The Freeze Dried Pet Taxidermy Frenzy
Many of us refer to our pets as “fur babies” or outright family members. Once your pet has passed, would you consider freeze dried pet taxidermy to keep them as life-like as possible? Here’s a TikTok video of a woman who is not only thrilled with having her cat freeze dried, she’s also got tips for how to properly care for freeze dried cats.
The woman in the video above has multiple videos on her freeze dried cat. In another video she is quite understanding and cognizant that some may find her choice upsetting. This trend of freeze dried pet taxidermy seems to be more popular and understood with Generation Z. I would not consider this an option for me (Generation X) but I think my daughter (Generation Z) would give strong consideration to this process.
History of Freeze Dried Taxidermy
Going all the way back to ancient Egyptians, cats were sometimes mummified and entombed with their owners. The thought process being that if the owner and cat were mummified and buried together, they would also be together in the afterlife. You can get more into that history on carnegiemnh.org.
The general consensus on the origin of freeze drying plants or tissue dates back to the 1890’s and a scientist named Richard Altmann. The process of freeze drying involves a freeze-dry chamber. The chamber lowers air pressure to a point where liquids go from solid (ice) directly to gas and bypass the liquid (water) state. NBC has an article from a few years back that gets into the finer points.
According to my research, people have been getting their pets freeze dried for decades now. Here’s a lady who got her cat freeze dried for $400 in 1992. She says she does not regret it.
The Difference Between Traditional Taxidermy and Freeze Drying
Traditional taxidermy involves the preservation of the hide of the animal. The hide is then stretched over premade forms (usually Styrofoam). That’s why taxidermy is used more for deer and other hunting trophies rather than for people’s pets. Many taxidermists don’t or won’t do family pets because it’s too much pressure and the premade forms are not going to be a perfect fit.
Freeze dried pet taxidermy techniques allows the animal to keep its natural shape and the fur remains soft. Second Life is a freeze dried pet taxidermy business in Pennsylvania with a strong reputation and knowledge of the science. Their website talks about the steps needed before they receive a pet. Keeping it dry and getting it frozen ASAP are two of the main points.
Second Life also talks about time frames. How long it takes to freeze dry an animal depends on the size and weight: “A very small dog or cat may be done in as little as 3-4 months where a large dog may take 12 months or more. When done correctly, freeze drying is a fairly long-term process. Project turnaround time is generally 6-9 months.” Here’s Chuck from Second Life talking about what they do:
Thoughts on Freeze Dried Taxidermy
Chuck seems like a good guy. A part of this type of work has got to be as a councilor too. I would think by nature, you would deal with people that are emotional and grieving. Is it something YOU would want to do for your animal? Me personally, no. The idea of seeing my cat on a daily basis and knowing that there is no life in them…. I don’t like it. That’s me. Many other people feel differently about it.
And then there is also the cost… cost depends on who does it and the weight of the animal. A Reddit user shared pictures of her freeze dried pet taxidermy experience. She had it done to her cat, Zelda, and offered to answer people’s respectful questions about it. She said she paid $1,300 for Zelda. That included Zelda’s freeze drying… and the separate freeze dying of Zelda’s organs. According to Rose (the Reddit user), she had the option of having Zelda’s organs removed and tossed or removed, freeze dried and put back in.
After this article and researching freeze dried pet taxidermy, I will never look at banana chips the same.
