Planning to spend a ton on your pet's funeral? You're not alone (maybe).
—By the standards of other developed countries, Americans tend to live "high-consumption" lifestyles. Boats, jet skis, Harleys, SUVs - we've got them. $25,000 wedding bills? That's par for the course. And we don't let the issue of "cash-on-hand" become a deterrent to our pleasure seeking. Just put it on the ol' credit card. Oh really, you offer a lease program for that? A second, forty year mortgage, you say? Don... … [read more]
Want to be buried with your cat? You can't always get what you want.
—In these modern times a pet owner might assume that, once you both pass on, you can be buried along with your beloved pet(s). You would be wrong. These aren't modern times in the funeral biz. Oh sure, you can choose between whole body burial, cremation (and then be buried, or placed in an urn, or mixed with cement to become a barrier reef in the ocean, or launched into space, or become a human diamond) or live out that Han Solo fantasy of being cryogenically frozen.... … [read more]
Top causes of death in dogs and cats
—One would think finding out the most common cause of death for dogs and cats would be simple. For was it not The Police, nearly 30 years ago, who gave voice to our data-saturated existence with the song "Too Much Information"? Indeed. However, no national database of pet death records exists. At least not one that is publicly available. And so, we are left with a few ad hoc academic studies to piece together how pets die. One study tracked the... … [read more]
