Our 16yo kitty went missing and we found her under our house..two weeks later. We’re devastated. The odor alerted us to rip out the deck in search for closure. I’d like to retrieve her body and hope my vet could still cremate her. Is that something they would even do and how can we prepare her body?

I ' m sorry to hear about your loss . While I am not a veter in arian , I can offer some general guidance on how to prepare a dece ased pet ' s body for cre m ation . However , please consult with a veter in arian or a pet fun eral home for specific advice tail ored to your situation . \n \n Here are some steps you can take to prepare your cat ' s body for cre m ation : \n \n 1 . Contact your veter in arian : Disc uss your intent ions with your veter in arian to ensure that they are comfortable with the process and can provide guidance on the necessary steps . They may also be able to offer advice on how to handle the situation em otion ally . \n 2 . Collect the body : Depending on the location of your cat ' s remains , you may need to use tools such as a bro om , dust pan , or sh ov el to safely retrieve the body . W ear glo ves and other appropriate protect ive g ear to handle the remains . \n 3 . Store the body : Keep the body in a cool , dry place , such as a re fr iger ator or a se aled container . This will help preserve the body until it can be cre m ated . \n 4 . Ar range for cre m ation : Contact a local pet cre mat ory or a veter inary clin ic that offers cre m ation services . They will typically provide you with instructions on how to prepare the body for cre m ation and what documentation is needed . \n 5 . Ret r ieve the as hes : After the cre m ation process is complete , the cre mat ory or veter inary clin ic will provide you with your cat ' s as hes . You can then decide how to handle the as hes , such as scatter ing them or keeping them in a mem orial ur n . \n \n Rem ember that each veter in arian and cre mat ory may have their own procedures and requirements , so it ' s essential to communicate open ly and follow their guidance . </s>