferably near something edible, under some yummy grass maybe?

Plus, my flat would slowly fill with urns if I was to keep them all. I'm sure that would be some majorly bad feng shui.

So I'm curious. What have you done with your pets after they have gone to the rainbow bridge?

 

[BlueBird]

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[Lady Kelly]

Mine get cremated but returned to me. I have two lots of ashes gone in the ground with a special bush to remember them by. 3 ashes have gone in a pot with the rose brought for me in memory of my dad. I have one to collect from the vets but unsure what I will do with her at the mo

 

[Wiebke]

Mine are now buried with a little flower arrangement from what is in bloom at the time in my garden in large pots that get planted over once they are full and have settled somewhat, irrespective of whether the piggies are buried as a body or come back home cremated in a sprinkle box.

Have you considered getting one larger vessel/container where you can keep and mingle all guinea pig ashes?
You will find that guinea pig ashes are just a tiny heap and don't take a lot of space without the 'packing'.

 

[DM030819]

I use an independemt crematorium and they have the option of scattering the ashes on site at their memorial wood. You have the option to go an visit at any time.

 

[rome_italy]

I would go to the countryside, very far from villages and houses, I would choose a place and I would bury the pet. This is what my father long ago did with his dog who was buried in the middle of a forest...
In Rome there is now a cemetery for pets, I don't know how it works...

 

[Wilbur&Otis]

I’m in a similar position - living in a small rented house with only a little back yard. I buried Otis in a big pot and chose a couple of plants that reminded me of him to go in the top. This was a couple of years ago now and I talk to the pot when I’m in the garden haha. When I lost Wilbur in Jan I managed to get the same pot so they are side by side again now. Only problem is if I continue keeping piggies I will end up with a garden full of these huge pots!

 

[Hoppity.K]

We got our piggy cremated, the vets organised it for us but it was expensive. (But we’ll worth it in my opinion)
If you bury you piggy in the countryside, please be aware that it is someone’s land and it’s always nice to ask the landowner first. Plus you would have to bury it deep down as foxes or other animals could unfortunately dig it up thinking it’s food. x

 

[rome_italy]

I’m in a similar position - living in a small rented house with only a little back yard. I buried Otis in a big pot and chose a couple of plants that reminded me of him to go in the top. This was a couple of years ago now and I talk to the pot when I’m in the garden haha. When I lost Wilbur in Jan I managed to get the same pot so they are side by side again now. Only problem is if I continue keeping piggies I will end up with a garden full of these huge pots!

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what a brilliant and cute idea! but... sorry for the question, where did you put the piggie before burying him in the pot? is he into a box?

 

[Wilbur&Otis]

No @rome_italy I put a layer of soil in the bottom, made a little well & lined it with hay. Popped in the piggie with a note, his fave veg and a little friendship bracelet of mine and then covered him with hay before putting in lots more soil and the plants.

Over time the soil level drops a bit anyway and putting him in a box with more empty space would make this worse.

We had beautiful flowers in Otis pot this summer and it made me smile every time I saw them.

 

[Merab]

I bury mine in our garden - carefully protected from any wildlife that might dig them up.
In our current garden there’s a lovely space by the raspberry bushes.