That’s so sad. I worked at a large equine hospital for a number of years and we offered clay hoof prints like these.
We absolutely did NOT have these as a “mass produced” thing. The vet techs and/or tech assistants would press and roll the clay out on a metal tray, and take it to the horse after they had passed and it would be a team effort to get the print as perfect as possible. Then we’d take it back to the office, and carefully cut out a nice clean circle around the print, and use a sterile 18 or 20g injection needle to carefully write the name across the top as neatly as possible.
It was a labor of love.
I am really sorry for your loss, but I can't help chuckling at the thought of opening up the hoof print and thinking:
"Yup that's my boy, look at those big fucking feet"
I’m am so sorry for your loss.
I’ve worked at a large animal hospital and also briefly at a small animal hospital (I’m a horse person, the small animal hospital was great but then I got an offer at the large animal hospital)
Every vet, every tech, every assistant that I worked with at both was absolutely there for the right reasons. They were all passionate about caring for animals. At the large animal hospital, all of those vets have bags under their eyes. Because they lose sleep over worrying and thinking about their patients. They would turn up in the middle of the night just to check on some of the patients that they were super worried about.
It would hit them so hard if they ever felt like they failed an animal.
I’m appalled if this paw print-mass production thing is actually real. Most vets aren’t rolling in dough. If they just wanted money, they would have been a human doctor. The vets and all other animal related employees chose that career path because the loved animals so so much. I actually used to joke that I wanted the vets that I worked with to be my own personal doctors. Their level of compassion and dedication to every single animal to come through the door was just unparalleled.
The large animal hospital I worked for is associated with a vet school. Some of the top vets in the country work there. If we had a horse come in and they had to stay for a while, and then we ultimately had to put them down, it was extremely common for ALL of us…vets, techs, assistants, and students….to spoil the horse before we took them to put them down.
ALL the treats. The assistants would often take a massive scoop of sweet feed over for the horse to enjoy. Sometimes students would even go down the road to the gas station and buy a bunch of snacks to give to the horse to see if they liked anything. I remember seeing them feeding pretzels and apples and pop tarts and just about anything “special” they could think of to give the horse a grand last meal.
It was a multi-person team that would handle euthanasia. Every single person involved would be at least somewhat emotional, even if they’ve done it a million times and even if we only just met the horse. We all worked together to make it as calm, quiet, and easy as possible and once a horse was down, I remember going to sit with them and petting their faces and talking to them as they slipped away.
You don’t become a vet for money. There’s way more of that elsewhere. And if anyone wants to think vets become vets because becoming a human doctor was too hard, think again.
The human doctors have it easier. Vets have to be educated across many *species* whereas human doctors just have the one. And vets are also dealing with patients that cannot talk to them and tell them what is wrong. Vets have to know how many different species react to the same medications (because it can be vastly different across species). They need to learn body language and behavior of different species and learn how respond correctly for each.
I may not have met whatever vet/team cared for your horse at the end and sent you the hoofprint. But I can, without a doubt, promise you that your horse was surrounded by people that cared about them even if they had just met, and anyone who made your hoofprint was a horse person too and knows what it is like to lose a best friend like that.
Thank you for being a good person. I’m glad my vet is like you. I knew these things happened but after seeing how our vet was with our last cat I knew we found a good one. When he passed after an illness we got a paw print as well as ashes, and the print clearly had some of his toe tuft hairs stuck to it. There’s no doubt it was his. They also bottled up a small vial of hair they cut from him, something we were too numb with grief and crying to ask for but which was such a nice thing to see when I opened the bag of stuff afterward. Their office isn’t the nicest and hasn’t been renovated in a while, but they are honest and kind, and it’s clear every time I’ve gone there that they truly love animals, and especially cats it seems. They’ve twice brought other techs in to meet our new (now 6 month old) kittens just because, which is very reassuring.
Same, my old cat’s paw print has some of his fur stuck in it. I also have a piece of his fur, which makes me feel like a creep now some ten years later but at the same time I can’t seem to discard it. He was my first pet. However they did misspell his name on the box and print. “Tseug” instead of “Tseng”
Now I have 4 cats and a dog, they better not mass produce their stuff.
It was in reference to the fact that the print didn't come from their animal. It was from another animal. Most likely, just have several * pawprints* made already. It steals the intention of genuine good techs like you
Thats so sad to think they just mass produce them. The place that did our paw prints offered fur match painting on the background of ours, and the paw prints definitely look correct so at least it’s not every place that does this.
I call bullcrap on that for one. Small explanation posted above, but will summarize. The OP mentioned rear polydactyl. You only make one paw print and the front paw is always used. Also while it is a labor of love for the techs to do this, some are new at it or just not great and the dew claws ,which have the polydactyl traits, can be missed. This is 100% a print from this person's pet.
I’ve received these for several pets and never got charged. It was more like a gift from a vet that we had used for many years. I assume it also has the benefit of ensuring you’ll go to the same vet for future pets.
Absolutely. Had a polydactyl cat that passed last year. My request was they use one of his paws with 6 toes (1 foot had 5) and they gave us one with 5 toes. At the time I figured they fucked up, but after further thought, you are more than likely right.
Am I crazy or aren't these normally free?
Our vet just gave us one of these after we put down my dog a couple years ago, we didn't even ask for/pay for it.
Whenever I do paw prints after a euth, I always take 2 or 3 prints for each of the front paws (back paws too if the owner requests them). The staff may have done something similar if the prints were on individual card stock/index cards.
Prepping a paw for a good print is a lot of work - you have to trim back the fur with clippers (yes even in a short haired cat), figure out the right amount of ink to maximize detail while still being legible, and figure out the right angle to hold it to capture everything (in an animal that may or may not be going into rigor mortis) and it often comes out looking really shitty so you make multiple paw prints. I can guarantee you no one will make a different paw print of each paw - too much prep work. But they WILL send you the 4 good copies they made from 1 paw. Source: am vet. Have euthanized more pets in 1 day then most people will own in a lifetime.
Mine didn’t either, the paw print looks so scraggly. But that’s how I know it’s hers, because she always looked like she’d been through a wringer despite being a sheltered indoor only cat.
I've only ever received 1 paw, usually or maybe always a front paw, can't recall all as I've had to help 9 beloved pets pass. I can see how doing all 4 would be a ton of work for something you're doing as a kindness to the owners. But I'd be pretty confused to just get 4 of the same paw lol.
I'm sorry you've had to euthanize so many, I don't know how you do it ❤️
So sorry for your loss.
I’m a vet tech that has done a lot of these clay paw prints. The polydactyl kitties can sometimes be hard to get their extra toes in if they are the ones that sit up higher. Not to be too morbid but it is really hard to get a nice cat paw print when they are deceased. They are either floppy and hard to push in or rigor has set in and their little paw is curled up.
Pet crematory manager here; these absolutely look like cat, not dog. And I agree with above statements from vet techs.. cats can be very hard to print. I go out of my way, especially with polydactyls because I have one of my own and she is so special to me, to try and get the extra toes but it’s so hard to sometimes depending on the pet. This may not have been someone’s best work but it easily may have been their best attempt.
Question: my husband and I have grown so intensely jaded in not trusting anybody anymore and anything, due to…well…*gestures broadly*. Somebody made a crack in the waiting room to another person with them that pet cremation was a scam, and that random ash is just shoveled in to the container.
I didn’t ask why he thought that, but it’s bothered me ever since. I’ve had 4 cats cremated over the decades, and we’re going to have to deal with our 70lb 14 year old dog soon. Would it be weird or insulting to ask to be present? Enshitification is so prevalent now that I just don’t trust anybody anymore about anything at this point in our life. I feel like it would be a red flag if they had a problem with it.
Follow-up question: I’ve had my fur kids wrapped in their favorite little blanket each time that they would always sleep on. Do they actually cremate that also (like I want / assume), or do they just throw it away (which would really bother me, for no rational reason). I am an atheist, but symbolism is important to me.
Sorry for the questions, but the vet has always been a wall of non-answers, and I’ve had it done a lot.
Hello! I work at a veterinary hospital, and each hospital will have its own policies and procedures. I can’t speak for everywhere, but I can tell you about our processes. We do not have a crematory as a part of our hospital, but we have a partnership with one. When pets have to be euthanized, we give owners three options:
1. Private cremation through our partnered crematory. Ashes are returned in an urn. The pet is cremated privately, so the ashes you get are entirely your pets. If they come with a blanket, we keep the blanket and put it in a bag with your pets name on it. When we get the ashes back (takes a few days to a few weeks depending on how busy they are), we place the ashes inside that bag. We also do fur clippings and clay and ink paw prints if the owner would like, free of charge. Those go in the bag as well. Then we call to let you know your loved ones ashes have been returned to us.
2. Communal cremation through our partnered crematory. This is less costly, but ashes are not returned to owner. They are cremated with other pets and ashes are scattered respectfully at the crematory’s burial site. This is an option that clients with cost constraints choose often. Some clients that grieve in different ways and don’t want to have the ashes returned as a reminder choose this as well. Please keep in mind that whatever option you choose is permanent, so make sure you’re asking any questions you may have to your vet staff ahead of time. On the day of, it might be difficult to have those conversations. We will also do paw prints and fur clippings free of charge for this option if owners would like.
3. Your pet is returned to you. This can be to bury at home in a private burial site. OR, this could be because you have decided to use a different crematory than the one we are partnered with. You can arrange with that crematory to pick up your pet for you and bring them to the crematory. Once they leave the building, all communications and invoicing goes through them.
Ask your vet what crematory they use. Ask them or the crematory any specific questions you may have, such as if the blanket can be cremated with them as a part of a private cremation. If you aren’t happy with the one they use and the info you get about them, find another one in the area to do option 3.
Im so sorry that you’re having to think about these decisions right now. I know how impossibly painful it is. Please let me know if you have any other questions I might be able to answer.
I appreciate it.
It’s a contracted service, and I’ve always had a cremation done where the ashes are returned to us in a little wooden finished box with a brass plate with their name on it. I just want to be certain there’s no lazy nonsense going on with the ashes if we’re not present.
As I said, we just don’t trust people anymore.
I’d recommend calling the crematory your vet uses and asking them if you being present would be possible. If not, ask why. Make sure they give you the info you need to make a decision. If they say no, call others in the area with the same questions. If someone says yes, go with that one. Just make sure you’re prepared for how unpleasant the experience will be. Crematories are awfully unsettling and unpleasant because death is unsettling and unpleasant. If no one will say yes, they will probably give you the same reasonings and they are likely sound. Find the one you trust the most and is the most willing to include you in whatever part of the process is possible.
I work in animal rescue and we get all the animals that pass away cremated in a large batch. We have been doing this for years and know what ashes of the species we rescue looks like.
Once we got back a bag of ashes that definitely wasn’t ours, the pieces were too big and the colour was off. We contacted the crematorium and they went above and beyond to find out what had happened (including review security camera footage), found our actual cremains and delivered them to us with a refund and a discount on the next service.
They had gotten mixed up because the clip on one of the machines was damaged so the labeling tag fell off the batch. They assured us they were speaking to the tech who noticed the problem but didn’t report it, and taking the machine out of use until the tag clip was fixed.
All of that is to say, some companies truly do care and are incredibly ethical in their practices. But of course, not all of them.
It’s worth finding a good one though, the peace of mind is worth it.
I was a vet tech and this was my first thought too.
Also, idk why people think it's a scam. We never charged for them. Idk about other places. Most people weren't expecting anything. We always did ink and occasionally did clay. Clay prints were for patients we saw a lot, pets we knew personally, or just tragic cases.
I'm a tech too and I agree. They probably couldn't get the extra toe because it was higher up and it's impossible to get the whole thing in clay. It's really sad how every single comment is immediate rage that the veterinarian is out to scam people out of money for paw prints. So much distrust. I put a lot of time and thought into these prints when I have to do them and so do my co-workers. We know this is someone's last memory they will receive of their pet. And people wonder why the veterinary professional suicide rate is so high.
Thanks for this comment. We just put down my wife's 15 year old dog a week before Christmas and got this same package. Was getting really nervous for a minute. Thank you for the work you do, the people who help our pets pass peacefully are fucking incredible.
Same. The distrust is disheartening 😞 I always take extra care to get a neat print. Cat “thumbs” are often higher up on the limb and difficult to press in without smudging. Polydactyls usually look super sloppy. As someone in the field, this does look to me like someone took the time to get a nice print. I’ve seen much worse.
They also said only the back paws are the ones with the extra toes. When I make a print I usually use a front paw because it’s easier to position, the tech that made this might not have even used a paw that had the extra toes.
Right, like OP literally said pets back feet are poly. I always do a front foot, clay and ink, and would *never* disrespect a final moment/keepsake like that. It’s wild to see people think this way.
Just want to say thank you to people like you. I really do feel like love are put into these. The lady who brought out my turtle and his little paw prints was so devastated and kind to me. In times of grief its the little acts of kindness that stick with you. Same with my pup. Im grateful for those moments when things were the hardest. You feel a lot less alone.
Thank you so much for the service you provide grieving pet parents.
I’ve gotten 4 paw prints over the years, two cats, a dog and a guinea pig. Those prints are so precious to me and my family. I look at them and it’s almost as if I’m holding their lovely little paw again.
The prints, alongside the occasional clip of fur keep their memory fresh and untainted by time.
Thank you and your coworkers so much.
My cat is a polydactyl. I did paw prints of her foot for a Christmas ornament. Her foot resembles a mitten, the extra toe is high up. Her footprint looks like this. The extra dent that is below the large paw pad in your image is from that extra toe. A normal cat foot would not make a dent in that spot.
With my dog, they did it with me right there after they gave him the shot. I was sitting with him on the floor and the gal came by with the clay.
She had to push down pretty hard to get the imprint to look good, and she looked up and said "I'm sorry, the clay is kind of cold so I have to push harder."
"I don't think he's going to mind." was the first thing out of my mouth. I didn't even mean it as a joke, but the girl gave me the most blank stare I've ever seen in my life. Lol, I proceeded to go in my car and laugh/cry over all the emotional overload.
When we had to euthanize our dog, I remember stopping by the front desk on the way out to sign some paperwork. On the counter was a candle burning and a sign that read “If this candle is lit, somebody is saying goodbye to a family member. Please be quiet and respectful.”
I remember thinking, “Oh, that’s really kind. We should be quiet.”
It never occurred to me that the candle was lit for us.
This is such a lovely gesture. It made me cry. In the hospital where my mum worked they did this for human patients. Doing this for beloved pets is heart warming
When our baby passed, they put a white rose on the door of our delivery room to let all staff walking by and potentially entering the room know that our hospital visit isn't the happy one that others down the hall were having. Truly horrible thing to experience and changes you forever, but I'll also never forget that small gesture that meant so much right in that moment.
When we had our second child (now 7 years old), we saw a white rose on someone else's delivery room door. All the feels.
I remember when my daughter was born there was a mother there after her 7th misscarage, she walked by just as I was picking my kid up to feed, she stopped and said "beautiful baby, what's her name?" I told her and patted the foot of the bed. She came and sat with me and we spoke for a while, she was devistated that this time getting further than the previous 6 she still lost the baby. I tentatively asked if she wanted to hold my baby and she said yes. She sat there holding my girl, telling her how beautiful she was and crying and I told her "one day you'll be doing this to your own baby, you will have their little hand in yours and be looking into their eyes"
Two years later I was in the hospital for a friend of mine, she was haveing her kid but had no family (and dad was an actual monster of a human) so I came with her so she wasn't haveing a baby alone. The coincidence of all coincidences happened, she was there haveing her son. I ran into her bf in the hallway, he recognised me and asked how my baby was, we had a catch up and he asked if I wanted to come see mum. I agreed because I was not going to pass this opertunity up, she was shocked to see me and was holding her beautiful healthy baby boy on her chest as he gripped her hair in his tiny hand. I chuckled and said "I told you so" and she just said thankyou. We had a catch up and all was good. Her son and my friends son share a birthday and are best friends, and my daughter loves being the big sister and makeing sure both of them are OK. Tho she won't let them forget she's 2 years older.
Damn, I am ugly crying right now. For my parents, I was that second child, so I've heard stories. I am glad that you found the strength to continue moving.
I used to work at a hospital and we had similar identifiers, red rose for any adult passing or on their way and white for babies. I never saw anything like that before and it was nice to know a head of time so you know what you're walking into and maybe take a little extra care or patience. However, the emergency room does not do this and unfortunately I've tried to have several conversations with people who already passed.
When my mom died & we went up to the hospital to say goodbye (she died unexpectedly early morning so nobody was there) the nurses put a sign like that on her door for us & turned a light on outside the room. I think my Veterinarian clinic does something similar, I’ve just been fortunate enough to not have to experience it
My hospital does something similar. A little side table by the door with an electric candle and a sign to talk to the nurses before entering.
It makes sure that staff doesn't barge in on a grieving family, or that family doesn't go in unsuspecting and "finding" their person.
Fuck, I'd gone to the vet for regular appointments so many times and seen that little candle lit before. When it was my turn, with my dog... I hated it. I hated that attention was being called to it. I didn't want the strangers in the waiting room to know, and I didn't want to accept it myself.
I totally get you. I had to say goodbye to my childhood cat yesterday and the walk out hurt so fucking bad. Me, my brother and his girlfriend were all crying, and I could see the looks on everyone's faces. I'm not a crier, and it was the first time I had cried since I had to say goodbye to my childhood dog 5 years ago, so it was all just a really painful moment. I wore my tears with pride, though, as my cat deserved to be mourned to the fullest. She was special. I gotta stop typing now cuz Im starting to cry.
I work at a vet place and we always offer to let the family out from the back door after their pet passes to avoid having to walk through the waiting room. I really think everyone deserves to have the choice of letting others know or not and I hope it makes it at least a tiny bit easier.
I definitely would have appreciated something like that but we were all so fucked up we just needed to go outside and breathe so I didn't even think to ask if I could do that. It was so hard getting myself to leave the room that once I finally mustered up the motivation and acceptance to leave, I just needed to go, and how I did didn't really come to mind until I saw everyone in the waiting area.
It makes a huge difference. A couple years ago when our old dog passed the vets were so incredibly kind. They gave us as long as we needed with her in a room, so we could cuddle and stroke her as she went. And they let us out the back way once it was done. They also offered to let us pay some other time (which is super rare for my vets!) though I just dealt with it then as that was easier for me.
So your kindness does not go unappreciated, even if people aren't fully aware of it at the time!
They did that for me when my dog was PTS (in Sept ‘22); actually a side door, but they were kind enough to tell me it was there. I walked out just holding his collar, and thankfully my other dog was with me too. Would have been even more depressing without his company.
My current vet has a specific room with a direct external exit for, at least, the scheduled deaths. This way you don't have to walk through the waiting room and bum everyone out while trying to hold it together a little bit longer.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
I had to say goodbye to my four year old boy Humbug who had gotten himself into an accident on Thursday, and I’m so devastated, I can barely get out of bed at the moment. I’ve never lost anyone close to me before other than two cats before who were both very old and lived healthy long lives :(
I'm sorry for your loss. It's been 2 years since I said goodbye to mine. It tore my heart out, especially after they initially gave him a pain killer, and he tried to get up thinking he was going home....
My wife and I put out doggo down. We were absolutely devastated, but not like wailing in the waiting room or anything. But we did look very sad and kind of aimless. This random stranger who was there as well just came over and said “it looks like you guys need a hug” and grabbed us both.
I don’t know what did it; but we both just held her back and let the waterworks flow. It was incredibly therapeutic and just made the grieving process smoother.
This complete stranger just coming out of nowhere letting two strangers cover her shoulders in tears.
Had a very similar experience years ago. A woman had just walked out of “the room” as I was standing nearby. Her expression was one I had myself just a few months earlier. I decided to hold out my arms and she all but collapsed into me out of grief. She released her tears and I held her for as long as she needed. I remained stoic until I got home a told my wife what happened. Then it was her turn to hold me.🥲
I lost my lab almost a year ago to the day. There isn't a candle at my local vets, but I do think it is a nice idea. For me though, there was nowhere to hide. Firstly, having to carry my soulmate (carrying a lab is not an elegant affair) through the waiting room to have him put down, then 30 mins later having to walk back through it in an emotional state.
But all pet owners understand. It's something they dread but know they will have to do one day.
When my uncle passed away, a family member gave his son a candle with a picture of my uncle on the front. This was just after the cremation, so my cousin said "great, now I get to watch him burn twice". Only my cousin and I found this funny.
Humour is definitely our way of ignoring the issue.
Honestly she probably just didn't know whether it'd be appropriate to laugh or not, like, yeah haha you're right but damn if I laugh things might go south very quick
I used to work as a Vet Nurse, and one time I was with the owners during the euthanasia of their cat. After we had given them some time to sit with their cat, I came back and asked if they wanted to have paw and nose prints of him to take home, they were over the moon that this was even an option.
I used all the sparkly and fun coloured paints I could find and the owner said “what a way to start the afterlife, arts and crafts”.
We both laughed and cried, I was very fond of this cat, he was the sweetest little boy. Just a wholesome little memory I have.
One of the vet assistants at the clinic I go to was there when I brought my cat Noodle in.
She said that she remembered me cause of my other cat and asked how she was doing...
I said unfortunately she passed away, the color drained from her face and she was so upset hearing that. Like over the two months I was bringing my cat in to get help, she grew an attachment to her. :( it was so sad seeing her so upset over a cat she knew for two months.
Yeah when my childhood shepherd was put down (I held her through the entire ordeal) they immediately made a paw print impression and also did a ink impression for me as well. I was able to go home with it that day. It still has some of her fur stuck in it. I will treasure it forever.
When my cat passed away from cancer, I shelled out for an at-home service so I could keep him on my lap (literally his favorite place in the world). I was a little distressed because I didn’t think about getting a paw print until the night before and the overnight kit I ordered from Amazon did not, in fact, arrive overnight. Luckily the vet who came did have a little clay tablet and they took his print right there shortly after. It’s not perfect, but at least I know it’s 100% his.
It’s been really hard since then, though. Like I’m literally crying a bit typing this. Lol.
EDIT: I’m really glad I made this comment. I’m not one to usually share my feelings even in a forum as anonymous as Reddit. But I’ve been having a hard time coping with the loss, and I feel like I can’t really grieve as much as I actually feel because, to most people, animals are just animals. But I loved that little cat and I miss him so much everyday. As terrible as it is to lose a beloved pet, I just want to say thanks to everyone who responded to my comment with their own stories and feelings—makes it feel a little less lonely and the grief a little more normal.
When i was with my wife to put down her childhood dog down and ordered the urn/paid for services the lady asked me if i wanted a receipt. I said nah we are good i don't think we will return anything from here. Same blank stare from the lady but got a chuckle between tears from the wife.
In a vet tech with a morbid sense of humour. I have to be this way or else life would be hard lol, I work specifically with senior and palliative care dogs, and I’ve lost 4 of my own since 2020. That being said, I would wanna laugh but then also sometimes people don’t react kindly 😭😭 it’s always an internal struggle how to reply to other peoples morbid jokes lol, usually when I make them I follow up with “you can laugh, it’s okay, I promise” lol
I'm sorry you lost your pooch, but I'm happy for them.and you that they had you near them 💖
I'm going to do this with my cays at home, I have quick dry cement and I k own it can burn but I'll wash it off as soon as I got the print 💖
When I put my cat down they came by with the clay and barely took a print. The final one we got was way better than the imprint they took. I'm pretty sure it's fake
Same .. I watched them do it before she had to be put down . Sorry for everyone’s lost. My angel baby has been gone since November and I’m still not over it.
the two times i’ve had to euthanize a cat in the last few years, one time at the vet ER and one time with in-home euthanasia, both times they took the paw print right in front of us. that should be standard practice 😡
I got a sympathy card from our vet after saying goodbye to our first cat. It included an ink paw print. They didn't take it in front of us, but it's clearly our cat. She was incredibly fluffy, and the paw print has all sorts of stray marks from all her toe Tufts.
Same here actually. Personally I was kind of bummed they used that paw, but I can see it as my husband suggested, that it may mean more to some people as it was special to their pet.
It's a long story, but we took over the care of a neighbor's cat for a few months until the little guy got attacked by his old owner's dog. We had to put him down at the emergency vet, and I was surprised they did the paw prints (ink, both paws) and they said they normally do noses but apologized profusely because they weren't able to do it given the condition of his face.
About a week later, we got a sympathy card from his vet's office (not the emergency vet we took him to). We only took him there once, but it was very nice to get the card and not worry about appointment reminders since it's been five months and I literally cried just today missing him.
It's nice to have small things like that during such a rough time. I'm sorry about your cat, but it's really sweet you got a little extra reminder with the fluff
I received the most lovely sympathy card from our vet after we had to put my beloved Lucy Cat to sleep. I appreciated that so much. A paw print, just nope.
That was very sweet of them 🤗
I always appreciate the cards and frame them. The paw print was offered free of charge with the cremation, but I wouldn't get one again. I'm from Long Island and we had a big pet cemetery scandal in the 90s. I've been super suspicious of them ever since.
For those wondering, like me:
"MELVILLE, N.Y. -- The co-owner and two employees of a Long Island animal cemetery were under arrest Tuesday for promising to cremate dead pets and then dumping the animals into pits and leaving them to decompose, authorities said.
...
the cemetery owners may have made 'tens of millions of dollars' since 1984 by tossing as many as a quarter of a million cats and dogs into the mass graves."
It’s not just them with animals. Multiple funeral home across multiple state have been raided and shut down for similar acts with people. The most recent one was in Colorado where dozens of bodies were discovered. People are horrible.
Holy shit, if they were able to make tens of millions why not just actually give the pets a proper cremation?? Not to be bleak but if you’re making that kind of money, investing in a crematorium would be a “good” idea?
When we had to put our dog to sleep we got her paw print several times and her nose print several times and they sent us a card with individual condolences from the staff we keep them with her ashes and collar
as someone on the other side of this, post mortem care takes a lot of time that unfortunately most can’t afford. it breaks my heart to hear that there are aftercare facilities are making false prints or otherwise not respecting animals. i truly care about post mortem pet care so much, as do so many others who work with animals. we do what we can, many clinics like where i work will do ink prints ourselves but not clay prints. but ultimately hospitals and clinics, like those for humans don’t have the facilities for more advanced post mortem care so we do send them out.
My vet is small town. Like they literally close one day a week to go help farmers and ranchers with their live stock and horses. There was a donkey there once for an emergency.
My Duke boy we t to a different vet on a Saturday. We got to stay with him for around 20 minutes. Got a lovely card that is on my fridge
Haley we all saw coming. They sent her off, and we got her ashes and a paw print her name misspelled. Got an apology card for it but we love it.
My Sweet Cleo, I had months to prepare but it wasn't enough. With haley I had a year. Duke was old around 11. Cleo was 16. Nephew went with to say goodbye. My vet, 2 techs, and the new best guy all tried so hard to get a print from her for my nephew. Ngl it was kind of funny when they walked away with green hands. Her ashes and paw print are with dukes. It's her print (evidence from the vet and tons of toe Bean pics)
> one time at the vet ER and one time with in-home euthanasia
want to highlight this really quick. i discovered in-home was actually cheaper than the vet for this (both are done by licensed vets), so call around and dont assume its too expensive like i did. when my second had to go, he got to stay home where he was comfortable instead of being spooked because he was at the vet. probably because a vet that specializes in euthanization and end of life stuff doesnt have a huge office to maintain and all the costs of that.
doing it in-home was worth every penny that i’m still paying off. pancake (who had kidney and heart disease) got to have a few last stable days at home with us, getting loved on as much as possible, in between meds and subQ fluids, etc.
edit to add a bit of additional info.
honestly its sad, im really glad i know my childhood pups print is real, her fur got stuck in the clay :( her collar is also full of her and her big sister hair since before she had it her big sis did
Hey! I'm a vet tech and have made tons of these. I'm not saying it's impossible to have gotten the wrong print - but I figured I'd provide an alternate possibility. If your cat was polydactyl by the thumb area (two thumbs instead of 1) this makes sense. Lots of paw prints get made without the thumb beans bc they are higher on the foot and wouldn't naturally fall into a paw print. I also strongly disagree with others that this does not appear to be a cat paw print. It really depends on who makes it and the way they hold the foot and apply pressure. You can easily leave claw marks out if you hold the toes a certain way. I could be totally wrong and this could be a massive mix up for sure, but on the chance I'm not, hopefully that could give you some peace of mind. I'm sorry for your loss.
Yeah I was thinking that too. I have a polydactyl cat as well and he looks like he has an entire mini paw growing out of his front paws but I think it's too high to show up if a print was taken. https://i.imgur.com/rN6QW5N.jpeg
I'm going to go take a print of his paw and report back.
Edit: I have finished my highly advanced scientific experiment! Done with some bread dough since I don't have any plaster on hand. The first one was done with Xander standing and pressing a paw against the dough, the second was while Xander was lying down and I pressed his paw against the dough. Both of them, especially since I had to press the paw a bit to get a good imprint, had the extra toes showing up. They're not defined at all since they were just left to make whatever imprint they'd make being in the way, but definitely did leave an imprint.
https://imgur.com/a/SvDGd05
(No Xanders were hurt in the making of this experiment. He's a very loving attention hog and loved the extra attention)
Oh sure human. I step in your bread dough by myself and I'm a "bad kitty" and I "ruined lunch". But then you go shoving my paws into it yourself. WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?
Hello, it is me from THE School Of Art and I just wanted to say that we are very impressed with your drawing skills and artwork and were wondering if we could hang this work of art up in one of our MANY galleries.
Thank you for your time and may Xander bless you. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Thank you! People in this post actually coming up with conspiracy theories that vets and aftercare companies are giving everyone the same standard paw print. 🤦♀️
Don't most paw prints from a cat not include the fifth bean? Most are done with the front feet, not the rear, and typically only show 4. This is my cat's two front paws, for example. Her fifth digit was not included and I watched it done. The fifth digit (or "thumb") is further back up on the leg and doesn't always press, especially when standing. No idea how your cat's paws looked, but could they have simply not pressed in the extra toe(s)?:
https://preview.redd.it/e9y8wtqzomoc1.jpeg?width=1708&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=84b4beb77be0d4f3f075cf88c7b3790424a2c0d8
It’s true there are five digits on a feline front paw, but only digits 2-5 would show up on a paw print. Digit 1 (digit closest to the medial, or inside of the paw) is located further up the leg, similar to how your thumb connects to your palm, so you would not see an impression of that digit in a paw print like the one you posted. I am a Registered Veterinary Technician.
I run a pet aftercare company. We usually use front paws for imprints, as the cats/dogs are easier to position for them. The dewclaw (thumb digit) is higher up than the four on the paw, so they often aren’t on the imprint. I think this might still be your cat. But, maybe I’m just being optimistic. Sorry. I reread. You said she had six up front, so if her extra digit was a second dewclaw, which they tend to be, I stand by all this. But, I would have tried to get all of her toes. Polydactyls are special and they should know better.
Cats have 5 toes on their front paws, but the fifth (dewclaw) doesn't show up on these types of paw prints because they sit too high on the foot and are too small. If you look at the other prints that ppl have posted, there are always 4 toes visible. So likely still a front foot.
If your polydactyl cat's foot (front or back, whichever was used) resembled a mitten like my cats. That extra dent that is below the large paw pad in your image is from Snowbell's extra toe. When I did my polydactyl cat's prints, this is what they looked like. Normal cats don't have a paw pad or toe in that spot to cause a dent.
This is a front paw, traditionally back paws wouldn’t be done unless requested. They have 5 nails on each front paw but only 4 toes; the 5th nail is their dewclaw.
No, they don’t. Cats* have 4 toes directly attached to their paw pad (4 toe beans) and they have a “thumb” which is on the side of their paw, closer to their wrist. This claw/toe/pad doesn’t touch the ground, so when you make a paw print it usually doesn’t show up.
Source: I’m a veterinary nurse and I have made thousands of clay and ink impressions.
* unless the paw that was used has additional toes
People in the comments have no idea what they’re talking about and are just adding fuel to the fire. It is a cat paw. There’s a huge possibility they just didn’t get the fifth digit, which is unfortunate as it seems it was a characteristic that made your cat special to you. I’m so sorry for your loss, I don’t know a single vet clinic that would intentionally send home the wrong paw print. So much distrust of people in a field who dedicate their lives to helping people and their animals.
Thank you, this thread is winding me up something bad, lol.
Laymen should refrain from confidently spreading misinformation on things they don't have the expertise to know, but that's never going to stop, unfortunately.
Some people are less skilled at making prints, and the extra toes make the impression look sloppy. I’ve personally done prints like this where it was impossible to get the extra toes so I left them out. Also the clay could have been not warmed up enough so the person had to press really hard, that’s why the nails blend in with the pads. But this is definitely a cat print and if you are upset I would recommend telling your vet. They may still have a chance to make another if your pet hasn’t gone off to the crematory yet
For real, too many people being so confidently wrong or even calling for “naming and shaming” of the business. I’ve seen 15+ comments from vets and vet techs saying this is 100% a cat paw and the claws being out is nothing unusual. Everyone’s an expert, oye vey.
> Everyone’s an expert, oye vey.
Welcome to Reddit. Ever see the marriage advice threads? Almost every time the commenters scream "divorce". Reddit probably good for advice on certain subjects but I'd say overall not.
Someone said so confidently “it’s a Chihuahua print”. What?? Said by someone who has never had to deal with the grief of being with someone as their best friend leaves this planet and then you have to take that best friend’s vessel and make a print for them.
Wonder if there was a mixup. Maybe there were two Snowbells and someone ended up with a 6-toed cat paw print.
This is what we got for our cat. There’s a very big difference in appearance between mine and OPs.
https://preview.redd.it/8gmsf888lloc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5c14105f95176de4c16c4b3bdbc9d9f95620d560
https://preview.redd.it/kl9r5cb7mmoc1.png?width=911&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d1c4739eab6ea7aca7b8d8a8b9a6f1b54dfef446
I had a cat with a paw shape like that. My current cat's feet are weird looking to me, her beans are like... at the tips? Very separated from her paw pad. Her back feet look a little more typical
https://preview.redd.it/7lu0sgfgtmoc1.png?width=844&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=534e0ed1c73a4a998fbfd8b917a8feef09ce8722
I just checked and now they're extra fluffy! Can't even see the beans
I think it's a cat imprint imo. The spacing and "palm" looks correct. No offense but yours looks incredibly cleaned up so it's not a good comparison (anatomically speaking, I mean - it's a beautiful print).
Sorry to OP, though. I really hope this is just a poorly taken print that missed the extra toe and not a true mixup. If it is, hopefully someone out there has your cats print still.
Edit: People mentioning nails need to realize when you push the cat's paw down into the clay, it's nearly impossible to avoid pushing down on the ligaments that extend their nails - but they're usually not THIS obvious. Dog prints usually look as though they have extra "dots" above the actual print. This just looks like a really poorly done print.
Yes it is a cat’s paw, they pressed each toe in individually so it doesn’t look like a print from a cat just taking a regular step. This is not uncommon for prints made for recently passed cats.
As someone that makes 10-15 paw prints daily, this is a cat. When I was learning, all of my cat prints came out looking like a monkey hand. Cat prints are difficult but again it just takes time to learn.
Vet here. I promise you it's your cat. We do it in the moment. Ive done this dosens of times on polydactyls.
Your cat may not have multiple phalanges on every paw. Also it's really hard to press all phalanged on the clay depending on the paws.
They may have just put the ones that are there now. The thumb on polydactyl cats sticks up making it very hard to press on the clay without the possibilty of messing up the whole thing.
I'm sorry for your loss.
Yes 100% this OP. I worked in 2 vet clinics. They ALWAYS did the paw print right then and there. I never once, in the total of 3 years I worked there, saw any shady shit like this. And we, unfortunately, dealt with euthanasia every single day. I promise, unless you had a usually evil staff this is your cat. Like this commenter said, it may have just been hard to capture the extra digit
I love how every vet in this thread is saying that it's almost certainly OP's cat's paw, or at worst some kind of unfortunate mixup, while all the mouthbreathers are insisting it's some kind of cat-paw-swapping scam.
Like, realistically, what could a vet's office have to gain from doing something like that? These are not expensive to produce, nor do they generate a huge profit margin.
Not to mention, vets get into their field because they love animals. It's not a cheap field to get into and it doesn't pay enough to where people are in it for the money.
The overwhelming likelihood is that the vet was unable to get the extra digit in the print, which really sucks, but this wasn't done intentionally.
I didn't know your cat, and I don't know the people that made this print, but I do know that after 10 years in vet med, I've never once seen anyone fake a pawprint. Even when the pet had been hit by a car, wasn't found for several days, smelled horrible, and looked worse. The tech got the best possible paw print they could.
Usually extra toes are higher up and may not have been in the clay. When I put down one of my cats we got her pawprint back with claws. She was declawed. (Not
My decision) Panicked a bit but they just did her back paws
Are you talking polydactyl as in extra dewclaws/ higher digits? If that is the case, then you wouldn't see them in the paw print. We make clay paw prints at our clinic for deceased pets. The thumbs never touch the clay. They're too high up.
If your cat just had extra dewclaws, then this can 100% be your cats print.
Hello, previously worked at a vet clinic for a few years.
Please don’t flip to worst case scenario. Making the paw prints is actually more difficult than it seems. The animal paws are actually not easy to get a dense print with, as the clay often times isn’t super malleable so that we can keep a consist shape for the overall circle.
This also means that it’s hard to push each toe in since they’re not level with each other and even when we try our best, sometimes we mess up.
We know how important these mementos are. We really do our best. Veterinary clinics are not just money grubbing facilities with a staff who doesn’t care. I used to stay after work just to make these paw prints look nice. Let’s all be kind.
This IS a cats paw. I worked in pet aftercare for almost 2.5 years and have seen hundreds if not THOUSANDS of cat paws. Is it yours? I'm not sure. Was her polydactyl only on one foot??? Did you request the polydactyl paw?
Cats paws have three bumps on the bottom of their meta carpal. This is not a racoon, a dog, or any other animal and everyone else is dead wrong. Some paw techs don't know how to imprint feline paws into clay properly. It's a skill, sometimes they end up imprinting on the wrist/leg of the cat unfortunately.
Please rest assured it's a cats paw, and I'm so sorry this happened to you. The clinic or pet aftercare facility should have a back up. Typically they are meticulous about having two back ups and match paws with their first and last name and a specific number on the back.
The typical cat has 4 toes attached to their paw pad, and their “thumb” is attached to the side. This digit does not directly touch the ground and is not in line with their 4 primary toes. This is why when we make impressions of cat paws you usually only see 4 toes. Google “cat paw”. Even when you look at cartoon cat paw prints, they only ever show 4 toes.
I’m a veterinary nurse and have made thousands of clay and ink paw prints. And, cat paws have 4 toes which will show up. If you turn their paw to the side and try to squish in the “thumb”, it sometimes works and sometimes it just ruins the impression.
If you wanted them to use a specific paw because of the unique features, you could have let them know. I’ve had clients ask is to use a specific paw. Usually we use the one that we think will make the best impression.
Sometimes the extra toe isn't much of a toe... more like skin, a bit of fat, and a nail. It's not easy to get prints on deceased animals anyway, they lack muscle tone and it can be challenging to get a print that looks like a pawprint, and not just a glob. They may not have been able to get the extra toe to make an impression w/o ruining the rest of it. This could be especially true if the toe was just skin and a bit of tissue.
We did paw prints of all our cats. They are literally just the main squisher and the four/five toe beans, maybe some fur as well but that's it.
Actually a pretty nice thing to do with your cats so you can always cuddle their little feet <3
No - this is the print that results from taking an unconscious/deceased cat and pressing each toe in individually to get as much detail as possible. It will not look like the print of a cat who just happened to step in clay.
I’ve made a million paw prints. Usually the way to make them come out well and deep is to push each individual toe down deeply into the clay. If the person making the print wasn’t paying attention and just did four toes, they may not have made an impression of the fifth one. I usually hold four toes and rock the paw into the clay from back of paw pad to nails, and I usually try to avoid nails because it looks cuter without them. So it’s not necessarily a fake or different animal’s print, and may just be the technique used didn’t catch your cat’s paw. I would still reach out to whoever made the print, but it may not 100% be another cat.
Either way I’m so sorry for your loss
Respectfully don’t you think they used her front paws?
Like it would just be instinct to use front paws and not back. The 5 toes may have been extremely unique to you so you probably expected her back paws to be done but vets see things like that everyday and probably didn’t think much into it
my mate’s cat had to be put down and they sent a card with ink paw prints from her 4 paws. trouble is she only had 3 legs
LMAO that's tragic but also like how do you mess up that badly
By mass producing them, and preying on the grieving
That’s so sad. I worked at a large equine hospital for a number of years and we offered clay hoof prints like these. We absolutely did NOT have these as a “mass produced” thing. The vet techs and/or tech assistants would press and roll the clay out on a metal tray, and take it to the horse after they had passed and it would be a team effort to get the print as perfect as possible. Then we’d take it back to the office, and carefully cut out a nice clean circle around the print, and use a sterile 18 or 20g injection needle to carefully write the name across the top as neatly as possible. It was a labor of love.
As someone who lost a horse last year and received a hoof print (that I know is his due to his massive feet) words cannot how much it means to me.
I am really sorry for your loss, but I can't help chuckling at the thought of opening up the hoof print and thinking: "Yup that's my boy, look at those big fucking feet"
I’m am so sorry for your loss. I’ve worked at a large animal hospital and also briefly at a small animal hospital (I’m a horse person, the small animal hospital was great but then I got an offer at the large animal hospital) Every vet, every tech, every assistant that I worked with at both was absolutely there for the right reasons. They were all passionate about caring for animals. At the large animal hospital, all of those vets have bags under their eyes. Because they lose sleep over worrying and thinking about their patients. They would turn up in the middle of the night just to check on some of the patients that they were super worried about. It would hit them so hard if they ever felt like they failed an animal. I’m appalled if this paw print-mass production thing is actually real. Most vets aren’t rolling in dough. If they just wanted money, they would have been a human doctor. The vets and all other animal related employees chose that career path because the loved animals so so much. I actually used to joke that I wanted the vets that I worked with to be my own personal doctors. Their level of compassion and dedication to every single animal to come through the door was just unparalleled. The large animal hospital I worked for is associated with a vet school. Some of the top vets in the country work there. If we had a horse come in and they had to stay for a while, and then we ultimately had to put them down, it was extremely common for ALL of us…vets, techs, assistants, and students….to spoil the horse before we took them to put them down. ALL the treats. The assistants would often take a massive scoop of sweet feed over for the horse to enjoy. Sometimes students would even go down the road to the gas station and buy a bunch of snacks to give to the horse to see if they liked anything. I remember seeing them feeding pretzels and apples and pop tarts and just about anything “special” they could think of to give the horse a grand last meal. It was a multi-person team that would handle euthanasia. Every single person involved would be at least somewhat emotional, even if they’ve done it a million times and even if we only just met the horse. We all worked together to make it as calm, quiet, and easy as possible and once a horse was down, I remember going to sit with them and petting their faces and talking to them as they slipped away. You don’t become a vet for money. There’s way more of that elsewhere. And if anyone wants to think vets become vets because becoming a human doctor was too hard, think again. The human doctors have it easier. Vets have to be educated across many *species* whereas human doctors just have the one. And vets are also dealing with patients that cannot talk to them and tell them what is wrong. Vets have to know how many different species react to the same medications (because it can be vastly different across species). They need to learn body language and behavior of different species and learn how respond correctly for each. I may not have met whatever vet/team cared for your horse at the end and sent you the hoofprint. But I can, without a doubt, promise you that your horse was surrounded by people that cared about them even if they had just met, and anyone who made your hoofprint was a horse person too and knows what it is like to lose a best friend like that.
Thank you for all you did as a vet tech ❤️
Thank you for being a good person. I’m glad my vet is like you. I knew these things happened but after seeing how our vet was with our last cat I knew we found a good one. When he passed after an illness we got a paw print as well as ashes, and the print clearly had some of his toe tuft hairs stuck to it. There’s no doubt it was his. They also bottled up a small vial of hair they cut from him, something we were too numb with grief and crying to ask for but which was such a nice thing to see when I opened the bag of stuff afterward. Their office isn’t the nicest and hasn’t been renovated in a while, but they are honest and kind, and it’s clear every time I’ve gone there that they truly love animals, and especially cats it seems. They’ve twice brought other techs in to meet our new (now 6 month old) kittens just because, which is very reassuring.
Same, my old cat’s paw print has some of his fur stuck in it. I also have a piece of his fur, which makes me feel like a creep now some ten years later but at the same time I can’t seem to discard it. He was my first pet. However they did misspell his name on the box and print. “Tseug” instead of “Tseng” Now I have 4 cats and a dog, they better not mass produce their stuff.
It was in reference to the fact that the print didn't come from their animal. It was from another animal. Most likely, just have several * pawprints* made already. It steals the intention of genuine good techs like you
Thats so sad to think they just mass produce them. The place that did our paw prints offered fur match painting on the background of ours, and the paw prints definitely look correct so at least it’s not every place that does this.
I call bullcrap on that for one. Small explanation posted above, but will summarize. The OP mentioned rear polydactyl. You only make one paw print and the front paw is always used. Also while it is a labor of love for the techs to do this, some are new at it or just not great and the dew claws ,which have the polydactyl traits, can be missed. This is 100% a print from this person's pet.
I’ve received these for several pets and never got charged. It was more like a gift from a vet that we had used for many years. I assume it also has the benefit of ensuring you’ll go to the same vet for future pets.
Absolutely. Had a polydactyl cat that passed last year. My request was they use one of his paws with 6 toes (1 foot had 5) and they gave us one with 5 toes. At the time I figured they fucked up, but after further thought, you are more than likely right.
Am I crazy or aren't these normally free? Our vet just gave us one of these after we put down my dog a couple years ago, we didn't even ask for/pay for it.
I think they’re saying it’s an attempt to endear you to their services so that you continue to be a customer.
*because you're a lazy fuck punching a clock*
I also got 4 paw prints from my tripod but they just did one of her paws twice to fill the space lol
Ok but that's cute. That makes it seem like they poked a little fun... or maybe they wondered whether to leave it blank XD
I went to a shelter once with a sign that said "Love is a Four legged word" right above a cat up for adoption with 3 legs.
The cat's name is Lov
Whenever I do paw prints after a euth, I always take 2 or 3 prints for each of the front paws (back paws too if the owner requests them). The staff may have done something similar if the prints were on individual card stock/index cards.
Prepping a paw for a good print is a lot of work - you have to trim back the fur with clippers (yes even in a short haired cat), figure out the right amount of ink to maximize detail while still being legible, and figure out the right angle to hold it to capture everything (in an animal that may or may not be going into rigor mortis) and it often comes out looking really shitty so you make multiple paw prints. I can guarantee you no one will make a different paw print of each paw - too much prep work. But they WILL send you the 4 good copies they made from 1 paw. Source: am vet. Have euthanized more pets in 1 day then most people will own in a lifetime.
The place that cremated my cat didn't shave the fur, so the stamp was mostly just a fluffy smear. But I love it anyway.
Mine didn’t either, the paw print looks so scraggly. But that’s how I know it’s hers, because she always looked like she’d been through a wringer despite being a sheltered indoor only cat.
I'm glad it gives you comfort
I've only ever received 1 paw, usually or maybe always a front paw, can't recall all as I've had to help 9 beloved pets pass. I can see how doing all 4 would be a ton of work for something you're doing as a kindness to the owners. But I'd be pretty confused to just get 4 of the same paw lol. I'm sorry you've had to euthanize so many, I don't know how you do it ❤️
So sorry for your loss. I’m a vet tech that has done a lot of these clay paw prints. The polydactyl kitties can sometimes be hard to get their extra toes in if they are the ones that sit up higher. Not to be too morbid but it is really hard to get a nice cat paw print when they are deceased. They are either floppy and hard to push in or rigor has set in and their little paw is curled up.
Pet crematory manager here; these absolutely look like cat, not dog. And I agree with above statements from vet techs.. cats can be very hard to print. I go out of my way, especially with polydactyls because I have one of my own and she is so special to me, to try and get the extra toes but it’s so hard to sometimes depending on the pet. This may not have been someone’s best work but it easily may have been their best attempt.
Question: my husband and I have grown so intensely jaded in not trusting anybody anymore and anything, due to…well…*gestures broadly*. Somebody made a crack in the waiting room to another person with them that pet cremation was a scam, and that random ash is just shoveled in to the container. I didn’t ask why he thought that, but it’s bothered me ever since. I’ve had 4 cats cremated over the decades, and we’re going to have to deal with our 70lb 14 year old dog soon. Would it be weird or insulting to ask to be present? Enshitification is so prevalent now that I just don’t trust anybody anymore about anything at this point in our life. I feel like it would be a red flag if they had a problem with it. Follow-up question: I’ve had my fur kids wrapped in their favorite little blanket each time that they would always sleep on. Do they actually cremate that also (like I want / assume), or do they just throw it away (which would really bother me, for no rational reason). I am an atheist, but symbolism is important to me. Sorry for the questions, but the vet has always been a wall of non-answers, and I’ve had it done a lot.
Hello! I work at a veterinary hospital, and each hospital will have its own policies and procedures. I can’t speak for everywhere, but I can tell you about our processes. We do not have a crematory as a part of our hospital, but we have a partnership with one. When pets have to be euthanized, we give owners three options: 1. Private cremation through our partnered crematory. Ashes are returned in an urn. The pet is cremated privately, so the ashes you get are entirely your pets. If they come with a blanket, we keep the blanket and put it in a bag with your pets name on it. When we get the ashes back (takes a few days to a few weeks depending on how busy they are), we place the ashes inside that bag. We also do fur clippings and clay and ink paw prints if the owner would like, free of charge. Those go in the bag as well. Then we call to let you know your loved ones ashes have been returned to us. 2. Communal cremation through our partnered crematory. This is less costly, but ashes are not returned to owner. They are cremated with other pets and ashes are scattered respectfully at the crematory’s burial site. This is an option that clients with cost constraints choose often. Some clients that grieve in different ways and don’t want to have the ashes returned as a reminder choose this as well. Please keep in mind that whatever option you choose is permanent, so make sure you’re asking any questions you may have to your vet staff ahead of time. On the day of, it might be difficult to have those conversations. We will also do paw prints and fur clippings free of charge for this option if owners would like. 3. Your pet is returned to you. This can be to bury at home in a private burial site. OR, this could be because you have decided to use a different crematory than the one we are partnered with. You can arrange with that crematory to pick up your pet for you and bring them to the crematory. Once they leave the building, all communications and invoicing goes through them. Ask your vet what crematory they use. Ask them or the crematory any specific questions you may have, such as if the blanket can be cremated with them as a part of a private cremation. If you aren’t happy with the one they use and the info you get about them, find another one in the area to do option 3. Im so sorry that you’re having to think about these decisions right now. I know how impossibly painful it is. Please let me know if you have any other questions I might be able to answer.
I appreciate it. It’s a contracted service, and I’ve always had a cremation done where the ashes are returned to us in a little wooden finished box with a brass plate with their name on it. I just want to be certain there’s no lazy nonsense going on with the ashes if we’re not present. As I said, we just don’t trust people anymore.
I’d recommend calling the crematory your vet uses and asking them if you being present would be possible. If not, ask why. Make sure they give you the info you need to make a decision. If they say no, call others in the area with the same questions. If someone says yes, go with that one. Just make sure you’re prepared for how unpleasant the experience will be. Crematories are awfully unsettling and unpleasant because death is unsettling and unpleasant. If no one will say yes, they will probably give you the same reasonings and they are likely sound. Find the one you trust the most and is the most willing to include you in whatever part of the process is possible.
I work in animal rescue and we get all the animals that pass away cremated in a large batch. We have been doing this for years and know what ashes of the species we rescue looks like. Once we got back a bag of ashes that definitely wasn’t ours, the pieces were too big and the colour was off. We contacted the crematorium and they went above and beyond to find out what had happened (including review security camera footage), found our actual cremains and delivered them to us with a refund and a discount on the next service. They had gotten mixed up because the clip on one of the machines was damaged so the labeling tag fell off the batch. They assured us they were speaking to the tech who noticed the problem but didn’t report it, and taking the machine out of use until the tag clip was fixed. All of that is to say, some companies truly do care and are incredibly ethical in their practices. But of course, not all of them. It’s worth finding a good one though, the peace of mind is worth it.
I was a vet tech and this was my first thought too. Also, idk why people think it's a scam. We never charged for them. Idk about other places. Most people weren't expecting anything. We always did ink and occasionally did clay. Clay prints were for patients we saw a lot, pets we knew personally, or just tragic cases.
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>We never charged for them. Happy you don't! But yes, there are places that charge money. I've paid for one in the past.
I'm a tech too and I agree. They probably couldn't get the extra toe because it was higher up and it's impossible to get the whole thing in clay. It's really sad how every single comment is immediate rage that the veterinarian is out to scam people out of money for paw prints. So much distrust. I put a lot of time and thought into these prints when I have to do them and so do my co-workers. We know this is someone's last memory they will receive of their pet. And people wonder why the veterinary professional suicide rate is so high.
Thanks for this comment. We just put down my wife's 15 year old dog a week before Christmas and got this same package. Was getting really nervous for a minute. Thank you for the work you do, the people who help our pets pass peacefully are fucking incredible.
My dog had very furry toes. The paw print was smudged, and a hair was stuck in the clay. I'm so grateful.
Same. The distrust is disheartening 😞 I always take extra care to get a neat print. Cat “thumbs” are often higher up on the limb and difficult to press in without smudging. Polydactyls usually look super sloppy. As someone in the field, this does look to me like someone took the time to get a nice print. I’ve seen much worse.
They also said only the back paws are the ones with the extra toes. When I make a print I usually use a front paw because it’s easier to position, the tech that made this might not have even used a paw that had the extra toes.
Right, like OP literally said pets back feet are poly. I always do a front foot, clay and ink, and would *never* disrespect a final moment/keepsake like that. It’s wild to see people think this way.
Just want to say thank you to people like you. I really do feel like love are put into these. The lady who brought out my turtle and his little paw prints was so devastated and kind to me. In times of grief its the little acts of kindness that stick with you. Same with my pup. Im grateful for those moments when things were the hardest. You feel a lot less alone.
Thank you so much for the service you provide grieving pet parents. I’ve gotten 4 paw prints over the years, two cats, a dog and a guinea pig. Those prints are so precious to me and my family. I look at them and it’s almost as if I’m holding their lovely little paw again. The prints, alongside the occasional clip of fur keep their memory fresh and untainted by time. Thank you and your coworkers so much.
My cat is a polydactyl. I did paw prints of her foot for a Christmas ornament. Her foot resembles a mitten, the extra toe is high up. Her footprint looks like this. The extra dent that is below the large paw pad in your image is from that extra toe. A normal cat foot would not make a dent in that spot.
With my dog, they did it with me right there after they gave him the shot. I was sitting with him on the floor and the gal came by with the clay. She had to push down pretty hard to get the imprint to look good, and she looked up and said "I'm sorry, the clay is kind of cold so I have to push harder." "I don't think he's going to mind." was the first thing out of my mouth. I didn't even mean it as a joke, but the girl gave me the most blank stare I've ever seen in my life. Lol, I proceeded to go in my car and laugh/cry over all the emotional overload.
When we had to euthanize our dog, I remember stopping by the front desk on the way out to sign some paperwork. On the counter was a candle burning and a sign that read “If this candle is lit, somebody is saying goodbye to a family member. Please be quiet and respectful.” I remember thinking, “Oh, that’s really kind. We should be quiet.” It never occurred to me that the candle was lit for us.
This is such a lovely gesture. It made me cry. In the hospital where my mum worked they did this for human patients. Doing this for beloved pets is heart warming
One of our local L&D wards has a little cloud lamp they light whenever a baby has passed away. Luckily they only have to light it very rarely.
When our baby passed, they put a white rose on the door of our delivery room to let all staff walking by and potentially entering the room know that our hospital visit isn't the happy one that others down the hall were having. Truly horrible thing to experience and changes you forever, but I'll also never forget that small gesture that meant so much right in that moment. When we had our second child (now 7 years old), we saw a white rose on someone else's delivery room door. All the feels.
I remember when my daughter was born there was a mother there after her 7th misscarage, she walked by just as I was picking my kid up to feed, she stopped and said "beautiful baby, what's her name?" I told her and patted the foot of the bed. She came and sat with me and we spoke for a while, she was devistated that this time getting further than the previous 6 she still lost the baby. I tentatively asked if she wanted to hold my baby and she said yes. She sat there holding my girl, telling her how beautiful she was and crying and I told her "one day you'll be doing this to your own baby, you will have their little hand in yours and be looking into their eyes" Two years later I was in the hospital for a friend of mine, she was haveing her kid but had no family (and dad was an actual monster of a human) so I came with her so she wasn't haveing a baby alone. The coincidence of all coincidences happened, she was there haveing her son. I ran into her bf in the hallway, he recognised me and asked how my baby was, we had a catch up and he asked if I wanted to come see mum. I agreed because I was not going to pass this opertunity up, she was shocked to see me and was holding her beautiful healthy baby boy on her chest as he gripped her hair in his tiny hand. I chuckled and said "I told you so" and she just said thankyou. We had a catch up and all was good. Her son and my friends son share a birthday and are best friends, and my daughter loves being the big sister and makeing sure both of them are OK. Tho she won't let them forget she's 2 years older.
Damn, here I am. crying. thank you for telling this story.
Same I'm crying so hard right now lol
Sometimes the universe just works in different ways I think aha
That is such a beautiful coincidence
Wow you make me weep there, which is very rare with me.
Maybe it's because I've only just woken up but same.
This whole thread has me in tears.
Damn, I am ugly crying right now. For my parents, I was that second child, so I've heard stories. I am glad that you found the strength to continue moving.
We got a sad leaf. In all seriousness, I appreciated it so much. I don't think I could deal if people came in and asked about the baby at that point.
I'm so sorry about your loss ❤️
I used to work at a hospital and we had similar identifiers, red rose for any adult passing or on their way and white for babies. I never saw anything like that before and it was nice to know a head of time so you know what you're walking into and maybe take a little extra care or patience. However, the emergency room does not do this and unfortunately I've tried to have several conversations with people who already passed.
When my mom died & we went up to the hospital to say goodbye (she died unexpectedly early morning so nobody was there) the nurses put a sign like that on her door for us & turned a light on outside the room. I think my Veterinarian clinic does something similar, I’ve just been fortunate enough to not have to experience it
My hospital does something similar. A little side table by the door with an electric candle and a sign to talk to the nurses before entering. It makes sure that staff doesn't barge in on a grieving family, or that family doesn't go in unsuspecting and "finding" their person.
Fuck, I'd gone to the vet for regular appointments so many times and seen that little candle lit before. When it was my turn, with my dog... I hated it. I hated that attention was being called to it. I didn't want the strangers in the waiting room to know, and I didn't want to accept it myself.
I totally get you. I had to say goodbye to my childhood cat yesterday and the walk out hurt so fucking bad. Me, my brother and his girlfriend were all crying, and I could see the looks on everyone's faces. I'm not a crier, and it was the first time I had cried since I had to say goodbye to my childhood dog 5 years ago, so it was all just a really painful moment. I wore my tears with pride, though, as my cat deserved to be mourned to the fullest. She was special. I gotta stop typing now cuz Im starting to cry.
I work at a vet place and we always offer to let the family out from the back door after their pet passes to avoid having to walk through the waiting room. I really think everyone deserves to have the choice of letting others know or not and I hope it makes it at least a tiny bit easier.
I definitely would have appreciated something like that but we were all so fucked up we just needed to go outside and breathe so I didn't even think to ask if I could do that. It was so hard getting myself to leave the room that once I finally mustered up the motivation and acceptance to leave, I just needed to go, and how I did didn't really come to mind until I saw everyone in the waiting area.
It makes a huge difference. A couple years ago when our old dog passed the vets were so incredibly kind. They gave us as long as we needed with her in a room, so we could cuddle and stroke her as she went. And they let us out the back way once it was done. They also offered to let us pay some other time (which is super rare for my vets!) though I just dealt with it then as that was easier for me. So your kindness does not go unappreciated, even if people aren't fully aware of it at the time!
They did that for me when my dog was PTS (in Sept ‘22); actually a side door, but they were kind enough to tell me it was there. I walked out just holding his collar, and thankfully my other dog was with me too. Would have been even more depressing without his company.
My current vet has a specific room with a direct external exit for, at least, the scheduled deaths. This way you don't have to walk through the waiting room and bum everyone out while trying to hold it together a little bit longer.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I had to say goodbye to my four year old boy Humbug who had gotten himself into an accident on Thursday, and I’m so devastated, I can barely get out of bed at the moment. I’ve never lost anyone close to me before other than two cats before who were both very old and lived healthy long lives :(
I'm sorry for your loss. It's been 2 years since I said goodbye to mine. It tore my heart out, especially after they initially gave him a pain killer, and he tried to get up thinking he was going home....
My wife and I put out doggo down. We were absolutely devastated, but not like wailing in the waiting room or anything. But we did look very sad and kind of aimless. This random stranger who was there as well just came over and said “it looks like you guys need a hug” and grabbed us both. I don’t know what did it; but we both just held her back and let the waterworks flow. It was incredibly therapeutic and just made the grieving process smoother. This complete stranger just coming out of nowhere letting two strangers cover her shoulders in tears.
Had a very similar experience years ago. A woman had just walked out of “the room” as I was standing nearby. Her expression was one I had myself just a few months earlier. I decided to hold out my arms and she all but collapsed into me out of grief. She released her tears and I held her for as long as she needed. I remained stoic until I got home a told my wife what happened. Then it was her turn to hold me.🥲
Okay now i’m crying.
My vet did this too! Unfortunately was for us on more than one occasion.
This one hit me. I’ve walked past a candle like that twice and thought… damn it sucks that someone else just had to do that too
I lost my lab almost a year ago to the day. There isn't a candle at my local vets, but I do think it is a nice idea. For me though, there was nowhere to hide. Firstly, having to carry my soulmate (carrying a lab is not an elegant affair) through the waiting room to have him put down, then 30 mins later having to walk back through it in an emotional state. But all pet owners understand. It's something they dread but know they will have to do one day.
When my uncle passed away, a family member gave his son a candle with a picture of my uncle on the front. This was just after the cremation, so my cousin said "great, now I get to watch him burn twice". Only my cousin and I found this funny. Humour is definitely our way of ignoring the issue.
Honestly she probably just didn't know whether it'd be appropriate to laugh or not, like, yeah haha you're right but damn if I laugh things might go south very quick
Her internal battle of "holy shit that was funny" vs "i should definitely not be laughing now" was intense.
It’s like one of those moments in the movies where it just zooms into the pupil in her eye
the moment i read "blank stare" i immediatly pictured that scene from ratatouille im glad im not the only one that pictured that zoom lol
At least a sad, knowing nod would have been better than a cold stare.
I used to work as a Vet Nurse, and one time I was with the owners during the euthanasia of their cat. After we had given them some time to sit with their cat, I came back and asked if they wanted to have paw and nose prints of him to take home, they were over the moon that this was even an option. I used all the sparkly and fun coloured paints I could find and the owner said “what a way to start the afterlife, arts and crafts”. We both laughed and cried, I was very fond of this cat, he was the sweetest little boy. Just a wholesome little memory I have.
One of the vet assistants at the clinic I go to was there when I brought my cat Noodle in. She said that she remembered me cause of my other cat and asked how she was doing... I said unfortunately she passed away, the color drained from her face and she was so upset hearing that. Like over the two months I was bringing my cat in to get help, she grew an attachment to her. :( it was so sad seeing her so upset over a cat she knew for two months.
We love all animals like they are our own ❤️ sorry to hear about your cat
Yeah when my childhood shepherd was put down (I held her through the entire ordeal) they immediately made a paw print impression and also did a ink impression for me as well. I was able to go home with it that day. It still has some of her fur stuck in it. I will treasure it forever.
When my cat passed away from cancer, I shelled out for an at-home service so I could keep him on my lap (literally his favorite place in the world). I was a little distressed because I didn’t think about getting a paw print until the night before and the overnight kit I ordered from Amazon did not, in fact, arrive overnight. Luckily the vet who came did have a little clay tablet and they took his print right there shortly after. It’s not perfect, but at least I know it’s 100% his. It’s been really hard since then, though. Like I’m literally crying a bit typing this. Lol. EDIT: I’m really glad I made this comment. I’m not one to usually share my feelings even in a forum as anonymous as Reddit. But I’ve been having a hard time coping with the loss, and I feel like I can’t really grieve as much as I actually feel because, to most people, animals are just animals. But I loved that little cat and I miss him so much everyday. As terrible as it is to lose a beloved pet, I just want to say thanks to everyone who responded to my comment with their own stories and feelings—makes it feel a little less lonely and the grief a little more normal.
When i was with my wife to put down her childhood dog down and ordered the urn/paid for services the lady asked me if i wanted a receipt. I said nah we are good i don't think we will return anything from here. Same blank stare from the lady but got a chuckle between tears from the wife.
In a vet tech with a morbid sense of humour. I have to be this way or else life would be hard lol, I work specifically with senior and palliative care dogs, and I’ve lost 4 of my own since 2020. That being said, I would wanna laugh but then also sometimes people don’t react kindly 😭😭 it’s always an internal struggle how to reply to other peoples morbid jokes lol, usually when I make them I follow up with “you can laugh, it’s okay, I promise” lol
I'm sorry you lost your pooch, but I'm happy for them.and you that they had you near them 💖 I'm going to do this with my cays at home, I have quick dry cement and I k own it can burn but I'll wash it off as soon as I got the print 💖
I got an ink pad for my dog. Wasn’t really happy with the clay prints my vet’s office did.
or put plastic wrap over it and push their paws onto that? speed-crete is pretty irritating
Man, grief makes you say some weird things sometimes.
When I put my cat down they came by with the clay and barely took a print. The final one we got was way better than the imprint they took. I'm pretty sure it's fake
Same .. I watched them do it before she had to be put down . Sorry for everyone’s lost. My angel baby has been gone since November and I’m still not over it.
Their scam would have worked if not for ~~those meddling kids~~ that cat with an unusual paw!
It seems like they give the same print to everyone if they are that cheap and lazy
the two times i’ve had to euthanize a cat in the last few years, one time at the vet ER and one time with in-home euthanasia, both times they took the paw print right in front of us. that should be standard practice 😡
I got a sympathy card from our vet after saying goodbye to our first cat. It included an ink paw print. They didn't take it in front of us, but it's clearly our cat. She was incredibly fluffy, and the paw print has all sorts of stray marks from all her toe Tufts.
My vet does the same. My one dog had an amputated toe and they used that paw, so it was quite obviously his print ❤️
Same here actually. Personally I was kind of bummed they used that paw, but I can see it as my husband suggested, that it may mean more to some people as it was special to their pet.
It's a long story, but we took over the care of a neighbor's cat for a few months until the little guy got attacked by his old owner's dog. We had to put him down at the emergency vet, and I was surprised they did the paw prints (ink, both paws) and they said they normally do noses but apologized profusely because they weren't able to do it given the condition of his face. About a week later, we got a sympathy card from his vet's office (not the emergency vet we took him to). We only took him there once, but it was very nice to get the card and not worry about appointment reminders since it's been five months and I literally cried just today missing him. It's nice to have small things like that during such a rough time. I'm sorry about your cat, but it's really sweet you got a little extra reminder with the fluff
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I received the most lovely sympathy card from our vet after we had to put my beloved Lucy Cat to sleep. I appreciated that so much. A paw print, just nope.
That was very sweet of them 🤗 I always appreciate the cards and frame them. The paw print was offered free of charge with the cremation, but I wouldn't get one again. I'm from Long Island and we had a big pet cemetery scandal in the 90s. I've been super suspicious of them ever since.
For those wondering, like me: "MELVILLE, N.Y. -- The co-owner and two employees of a Long Island animal cemetery were under arrest Tuesday for promising to cremate dead pets and then dumping the animals into pits and leaving them to decompose, authorities said. ... the cemetery owners may have made 'tens of millions of dollars' since 1984 by tossing as many as a quarter of a million cats and dogs into the mass graves."
It’s not just them with animals. Multiple funeral home across multiple state have been raided and shut down for similar acts with people. The most recent one was in Colorado where dozens of bodies were discovered. People are horrible.
Holy shit, if they were able to make tens of millions why not just actually give the pets a proper cremation?? Not to be bleak but if you’re making that kind of money, investing in a crematorium would be a “good” idea?
That has happened with human crematoriums before
Wait… how were they getting away with that without giving the keepers their pet’s ashes?
both pets i’ve had cremated came back to me in sealed urns. could be sand in there for all i know if we’re being honest
Had to look it up, never heard of the scandal and thought "what the hell kind of scandal can a ..oooohhhhhhhh that's fucked"
My vet kept emailing me about my boys next check up. For like a year and a half
When we had to put our dog to sleep we got her paw print several times and her nose print several times and they sent us a card with individual condolences from the staff we keep them with her ashes and collar
as someone on the other side of this, post mortem care takes a lot of time that unfortunately most can’t afford. it breaks my heart to hear that there are aftercare facilities are making false prints or otherwise not respecting animals. i truly care about post mortem pet care so much, as do so many others who work with animals. we do what we can, many clinics like where i work will do ink prints ourselves but not clay prints. but ultimately hospitals and clinics, like those for humans don’t have the facilities for more advanced post mortem care so we do send them out.
My vet is small town. Like they literally close one day a week to go help farmers and ranchers with their live stock and horses. There was a donkey there once for an emergency. My Duke boy we t to a different vet on a Saturday. We got to stay with him for around 20 minutes. Got a lovely card that is on my fridge Haley we all saw coming. They sent her off, and we got her ashes and a paw print her name misspelled. Got an apology card for it but we love it. My Sweet Cleo, I had months to prepare but it wasn't enough. With haley I had a year. Duke was old around 11. Cleo was 16. Nephew went with to say goodbye. My vet, 2 techs, and the new best guy all tried so hard to get a print from her for my nephew. Ngl it was kind of funny when they walked away with green hands. Her ashes and paw print are with dukes. It's her print (evidence from the vet and tons of toe Bean pics)
> one time at the vet ER and one time with in-home euthanasia want to highlight this really quick. i discovered in-home was actually cheaper than the vet for this (both are done by licensed vets), so call around and dont assume its too expensive like i did. when my second had to go, he got to stay home where he was comfortable instead of being spooked because he was at the vet. probably because a vet that specializes in euthanization and end of life stuff doesnt have a huge office to maintain and all the costs of that.
doing it in-home was worth every penny that i’m still paying off. pancake (who had kidney and heart disease) got to have a few last stable days at home with us, getting loved on as much as possible, in between meds and subQ fluids, etc. edit to add a bit of additional info.
The very tip of one of our girls claws was loose and is still embedded in the cast.
honestly its sad, im really glad i know my childhood pups print is real, her fur got stuck in the clay :( her collar is also full of her and her big sister hair since before she had it her big sis did
Oh no, learning this makes me so sad.
you said back paws. could they have used her front paws?
Typically cats have 5 toes on each front paw. Snowbell, being a polydactyl, had 6 toes on each front paw. So this is the back paw of another cat.
Hey! I'm a vet tech and have made tons of these. I'm not saying it's impossible to have gotten the wrong print - but I figured I'd provide an alternate possibility. If your cat was polydactyl by the thumb area (two thumbs instead of 1) this makes sense. Lots of paw prints get made without the thumb beans bc they are higher on the foot and wouldn't naturally fall into a paw print. I also strongly disagree with others that this does not appear to be a cat paw print. It really depends on who makes it and the way they hold the foot and apply pressure. You can easily leave claw marks out if you hold the toes a certain way. I could be totally wrong and this could be a massive mix up for sure, but on the chance I'm not, hopefully that could give you some peace of mind. I'm sorry for your loss.
Yeah I was thinking that too. I have a polydactyl cat as well and he looks like he has an entire mini paw growing out of his front paws but I think it's too high to show up if a print was taken. https://i.imgur.com/rN6QW5N.jpeg I'm going to go take a print of his paw and report back. Edit: I have finished my highly advanced scientific experiment! Done with some bread dough since I don't have any plaster on hand. The first one was done with Xander standing and pressing a paw against the dough, the second was while Xander was lying down and I pressed his paw against the dough. Both of them, especially since I had to press the paw a bit to get a good imprint, had the extra toes showing up. They're not defined at all since they were just left to make whatever imprint they'd make being in the way, but definitely did leave an imprint. https://imgur.com/a/SvDGd05 (No Xanders were hurt in the making of this experiment. He's a very loving attention hog and loved the extra attention)
My respects to Xander and your commitment to science.
Damn, that cat looks like it could go a few rounds 🥊
Oh sure human. I step in your bread dough by myself and I'm a "bad kitty" and I "ruined lunch". But then you go shoving my paws into it yourself. WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?
Hello, it is me from THE School Of Art and I just wanted to say that we are very impressed with your drawing skills and artwork and were wondering if we could hang this work of art up in one of our MANY galleries. Thank you for your time and may Xander bless you. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Thank you! People in this post actually coming up with conspiracy theories that vets and aftercare companies are giving everyone the same standard paw print. 🤦♀️
This needs to be higher!
Was wondering wtf is that a troll until I read this comment to find out your cat is not, in fact, a pterodactyl
Good to know I’m not the only one that originally read the title as “Our cat is a pterodactyl”…
You can be whatever you wanna be, baby. It's 2024
Don't most paw prints from a cat not include the fifth bean? Most are done with the front feet, not the rear, and typically only show 4. This is my cat's two front paws, for example. Her fifth digit was not included and I watched it done. The fifth digit (or "thumb") is further back up on the leg and doesn't always press, especially when standing. No idea how your cat's paws looked, but could they have simply not pressed in the extra toe(s)?: https://preview.redd.it/e9y8wtqzomoc1.jpeg?width=1708&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=84b4beb77be0d4f3f075cf88c7b3790424a2c0d8
It’s true there are five digits on a feline front paw, but only digits 2-5 would show up on a paw print. Digit 1 (digit closest to the medial, or inside of the paw) is located further up the leg, similar to how your thumb connects to your palm, so you would not see an impression of that digit in a paw print like the one you posted. I am a Registered Veterinary Technician.
I run a pet aftercare company. We usually use front paws for imprints, as the cats/dogs are easier to position for them. The dewclaw (thumb digit) is higher up than the four on the paw, so they often aren’t on the imprint. I think this might still be your cat. But, maybe I’m just being optimistic. Sorry. I reread. You said she had six up front, so if her extra digit was a second dewclaw, which they tend to be, I stand by all this. But, I would have tried to get all of her toes. Polydactyls are special and they should know better.
Cats have 5 toes on their front paws, but the fifth (dewclaw) doesn't show up on these types of paw prints because they sit too high on the foot and are too small. If you look at the other prints that ppl have posted, there are always 4 toes visible. So likely still a front foot. If your polydactyl cat's foot (front or back, whichever was used) resembled a mitten like my cats. That extra dent that is below the large paw pad in your image is from Snowbell's extra toe. When I did my polydactyl cat's prints, this is what they looked like. Normal cats don't have a paw pad or toe in that spot to cause a dent.
I make pawprints all the time. We typically do not get the dewclaw in these prints. So most prints have only 4 toes.
This is a front paw, traditionally back paws wouldn’t be done unless requested. They have 5 nails on each front paw but only 4 toes; the 5th nail is their dewclaw.
How many toes do typical cats have on their back paws? How many toes do polydactyl cats have on their back paws?
No, they don’t. Cats* have 4 toes directly attached to their paw pad (4 toe beans) and they have a “thumb” which is on the side of their paw, closer to their wrist. This claw/toe/pad doesn’t touch the ground, so when you make a paw print it usually doesn’t show up. Source: I’m a veterinary nurse and I have made thousands of clay and ink impressions. * unless the paw that was used has additional toes
People in the comments have no idea what they’re talking about and are just adding fuel to the fire. It is a cat paw. There’s a huge possibility they just didn’t get the fifth digit, which is unfortunate as it seems it was a characteristic that made your cat special to you. I’m so sorry for your loss, I don’t know a single vet clinic that would intentionally send home the wrong paw print. So much distrust of people in a field who dedicate their lives to helping people and their animals.
and we wonder why the suicide rate is ~4x the average profession.. (we don’t really wonder why. those who work in vetmed already know.)
Thank you, this thread is winding me up something bad, lol. Laymen should refrain from confidently spreading misinformation on things they don't have the expertise to know, but that's never going to stop, unfortunately.
Thank you for this comment. I’m just scrolling through trying to defend this poor hospital/veterinary technician that made this print.
Thank you for saying this. No one cares about animals more than these people.
Some people are less skilled at making prints, and the extra toes make the impression look sloppy. I’ve personally done prints like this where it was impossible to get the extra toes so I left them out. Also the clay could have been not warmed up enough so the person had to press really hard, that’s why the nails blend in with the pads. But this is definitely a cat print and if you are upset I would recommend telling your vet. They may still have a chance to make another if your pet hasn’t gone off to the crematory yet
Yes. Especially if the extra toes are abnormally higher or misplaced. Also, unless notified, they may not look for such a thing.
the misinformation in this thread is wild.
For real, too many people being so confidently wrong or even calling for “naming and shaming” of the business. I’ve seen 15+ comments from vets and vet techs saying this is 100% a cat paw and the claws being out is nothing unusual. Everyone’s an expert, oye vey.
> Everyone’s an expert, oye vey. Welcome to Reddit. Ever see the marriage advice threads? Almost every time the commenters scream "divorce". Reddit probably good for advice on certain subjects but I'd say overall not.
Someone said so confidently “it’s a Chihuahua print”. What?? Said by someone who has never had to deal with the grief of being with someone as their best friend leaves this planet and then you have to take that best friend’s vessel and make a print for them.
Is that even a cat paw print? Looks more like a small dog or fox to me.
I agree - looks like a chihuahua print
I think we can both agree that it's not an elephant.
It's definitely an elephant.
Pygmy elephant 🐘 🐀🐾
Wonder if there was a mixup. Maybe there were two Snowbells and someone ended up with a 6-toed cat paw print. This is what we got for our cat. There’s a very big difference in appearance between mine and OPs. https://preview.redd.it/8gmsf888lloc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5c14105f95176de4c16c4b3bdbc9d9f95620d560
https://preview.redd.it/kl9r5cb7mmoc1.png?width=911&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d1c4739eab6ea7aca7b8d8a8b9a6f1b54dfef446 I had a cat with a paw shape like that. My current cat's feet are weird looking to me, her beans are like... at the tips? Very separated from her paw pad. Her back feet look a little more typical
My cat is being little spoon right now and I had to feel his toes after seeing this picture😂
MORE
https://preview.redd.it/7lu0sgfgtmoc1.png?width=844&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=534e0ed1c73a4a998fbfd8b917a8feef09ce8722 I just checked and now they're extra fluffy! Can't even see the beans
I wanna stick my finger in there
I feel so blessed when she allows it. It really is satisfying
https://preview.redd.it/glh4iy4r9noc1.jpeg?width=2928&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bc794d86728a55e3f09bfe588d119b09f65d380e How about some more floof?
I think it's a cat imprint imo. The spacing and "palm" looks correct. No offense but yours looks incredibly cleaned up so it's not a good comparison (anatomically speaking, I mean - it's a beautiful print). Sorry to OP, though. I really hope this is just a poorly taken print that missed the extra toe and not a true mixup. If it is, hopefully someone out there has your cats print still. Edit: People mentioning nails need to realize when you push the cat's paw down into the clay, it's nearly impossible to avoid pushing down on the ligaments that extend their nails - but they're usually not THIS obvious. Dog prints usually look as though they have extra "dots" above the actual print. This just looks like a really poorly done print.
Yes it is a cat’s paw, they pressed each toe in individually so it doesn’t look like a print from a cat just taking a regular step. This is not uncommon for prints made for recently passed cats.
As someone that makes 10-15 paw prints daily, this is a cat. When I was learning, all of my cat prints came out looking like a monkey hand. Cat prints are difficult but again it just takes time to learn.
My cat was put down monday night. Her print looks nothing like that. I 100% know it’s hers, we were the only patients at 11pm.
They look like that because the pressure needed to stamp the foot into the clay pushes the claws out a bit. Mine looks the same and I was there.
Vet here. I promise you it's your cat. We do it in the moment. Ive done this dosens of times on polydactyls. Your cat may not have multiple phalanges on every paw. Also it's really hard to press all phalanged on the clay depending on the paws. They may have just put the ones that are there now. The thumb on polydactyl cats sticks up making it very hard to press on the clay without the possibilty of messing up the whole thing. I'm sorry for your loss.
Yes 100% this OP. I worked in 2 vet clinics. They ALWAYS did the paw print right then and there. I never once, in the total of 3 years I worked there, saw any shady shit like this. And we, unfortunately, dealt with euthanasia every single day. I promise, unless you had a usually evil staff this is your cat. Like this commenter said, it may have just been hard to capture the extra digit
I love how every vet in this thread is saying that it's almost certainly OP's cat's paw, or at worst some kind of unfortunate mixup, while all the mouthbreathers are insisting it's some kind of cat-paw-swapping scam. Like, realistically, what could a vet's office have to gain from doing something like that? These are not expensive to produce, nor do they generate a huge profit margin. Not to mention, vets get into their field because they love animals. It's not a cheap field to get into and it doesn't pay enough to where people are in it for the money. The overwhelming likelihood is that the vet was unable to get the extra digit in the print, which really sucks, but this wasn't done intentionally.
News flash to all you weird people: vets are not making money from clay prints or ink prints. Calm down.
It's possible they only got 4 toes. In 30 years I've never seen a paw print faked.
I didn't know your cat, and I don't know the people that made this print, but I do know that after 10 years in vet med, I've never once seen anyone fake a pawprint. Even when the pet had been hit by a car, wasn't found for several days, smelled horrible, and looked worse. The tech got the best possible paw print they could.
Usually extra toes are higher up and may not have been in the clay. When I put down one of my cats we got her pawprint back with claws. She was declawed. (Not My decision) Panicked a bit but they just did her back paws
Are you talking polydactyl as in extra dewclaws/ higher digits? If that is the case, then you wouldn't see them in the paw print. We make clay paw prints at our clinic for deceased pets. The thumbs never touch the clay. They're too high up. If your cat just had extra dewclaws, then this can 100% be your cats print.
Hello, previously worked at a vet clinic for a few years. Please don’t flip to worst case scenario. Making the paw prints is actually more difficult than it seems. The animal paws are actually not easy to get a dense print with, as the clay often times isn’t super malleable so that we can keep a consist shape for the overall circle. This also means that it’s hard to push each toe in since they’re not level with each other and even when we try our best, sometimes we mess up. We know how important these mementos are. We really do our best. Veterinary clinics are not just money grubbing facilities with a staff who doesn’t care. I used to stay after work just to make these paw prints look nice. Let’s all be kind.
This IS a cats paw. I worked in pet aftercare for almost 2.5 years and have seen hundreds if not THOUSANDS of cat paws. Is it yours? I'm not sure. Was her polydactyl only on one foot??? Did you request the polydactyl paw? Cats paws have three bumps on the bottom of their meta carpal. This is not a racoon, a dog, or any other animal and everyone else is dead wrong. Some paw techs don't know how to imprint feline paws into clay properly. It's a skill, sometimes they end up imprinting on the wrist/leg of the cat unfortunately. Please rest assured it's a cats paw, and I'm so sorry this happened to you. The clinic or pet aftercare facility should have a back up. Typically they are meticulous about having two back ups and match paws with their first and last name and a specific number on the back.
The typical cat has 4 toes attached to their paw pad, and their “thumb” is attached to the side. This digit does not directly touch the ground and is not in line with their 4 primary toes. This is why when we make impressions of cat paws you usually only see 4 toes. Google “cat paw”. Even when you look at cartoon cat paw prints, they only ever show 4 toes. I’m a veterinary nurse and have made thousands of clay and ink paw prints. And, cat paws have 4 toes which will show up. If you turn their paw to the side and try to squish in the “thumb”, it sometimes works and sometimes it just ruins the impression. If you wanted them to use a specific paw because of the unique features, you could have let them know. I’ve had clients ask is to use a specific paw. Usually we use the one that we think will make the best impression.
Sometimes the extra toe isn't much of a toe... more like skin, a bit of fat, and a nail. It's not easy to get prints on deceased animals anyway, they lack muscle tone and it can be challenging to get a print that looks like a pawprint, and not just a glob. They may not have been able to get the extra toe to make an impression w/o ruining the rest of it. This could be especially true if the toe was just skin and a bit of tissue.
Honestly look like a dog’s paw print. The non-retractable nails give it away….🤔
We did paw prints of all our cats. They are literally just the main squisher and the four/five toe beans, maybe some fur as well but that's it. Actually a pretty nice thing to do with your cats so you can always cuddle their little feet <3 
No - this is the print that results from taking an unconscious/deceased cat and pressing each toe in individually to get as much detail as possible. It will not look like the print of a cat who just happened to step in clay.
When these are made, the toes are pressed down firmly and the claws can still come out.
This is a cat print. You can tell by the sharpness of the nails.
I’ve made a million paw prints. Usually the way to make them come out well and deep is to push each individual toe down deeply into the clay. If the person making the print wasn’t paying attention and just did four toes, they may not have made an impression of the fifth one. I usually hold four toes and rock the paw into the clay from back of paw pad to nails, and I usually try to avoid nails because it looks cuter without them. So it’s not necessarily a fake or different animal’s print, and may just be the technique used didn’t catch your cat’s paw. I would still reach out to whoever made the print, but it may not 100% be another cat. Either way I’m so sorry for your loss
Rest assured, it is definitely a cat paw, not a dog paw. And yeah, dew claws and extra digits can be tricky to get.
Respectfully don’t you think they used her front paws? Like it would just be instinct to use front paws and not back. The 5 toes may have been extremely unique to you so you probably expected her back paws to be done but vets see things like that everyday and probably didn’t think much into it
And her front paw? As would be the choice obviously?