Final DestinationThe loss of a pet is without a doubt one of the hardest things to go through.
For many years these critters have been an integral part of the family. So much
that we almost take them for granted. Our life is better with them than without
them. I mean that literally. Studies show that pet owners tend to have lower
blood pressure, less sickness and fewer doctor visits. So, our pets give us
that un-conditional love without expexting anything in return, except a couple
bowls of food each day and a little attention. My wife and I have cats. It
seems we have always had cats. The week after we got married, 31 years ago now,
she brought home a kitten. "Crissy" was with us for 18 years! Along the way we
have had many more. No dogs, no birds, just cats. Mostly strays that wondered by
only to "strike gold" when they discovered that my wife is an old softie when it
comes to stray cats. I guess I am too. We even had one stray bring along her
enitre litter of kittens. It doesn't matter if your pet is a cat or a dog. A
horse or a goat. A hamster or a parrot. They are family. As humans, we take
pleasure in many things. We look forward to certain activities, hobbies, sports,
TV shows etc. But I have noticed with our cats that they seem to have two
highlights to their day. When we feed them and when we give them attention.
That's it. That's what they live for. I think you could make this case for
most pets. I realize that some pets do more. Like hunting dogs or race horses.
But as for most common house pets, their lives consist of eating and us. The
matriarch of our "pride", Toby, is content to spend the enitre evening cuddled
up in my wife's arm pit on the sofa. One of our newest additions to the family,
Hershey, can't get enough of having his feather duster like tail played
with. Certainly not a subject we like to think about, but one day they will
not be around. We have had to live through this many times. A few years ago,
one of our cats passed away from feline lukemia. This old boy really broke my
heart. One day at work one of my co-workers made the comment that," it's just a
cat..". That really got me to thinking. This old tom cat had no one else in
the whole world. No parents, no brothers or sisters. Nobody, except my wife and
me. We are all he had. Nobody else really cared that he was gone. But we sure
did. But you know, I think he was content with the fact that we were all he
had. I think he was happy that we were his family. I know his life would have
been much shorter and much harder without us. After our cat died, I started to
wonder what happens to them. Do they go to heaven? We sure want to think we will
see them again, but I wanted to know for sure. I got out my Bible and looked
for some evidence. First of all, animals can't sin. They do not have the free
will to choose to disobey God. Man on the other hand does have this free will to
choose. Animals do everything according to the instinct God built into
them. We know that God knows and loves our pets. Psalm 50:10..."All the
animals in the forest are Mine and the cattle on thousands of hills. All the
wild birds are Mine and all living things in the fields." Matthew 6:26..."Look
at the birds of the air. They neither sow nor reap,nor gather into barns. Yet
your heavenly Father feeds them. Isaiah 11:6-9..."Wolves and sheep will live
together in peace, and leopards will lie down with young goats, calves and lion
cubs will feed together, and little children will take care of them. Cows and
bears will eat together, and their calves and cubs will lie down in peace. Lions
will eat straw as cattle do . . . The land will be as full of knowledge of the
Lord as the seas are full of water." When the Word of God teaches us that
God's eternal plan is for "all creation" to be brought together under Christ
then it includes all wildlife too. When God says "everything", He means
everything - animals included. One more thing about this from a pretty smart
guy we all heard of. Albert Einstein said that everything is made up of energy.
Everything! He said that energy can not be created or destroyed, it just changes
form. Our pets will be in heaven. They are made up of energy which can not be
destroyed, even by death. The only thing that seperates anything from God is sin.
Since animals by nature can not sin, I believe that their enegy will continue
forever with God. Just like us.
So back to the subject we don't like to think about or plan for. When I was
a kid and one of our pets died, my dad would dig a hole in the back yard and we
would bury them there. Many cities, however, now have laws preventing the old
fashioned pet burial. There are pet cemeteries, but I really don't want my old
buddy buried in a big lot with a zillion other animals getting little if any
attention. One of the most popular methods of memorializing pets these days is
cremation. It is not very expensive and it provides a way for you to keep your
pet with you in your home. How Much Does Pet Cremation Cost? Most
crematoriums will offer several different options depending on the size or
weight of your pet. A weight of twenty pounds averages between $90.00 and
$350.00 depending on the option your choose. One option you should definately
consider is "private cremation". You will be given the option of having your pet
cremated privately(by itself) or along with other pets. If you want to be sure
to have your pet's remains and his alone, choose private cremation. Along with
the actual cremation service, most companies offer other options. You can choose
to have a viewing for your pet if you like. Also a memorial service complete
with memorial folders. Pet Urns The crematorium will offer you a
container of some kind to keep your pet's remains in. A Pet
Urn. They might not have an extensive selection. Take your time when
choosing a Pet Urn. Be sure it is well made from quality materials and
sturdy. Get an Urn that is big enough without being too big. A good rule of thumb is one cubic inch per pound. So if your pet weighed twenty pounds, get a Pet Urn that is at least twenty cubic inches. You might consider a Dog Urn or a Cat
Urn with a likeness of your pet on it. You can even have a brass nameplate
with your Pet's name attached to the urn. Horse
Urns are also available with small "statues" attached that resemble your
horse. Even if your pet is a Parrot, a Goat or even a Squirrel, there are many beautiful
urns to choose from. Over all, Pet cremation is a dignified way to keep your
Pet with you always. Please consider memorializing your Pet with one of my custom
portraits in pencil. Photographs of your pet are great, but a one of a kind
portrait done just for you will remind you of your friend everyday. Steve Ramer
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Pet Loss Books