[nvnvgirl]

This is something that has been bothering me for a long time and I don't know where else or who else to ask about it.

When I had my parrots (separately, different times) cremated, I was specifically asked if I wanted a "private" cremation where I got their ashes back in a nice little cedar box with a lock on it, which cost considerably more, or if I wanted a "communal" (or whatever they termed it...with all the other animals being cremated that day) cremation.

I chose to have the private one done because my parrots were the most precious things in the world to me and b/c I had shared 20 and 19 yrs respectively of my life with them. My plan was to at some point, have something made (like a piece of jewelry that would encapsulate a small portion of their ashes) so that I could wear it and have it close to my heart all the time.

My point is, it was paramount to me that the ashes I got back were those of MY birds...not a big conglomeration of other people's pets.

So, my question is this: HOW do you KNOW that what they're giving you are really YOUR pet's ashes? Obviously, I guess you just have to trust the vet or whoever they deal with, b/c they don't come back to you for a week or more....but how do you know?

The reason I'm asking this, even though I honestly was wondering how I would know from the get-go; is because I finally decided that I wanted to open up the boxes to see their ashes.....and even though my parrots were IDENTICAL, the ashes (not only in mass, but color and everything) are totally different from each other's.

I know this is a very weird question, but what is the use of having it done privately and paying more for it (although, the money is just a side irritant) when you don't even really get THEIR ashes back? It's a spiritual thing, not a "I just want to have some ashes" thing.

Does anyone know anything about this, or know what the true practices are when animals are cremated? Maybe I'm wrong and maybe their ashes wouldn't be the same? I mean, they're not even the same color. It's just been bugging me ever since I opened the boxes (which I would have had to do sooner or later anyway).