Long shot question

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

It seems I'm always asking some long shot question.

Does anyone know if it is legal to bury your pet (in this case a cat) in your yard in Cambridge? Any ideas where I could find out? I suspect this will be come relevant to me within a day or two.

Thanks!

Comments

[ruthling.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear that this is relevant. I don't know the answer, but it is likely your vet will, or you could call the health department. I have buried a number of hamsters and a couple of pet birds in my Medford back yard. I can't imagine it's not ok so long as you do so in a manner that doesn't present a nuisance.

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

thank you.

[anotherjen.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear it.

If it is legal, make sure you bury him/her deep enough so s/he won't be bothered by critters who dig.

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

yes, thank you.

[taura-g.livejournal.com]

I don't know, but I'm very sorry to hear it is relevant.

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

thank you

[toniamato.livejournal.com]

I am so sorry that you are facing this. Maybe best would be to have a private cremation and bury the ashes?

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I'm not sure we're interested in cremation, but will explore the option

[fangirl715.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry that you need to find out about this. I don't know about burying a body--do you own the property, or do you rent? If you own it, then I'm thinking it's probably OK. Also, FWIW, when I lost one of my cats about 4 years ago (she was terribly sick and had to be put to sleep), my vet (Porter Sq. Vet) arranged the cremation for me; I got her ashes back about a week later in a simple but nice wooden box, along w/a very sweet card from the vet's office. I'd suggest speaking w/your vet to see what they might suggest.

Hang in there, OK?

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

we do own, so that part is covered.

i don't think we are interested in cremation, but will discuss today.

thank you

[purgatori84.livejournal.com]

I have no advice, but I am very sorry this is soon to be relevant.

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

thank you

[squirrelitude]

You may wish to call DigSafe to make sure you don't dig into a gas line or other service line.

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

hmmm, good point. will look into it.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

I have no input, but I'm very sorry about your cat.

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

thank you, so am i. :(

[avjudge]

I don't know if it's legal, but I decided I didn't care because it would only come up if a neighbor saw, figured out what we were doing, and complained, and I figured it was unlikely for 2 let alone 3 of those to happen. I own in Somerville and have 2 cats resting at a safe depth under my (dense & riotous) perennial garden between house and drive (and probably soon a 3rd, but I've been thinking that for 4 years so who knows).

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

thanks. we will likely to do the same. and i hear you on the not knowing. our kitty has a chronic health problem that seems to be occuring more frequently, and he was very very lethargic last night, but he has perked up some this morning (but not all the way back to himself), so I don't know what we're going to do. It's a difficult decision to make. we have an appointment with animal rescue league later this afternoon. :(

[ratheripped.livejournal.com]

If you're not cremating (which is sort of weird for anything bigger than a hamster...) You should absolutely positively call dig safe, not just "look into it."

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

are you implying it's weird to cremate a cat, or to not cremate a cat? your phrasing is unclear.

[teele-sq.livejournal.com]

"sort of weird"

[pekmez.livejournal.com]

Ok, apparently Dig Safe does a really bad job of publicity. I have owned a house for 12 years, seen plenty of "Dig Safe" logos in plenty of places, and never once until now had the thought that this had anything to do with a utility line that might be running through the middle of my *back yard* rather than, say, somewhere in between the street and my home, or maybe around to the side.

I've probably dug deep enough to plant a few trees, but not done any major renovations, and honestly until now thought the dig safe thing was all about the sort of digging that involved breaking concrete or asphalt up. The poison control hotline? Yeah, I know how to call them, and have. Dig Safe? No idea they were talking to me.