Mmmm, taxidermy over dinner.

I am sitting here having some dinner and watching Taboo about Pets, and this segment is about taxidermy of deceased pets.

I understand, extremely well, the grief that comes from losing a pet; but I can't imagine having this done. If I woke up and saw Odin - stuffed, as such a uh, monument, would be - I would be more disturbed and just even that much more unlikely to let go (as if I have let go yet?).

Plus, I've seen too many horror movies for this.

But that I can sit here and watch a dead animal skinned, stuffed, and mounted while eating... that I find somewhat disturbingly amusing.

Oh, and I got a pamphlet in my Dr Foster Smith catalogue that Progressive now covers pets in car accidents; I hadn't even really considered this, especially since dogs are generally not seatbelt'd (I do belt the cat carriers in when in my car). That's a really important thing to consider, though.

You know, for a moment there, I thought that you meant you thought about taxidermy for the human members of your family.  That was disturbing! =)

I believe in cremation all around, so Odin was cremated, and all my pets will be.  I do memorialize them with images, and I think I may have some throws made from their photos - I saw that in a catalogue.  But having their gutted, stuffed bodies there?  *shivers* It makes me queasy.  I’d always be expecting it to move, you know?  And if it did, I’d freak out anyway!

My cats are not insured, and Mali can’t be - but the coverage probably would have run dry by now anyway and almost certainly would not cover a transplant.  But the car insurance thing, that was a very interesting reminder - a car accident, especially with a free-moving dog, could have very serious consequences.  Insurance could make those consequences far easier to rectify.

Yes - Pet Cemetary was the one. ;)

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But I’m sure there’s something in a shade of grey…
Something in between…