How to bury your pets ashes
How to bury your pets ashes. Once you have made a decision about what to do with your pets ashes a strange sense of relief often arises. Having taken the time to think about what would be right for your pet you now have to think about the practicalities. How do you go about doing it? Does it matter where you do it? Will it affect the surrounding environment? Here is our guide to burying your pets ashes.
Your Pets Ashes
Chemically your pets remains are almost like powdered limestone with an increased sodium content. This means that the ashes are alkaline and salty. If you simply pour them out onto the ground they will clump when exposed to rain. They will inhibit any plant growth or “burn” a grass lawn.
Scattering pets ashes
To avoid damaging the local environment the ashes should be scattered over a broad area – from about 1 square meter for a cat, to 9 square meters for a Giant breed dog, like a Great Dane or Mastiff. Some people mix the cremated remains into a soil mixture to help dilute the sodium content and neutralise the alkalinity.
Burying your pets ashes
If you want to bury the ashes in the garden it is worthwhile choosing an area in the garden that is not likely to be dug up at any point. It’s a nice idea to choose your pets favourite spot in the garden, or if they were purely house pets then a place where you like to sit and think about all the lovely memories you had together.
If you are happy to leave the ashes in the garden forever then is is a good idea to bury them in a biodegradable urn in a nice deep hole. It is important to make sure that the ashes are either mixed with soil to limit the alkalinity or buried very deep.
You may want to mark the spot with a plant or a marker of some sort, to make sure that the spot is left in peace. It might be a nice idea to get the family involved. Children could make a marker by laminating a favourite photo and attaching it to a lolly-stick. Children can find planting something in memory of their pet a really helpful way of coming to terms with loss. The BBC has an easy guide for some easy to grow plants
Where
The rules in the United Kingdom are fairly relaxed, if you own the land you can bury the ashes. So your garden is absolutely fine, as long as you own the property. If it is a communal garden you will need to check with the committee that run the gardens. If it not your land then you will need to check for permission to scatter or bury your pets ashes.
Please note that there are ecologically sensitive areas where scattering should not be done. High mountain areas have a delicate ecosystem and they should be avoided. Ecological damage due to ash scattering has been reported in Scotland and Wales where such scattering has resulted in marked changes in the mountain trail fauna.
Want to put my cats ashes in large outside pot and put miniture tree or Bush. How do I do this. And what plant is best.
Hello Eileen
Growing a plant using the ashes of your pet is a lovely idea but not terribly easy as ashes alter the pH and of the soil. We have a special soil enhancer that will transform your cat’s ashes into a rich fertiliser making it the perfect environment for any plant. https://mypetsashes.co.uk/product/soil-enhancer-for-memorial-trees/. We also offer a Memorial Tree Pack which includes the soil enhancer and a wide range of trees that is delivered straight to your door. https://mypetsashes.co.uk/product/planting-a-memorial-tree-with-ashes-living-memorial/. I’d recommend a smaller tree such as an Acer for a large pot or something like a flowering cherry.
I hope that is helpful, Karen