Together fur-ever.
A devastated Scottish woman found that death can mean a new beginning after spending more than $5,000 to have her beloved cat preserved by a taxidermist.
“It’s the best decision I ever made,” Harriet Peace, 28, told South West News Service of the “Weekend at Bernie’s”-esque move.
The macabre saga was set in motion after her cat Tango was fatally hit by a car in September 2021, leaving the Ayrshire native in shambles.
“He was like my child; it was a huge loss to me,” the distraught nursing assistant said. “He had been through so much with me, and I thought I’d have him for at least 10 years — he was my wee sidekick.”
In fact, Peace said she was so devastated by Tango’s death she couldn’t bring herself to have him “cremated” or buried, SWNS reported.
That’s when a friend of hers suggested taxidermy, a lengthy process that involves using various oils and chemicals to preserve an animal’s body, so it maintains a lifelike look in death. Unfortunately, the pet embalming procedure was only offered by select experts in the United Kingdom and cost an exorbitant amount of money to carry out.
Despite the difficulties, Peace deemed taxidermy as “the perfect way for him to be with me forever.” She found the measure particularly apt as her fur baby Tango sported no injuries from the car accident and was posed to look as though he was simply looked asleep.
Ignoring objections from her partner at the time, Peace placed her postmortem pal in the freezer straight away and then transported him from Scotland all the way to taxidermist Get Stuffed in London.
Peace said she was initially “nervous” after dropping Tango off.
“I was worried he would look different, and I would have made the wrong decision,” the concerned cat-lover fretted over the procedure, which cost an eye-popping £4,000 ($5,018.20). “I got really quite scared at points. You don’t really know what to expect.”
However, Peace felt it was “all worth it” after she picked up Tango seven months later and saw the incredible results of the procedure.
“As soon as I walked in and saw him sat with all the other cats, I just knew he was absolutely perfect,” gushed the grateful cat parent. “I couldn’t believe it. His fur and everything — it was amazing. He is so realistic.”
She added, “He’s exactly how he was, and I’m so happy I have him here to remember him.”
Accompanying photos show the stuffed kitty curled up in his bed as if he’s simply taking a cat nap.
Needless to say, Peace says her friendship preservation methods didn’t sit well with many critics, many of whom deemed it “disgusting and degrading,” and argued that it “prevents an animal from being at peace.”
Tango’s stoic owner was quick to tell them to get stuffed. “It’s not for everyone but honestly, I couldn’t thank the man who did it enough,” she said. “After losing my best friend, it’s the best gift anyone could give me.”
Ultimately, Peace wants to use her saga to dispel the stigma surrounding taxidermy, and encourage others who can afford it to consider stuffing their pet.
“It’s done very respectfully,” she insisted. “If you had the chance to have your pet preserved how it was before for the rest of your life, wouldn’t you do it?”
Last month, a UK couple buried their “dead kitty” in their backyard — only for him to return the next day, like a scene straight out of “Pet Sematary.”
