Should I taxidermy my cat when he dies?

Only if:

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After briefly looking into the subject of cat taxidermy I suggest getting someone who really knows what they are doing to do for the job if you want it to be done at all. Cats for some reason seem to be fodder for taxidermical horrors, maybe it has to do with the anatomy.

Here is what successful instances of it look like:
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Here is what the failures look like:
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I know this is weird but I actually mused about keeping my cat’s skull when she passed and having an artist crystallize it and make it something beautiful. When it happened I knew instantly I couldn’t bear it and had her cremated instead, spread her ashes somewhere nice. It may seem like a neat idea but you may feel completely different when the time comes. Or maybe you won’t. Either way, at that moment you will know instantly if it feels right or not. Just invest in someone who will do it right.
 
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Haloperidol said:
I know this is weird but I actually mused about keeping my cat’s skull when she passed and having an artist crystallize it and make it something beautiful. When it happened I knew instantly I couldn’t bear it and had her cremated instead, spread her ashes somewhere nice. It may seem like a neat idea but you may feel completely different when the time comes. Or maybe you won’t. Either way, at that moment you will know instantly if it feels right or not. Just invest in someone who will do it right.
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I don't mind the idea of having bones of pets. Preferably we would all keep our loved one's bones in sacks like one tribe in Africa.
When he wandered into my yard - lost kitten - he initially lived under the deck, by some steps. I'd lay food and water out for him and hide behind the steps to play ambush and such with him. Part of me likes the idea of burying him beneath the steps. Otherwise, I'd cremate. Besides taxidermy failures, one of my concerns with taxidermy is it backfiring by just feeling sad to see it.
 
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Ughubughughughughughghlug said:
I don't mind the idea of having bones of pets. Preferably we would all keep our loved one's bones in sacks like one tribe in Africa.
When he wandered into my yard - lost kitten - he initially lived under the deck, by some steps. I'd lay food and water out for him and hide behind the steps to play ambush and such with him. Part of me likes the idea of burying him beneath the steps. Otherwise, I'd cremate. Besides taxidermy failures, one of my concerns with taxidermy is it backfiring by just feeling sad to see it.
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I don’t even mind the morbidity of it either, but the thought of putting her little self through anything else suddenly struck me as terrible so I decided to just it go. Up to you, ultimately, like I said you’ll know.

edit—by the way, hope you don’t have to worry about this for a long long time.
 
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Breadbassket said:
After briefly looking into the subject of cat taxidermy I suggest getting someone who really knows what they are doing to do for the job if you want it to be done at all. Cats for some reason seem to be fodder for taxidermical horrors, maybe it has to do with the anatomy.

Here is what successful instances of it look like:
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This is heart breaking, the first image really is quite something. As much as I get wanting to keep them with you, I wouldn't want to do this. Because if you lose this it will feel like losing them a second time.

I kinda like @GeekUSA 's suggestion unironically. It feels like the proper and respectful send off. A pyre and small funeral is probably the healthiest way to deal with it.
 
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A taxidermy of a pet usually comes out terrible and looks nothing like your actual pet. Taxidermy for the most part is skinning the animal and than stretching it over a mass produced plastic skull, the fake skull will completely change the look of your pet in the best circumstances. Try imaging skinning someone and then stretching there face over a halloween skull decoration, do really think it's going to look like that person. Even if done as well as possible you spend so much time with your pet that even little imperfections will look huge and will probably deeply hurt your heart.
Take plenty of pictures of your cat while you can and once the sad time comes keep things important to them like there toys and collar, bury them if you can so you have a place to remember them and all the good time. Its great to remember and honor the ones you love but trying to hard to cling to someone who's gone will only bring pain and grief
 
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Bro, you're gonna have to dust your cat.
Pack it to move.

Then there's the risk of someone screwing the process up.
 
Get a new cat. But be ready for pain. Everyone has that one cat in their life they never forget. Some people don’t understand it but losing a cat sucks as much as losing a dog.
 
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Cat tit bingo said:
A taxidermy of a pet usually comes out terrible and looks nothing like your actual pet. Taxidermy for the most part is skinning the animal and than stretching it over a mass produced plastic skull, the fake skull will completely change the look of your pet in the best circumstances. Try imaging skinning someone and then stretching there face over a halloween skull decoration, do really think it's going to look like that person. Even if done as well as possible you spend so much time with your pet that even little imperfections will look huge and will probably deeply hurt your heart.
Take plenty of pictures of your cat while you can and once the sad time comes keep things important to them like there toys and collar, bury them if you can so you have a place to remember them and all the good time. Its great to remember and honor the ones you love but trying to hard to cling to someone who's gone will only bring pain and grief
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Was gonna say this. If you are fine with desecrating the corpse of your beloved pet for a piece of stryofoam with it's skin on it, I won't judge.

Probababy better to move in. I buried my first cat in a soft blanket with her favorite toy, not because I believed she had an afterlife, but because it made me believe that was what she would want.

Sorry for your loss OP.
 
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I couldn't do that to my cats. Not just because it would make me sad to see what is essentially a stuffed shell of what used to be, but also because that's not moving on. All living things die. You have to learn to let go. Regardless of what you believe in you have to let go.
 
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I can't think of doing anything worse to a creature I'm assuming you loved, why would you want to forever look at their lifeless/soulless body, there's plenty of ways you can remember and honour your dead pets but getting them stuffed isn't it
 
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