Iza Burial

Part of the reason for this blog is to opine on various subjects and part is to just document my life.  And some of that involves sad events.  That can sometimes be disturbing to my readers and friends.

This is Iza's burial event.  So be aware there are some pictures that can upset gentle souls...

I mentioned previously having to wait to dig the hole due to a knee problem that flares up now and then.  And after that, I had difficulty with the hard clay soil under the 6 inches of topsoil that has built up in the flowerbed over the years.  Filling the shallow hole with water each of several days helped, and I finally got through the clay to sandy loam beneath, and the full 2' deep was easier.

First, I placed a blue towel on the bottom.  She always looked good on blue.

Then I placed Iza's body on the towel.

She loved to rip the skin off her rattley mousies (I sure bought a LOT of them during her life)  and I scattered most of them around her.  I saved a few as remembrances for me.  I also added 1 brand new one.

I will leave out filling the hole...

I placed her marker over the spot.

Iza has now joined the original Mews, Skeeter and LC.

And 2 pictures of her memorial marker, in place...

With the shrub behind them cut down, I plan to place a large sheet of heavy-duty corrugated cardboard under the markers and covering the area where the shrub was to prevent weeds and shrub roots sending up new shoots.

By the time the cardboard decays in 2 or 3 years, the area will be weed-free and I will plant some nice non-spreading weed-smothering perennial flowers behind the markers and place a narrow strip of plywood under the markers to keep the markers weed-free.

The Proper Place For a Deceased Cat

The proper place for a deceased cat should be a place of beauty because cats are nearly the definition of beauty.  And grace, agility, and movement.

The proper place for a deceased cat should a place it enjoyed in life because cats are almost the definition of knowing where they look their best and they know thos locations.

The proper place for a deceased cat should a place you look at frequently in the normal course of your life, because cats deserve to be remembered.

The proper place for a deceased cat should be a place you will maintain free of weeds and briars and invasive plants so that their final spot will not be lost.

The proper place for a deceased cat should have a decent marker.  They deserve it, and making (or buying) one is a final act of love and respect.

The proper place for a deceased cat should be in a sunny spot.  They adore sun.  They won't know it is sunny (maybe), but you will, and that will comfort you.

The proper place for a deceased cat should include gravegoods in honor of what they most loved in life.  Some treats, some Nip, a couple of toys.  Add anything you think is good.

The proper place for a deceased cat should include a bit of ceremony.  When the last shovelful of Earth's is added and tapped down (gently of course, cat's don't like loud sounds), play a bit of soft music, sit by the spot and contemplate the individuality of that cat.

The cat who shared space with you for a few or many years deserves time for you to recall its habits, likes and dislikes, loves and fears, and how it adjusted to you as you adjusted to it.  It was a living, thinking creature.

Cats are still essentially feral animals.  Yet they adjust to our world, come to adopt us as we adopt them, accept most of our household rules and get along so gently.

The last thing we do is remember them after they have gone OTB.  So do it well...