6yo DS's hamster died -- how should we dispose of the body?

[limabean]

This morning I noticed that my 6yo's hamster had died. DS is at school right now. I'm fine with telling DS that it happened (we lost our family dog a year ago so unfortunately we have experience breaking this sort of news), but I'm not sure how to handle disposal of the body.

I kind of want to get rid of it while he's at school, but I know he'll ask what I did with the body and I'm not sure how he'll feel if I say that I put it in the trash -- I want him to feel like his pet's body was respected, but I don't really want to do the whole yard burial thing. Any other ideas that might help him feel better about the way we dispose of the poor hamster's body? 

[SuburbanHippie]

I would put it in the trash and tell him you brought it to the vet if he asks.  There's really no good way to dispose of a pet and I agree that turning the backyard into Pet Cemetary isn't exactly the best idea.

[limabean]

Originally Posted by SuburbanHippie 

I would put it in the trash and tell him you brought it to the vet if he asks.  There's really no good way to dispose of a pet and I agree that turning the backyard into Pet Cemetary isn't exactly the best idea.

That's what I want to do but I didn't want to admit here that I wanted to lie to DS!  Thanks for suggesting this. 

[SuburbanHippie]

LOL.  I know what you mean.  Good luck!  :)

[abeliamama]

Why not bury it? We put it in a shoebox in the fridge until kid is home and ask if they want to be there or if they want us to do it for them.

Just curious if there is a specific reason a backyard pet cemetery is a bad idea or if you just don't want to deal with all of that!

We have been through a lot of gerbils and they only live two-three years so that's a lot of burials.

I guess you have already done it by now but if this comes up in the future, how about just take it to an empty wooded lot and place in some mulch. That would be more like it would happen in nature and seems respectful.

I feel this way about flushing fish, so I know what you mean.

[ollyoxenfree]

Originally Posted by abeliamama 

Why not bury it? We put it in a shoebox in the fridge until kid is home and ask if they want to be there or if they want us to do it for them.

Just curious if there is a specific reason a backyard pet cemetery is a bad idea or if you just don't want to deal with all of that!

Not the OP, but there are a few possible good reasons. We've lived in places where backyard burials aren't allowed by the municipality. The bylaw wasn't enforced much, but if you believed in following local laws, you needed to find alternatives. It's also a problem if the yard is shared space - multi-unit houses like semi-detached or duplex/triplex residences. Decaying bodies can attract scavengers. If you are concerned about your well water, burials on the property aren't always a good idea. Finally, there's an aesthetic - some people just don't want to live on top of a graveyard, even one for pets (read any Stephen King   ?) 

We buried a bunch of pets (gerbils, a dog) in one yard over the course of a few years, and I wonder what future owners will think if they ever dig them all up. 

[Dar]

I could see not wanting to bury a cat or dog, but a hamster is so tiny... the hole is no bigger than one you'd dig for planting a flower or something. Actually, sometimes we buy a little plant and bury it over the grave, but really all you'd have to do was dig down 6 inches or so, wrap the hamster in a few tissues, and then refill the hole, and maybe put a rock on top to dissuade digging (although we've never had that problem).

[limabean]

Originally Posted by abeliamama 

Why not bury it? 

I didn't want to bury it in the yard because we're redoing our yard soon and I wouldn't want to accidentally dig it up in the process because it'd be upsetting for DS. 

We did end up burying it in the woods (probably illegal, but oh well). The kids each made a little note and buried those along with it, and sprinkled in a few flowers and DS said a little prayer. I think DS felt good about the way the whole thing went, like he had a chance to really say goodbye to his pet. 

[meemee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by limabean 

We did end up burying it in the woods (probably illegal, but oh well). The kids each made a little note and buried those along with it, and sprinkled in a few flowers and DS said a little prayer. I think DS felt good about the way the whole thing went, like he had a chance to really say goodbye to his pet. 

aaah lima i am so glad you did this. i was going to suggest finding another place to bury. but to not skip the burial ceremony because of its closure thingy which is still huge for our kids. 

dd's dad dug a hole 5 foot deep so that no critters could get to it. AND we also had a memorial service for our hamster at our church. most of us did it to humor dd with a huge smile on our lips due to the 'ridiculous' factor of it. it was the first pet memorial service at church. however everybody went home moved, dd's eulogy thru tears (because her hamster was still young and she talked about dying in childhood and how it applied to her). as many said it reminded them of the preciousness of life. 

its been two years but dd still cries over that hamster. and it brings her peace to know where she is buried and taking things to put where she is buried. at our backyard we have a altar (non religious - mostly rememberance of those gone). it brings a lot of peace and joy to dd who has gone thru a few losses in her life. 

[amma_mama]

Limabean, it sounds like you did the right thing, legal or not...

Meemee, that is just the sweetest funeral story ever...

RIP to both your kids' beloved pets.