What to do with pets buried in the backyard when moving
Deciding whether to leave buried pets behind or tell the new owners can be a deeply distressing dilemma when moving house. Without clear guidance, homeowners are left stranded on whether to relocate the remains or leave them behind, while caregivers of strays face the heartbreak of leaving an animal behind entirely.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1leaving them in the ground and writing a warning note for the new ownersDid this help you?
- 2taking a clipping of a tree or flowers from the backyard to dry and keep as a reminderDid this help you?
- 3leaving them behind without telling the new ownersDid this help you?
- 4Setting up cameras and automated feedersDid this help you?
- 5Relying on neighbors to feed the catDid this help you?
- 6leaving pets with parents temporarily until getting a separate apartmentDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I've fed this stray for about 5 years now and am moving away tomorrow.”source ↗
“It's sad I won't see him again, but I know he is safe and happy.”source ↗
“I have to leave my babies behind cus my bfs family members are allergic to cats.”source ↗
“Have two cats buried in the backyard, one for 8 years the other just over two weeks. I have no idea what I am meant to do, Do I leave them? Take them? Do I tell the new owners?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 23How to move abroad or travel without leaving your pets behind
- 2Should I take my pet with me after a breakup?
- 4How to move with a puppy without stressing them out
- 2Should I move my senior outdoor cat to an indoor apartment?
- 2What happens to my cat if I die?
- 5How to stop family from forcing me to rehome my cat