Regarding ashes: we had our last cat individually cremated. When I went to pick up the remains, it was a tiny container, about the size of a loose tea can. Seeing our 20 year companion and huge part of our hearts reduced to such a small thing set off the tears. She sits on a shelf with a photo, near my wife’s old cat, Warlock, and her Samoyed, Kasha.
I’ve buried my deceased pets in the garden (it’s allowed here) and above the cat I have a stone statue of a cat that looks vaguely like him, and I let the grass grow wild around it.
Above the hens I have a cemented-in bird bath with an attached weathercock that is in the shape of a chicken (not all weathercocks are these days). Other hens will be buried near there. It’s in the hens’ area and I only grow fruit trees there or stuff in pots, so I can dig a little. I also put a goldfish there for lack of anywhere better, but put her in a jar with water. The birdbath does have water, after all.
For a larger pet that I couldn’t reasonably bury in my small garden I think I’d like another statue or something. An outside object where they liked to be.
I like the pawprints idea. I had the cats “sign” the baby’s birthday card, and they were amenable to it, so maybe I should do something about that now, while they’re well.
As for a tattoo - how about a tattoo of the pawprint? With some colour and delineation so it’s not just a blob.
I’ve loved all my pets, and they have gone in to various backyards.
But the dog before my current one was so special I didn’t want to put him in the backyard and someday not be able to “visit” him. I shelled out the bucks to put him in the pet cemetary. Hels got a nice stone with his name, age, and a line of Kipling on it.
I’ve got three guinea pigs buried in the flower bed along the side of the house. The location is marked with some decorative stones, partly as a memorial and partly so I don’t accidentally dig them up when we do our spring planting every year. :eek: