Two Parents Share Why You Should Not Have A Funeral For A Pet Unless You Are Certain They Have Passed — From Personal Experience
Their story is hilarious and relatable.
cottonbro studio / Pexels A mom named Kasey Swanson and her husband won over the internet recently with a story of love, loss, and a particularly funny pet funeral. Their tale began at 8 p.m. one night when they realized their 13-year-old cat, Kitty, was nowhere to be found.
The parents shared why you should never have a funeral for a pet unless you’re sure they’ve passed.
The husband and wife duo sat facing the camera, explaining how their frantic cat-related antics started. The mom noted that every cupboard was open; the dad shared that they had every window in their car down, with the sound of a can opener playing on repeat.
The mom shook with silent laughter, the kind that comes only with heightened absurdity, where tears leak from the corners of your eyes and you find yourself gasping for breath.
The dad explained that they searched until 3 in the morning, before deciding they’d resume the rescue mission the next morning. He went on to say that they woke up at 6 a.m., on 3 hours of sleep, to continue their impassioned hunt for Kitty.
“I borrowed our neighbor’s thermal camera,” he said, highlighting just how intense their search had become. The mom noted that they reached a point where the cat was nowhere to be found, then peeked over at her husband, and the two exploded in another round of silent laughter.
Photo: Ekaterina Bolotsova / Pexels
“Our kids are now starting to ask us questions,” she said, still giggling. “Honestly, I didn’t have the heart to tell them someone might have let her outside, that one of them could have, they would have taken it very personally.”
Despite not knowing the true fate of their cat, they assumed she wasn’t going to return and told their kids the news, preparing them to mourn their pet.
The parents told their kids that Kitty was at the vet, because she was "very sick and very old, and Kitty was probably not coming home."
“The kids are devastated,” the dad proclaimed, “We’re devastated.” The mom interjected, “We’re sad,” before brightly declaring, “It’s time for a funeral!”
Their kids requested “love-heart waffles, because Kitty loved hearts,” and the family sat at the table in “full-blown funeral mode for this cat.”
“We’re sharing our favorite memories about Kitty,” the dad laughed, as the mom’s own laughter reached its peak. “All of a sudden,” she said, before breaking down in even more laughter. The dad continued, “I hear something.”
He told their kids to stop talking and stop crying, reporting that he heard the sound of a cat meowing.
“We all thought the cat had passed,” he clarified. “So we’re all sitting there like, ‘Is this the voice from above?’” More meowing ensued, which the dad hypothesized was coming from the garage, of which he said, “I checked, at least six times.”
“So, I run to the garage, and I open the door, and Kitty just bolts into her own funeral,” the dad said. They described how their five-year-old “is just standing on his chair like it’s a miracle."
Photo: Yan Krukau / Pexels
“Our cat showed up to her own funeral,” the dad cackled. “She lives!” the mom exclaimed before the camera cut off.
There are many benefits to kids having pets. As noted by the American Academy of Child and Adult Psychiatry, a child’s positive feelings about a pet can translate into heightened levels of self-esteem and self-confidence. Having a relationship with a pet helps children develop trusting relationships with others. Pet ownership teaches children communication, compassion, and empathy.
Having a pet also prepares children for the inevitable losses that are part of life, showing them in real-time how to love and also how to mourn, when the time comes.
These parents’ story about their failed cat funeral is extremely funny, yet it also shows that they created space for their kids to grieve Kitty, despite her still being alive. The parents acknowledged their kids’ feelings, sending Kitty into the great beyond in a way that celebrated her impact on their lives.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers parenting, pop culture analysis and all things to do with the entertainment industry.