Just A (difficult) Question...

[Tbag]

I do the same as @Lady Kelly and we bury the ashes in a large plant pot, usually with an azalea on top. That way we can take them with us if we ever move and we don't have sad collections of ashes in the house.

All of my guys have gone at the vets, either not surviving an op or pts so the vets always handle cremation for us but it does seem very expensive compared to figures that have been posted here.

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

Although we have great success here at TEAS, sadly there are times when temporary residents pass away whilst they are here with us. I always give the owner the choice of taking their piggy home to bury, and if they can't come immediately I am more than happy to freeze the body and keep in my freezer until it is a convenient time for them to collect. I always used to have the sanctuary piggies individually cremated with ashes returned for scattering, but have more recently have sent them for mass cremation, and their ashes are scattered with many others in the gardens of remembrance at the pet crematorium. I have many little boxes here, as I have had my pets cremated now for many years, and I have made the decision to scatter them this year, but keep the few that I wish to be scattered with me when I go.

 

[Critter]

I always go for burial but like you I hate to leave them in the cold outside, and when it rains I'm acutely aware that they're getting wet. Although it doesn't matter really as the piggy cannot feel a thing it upsets me to know they're getting wet! I've been thinking about cremation too, so it's an interesting thread for me personally.
The cost does come into it. I always have spare money for vets bills and have no qualms about spending it helping a living piggy, yet somehow once they're gone I would rather not spend a lot of money on a cremation. I think it is the way to go though, no more piggies getting wet in the garden and besides one day I will run out of suitable places in my flower border!

 

[Sue and Smartie]

I too find it hard to bury pet remains but can't afford cremation so it has to be done. I have buried quite a few in my garden but that is full now so I have started a little cemetery at the top of our field (where my get-away-from-everyone hut is). I find wrapping the body in something helps. My cats have their blankets, piggies get a shoebox full of hay, and if necessary I will put the body in the freezer until I have time for the burial. Every lost pet has a special plant for their grave.
I'm not keen on boxes of ashes, but I do like to make a memory box for every pet. It might contain their favourite toy, a snippet of fur, photos, that kind of thing.

 

[karonus]

We always bury ours, usually in a tin of some sort - I prefer Heroes or quality street, but with Star she had preferential treatment. A client deals in Saffron and recently had a large order with bags in tins. The tins werent required so I grabbed some. The 200gm tins were the ideal size for Star so she went with the smell of saffron surrounding her. All the graves are covered in concrete slabs as we are right by a nature reserve with foxes and badgers. When I get chance to do the garden properly they will be moved to a specific spot.

 

[MerryPip]

We always bury ours, usually in a tin of some sort - I prefer Heroes or quality street, but with Star she had preferential treatment. A client deals in Saffron and recently had a large order with bags in tins. The tins werent required so I grabbed some. The 200gm tins were the ideal size for Star so she went with the smell of saffron surrounding her. All the graves are covered in concrete slabs as we are right by a nature reserve with foxes and badgers. When I get chance to do the garden properly they will be moved to a specific spot.

A beautiful send off for a special girl.... Worth her weight in gold too

Much as though I struggle with it I think we will probably stick with burial so the boys can continue to be together in the garden. We will see what happens. Here's hoping I don't need to consider it for a while....

 

[Freela]

I looked into it when Linney passed away in January. It's far too cold to dig here in the winter months, so it was a matter of either saving her body for future burial (which bothered me a lot, for obvious reasons) or paying for the cremation. However, in Canada, the cost to have a pet cremated individually and then the ashes returned was really high, even for a little 2 lb guinea pig. There were cheaper options, but the involved mass cremation with lots of other animals and not having the ashes returned, and I couldn't handle the thought of that. Ultimately, although it still makes me cringe a bit, I wrapped her up in a blankie and put her in a box and put her in the bottom of our deep freeze. It's just now getting thawed enough for me to do a burial for her. It really bothered me to know she was there, but I won't have to open to box again and at least I'll know where she is once she's buried in the yard with my other pets.

Your comment about feeling bad about the cold and wanting to bring them in struck a chord with me... one of our pigs, Frenzy, passed away about five years ago, when my youngest was three. We had a funeral in the backyard, and a few hours later my three year old came up crying and said, "Can we please bring Frenzy back inside now?" Broke my heart.. I think she thought if we brought her back in she would be alive again.