For many people the thought of cremation for themselves, their family members or their pets by fire is deeply uncomfortable.
For someone living with pyrophobia, an intense fear of fire, the idea can be much more than uncomfortable. Fire, flames, burning, and extreme heat can create genuine fear and anxiety.
When the time comes to make aftercare arrangements for a beloved pet, those feelings can become especially powerful.
You spent years protecting your companion. You kept them comfortable, safe, warm, fed, and loved. When it is time to say goodbye, the thought of placing that same beloved companion into a chamber approaching 2,000°F may simply feel wrong to you.
Fortunately, flame cremation is not the only choice.
There is another way.
Cremation by Water, also known as Aquamation or alkaline hydrolysis.
What Is Cremation by Water?
Cremation by Water uses a combination of water, alkalinity, gentle circulation, temperature, and time to accelerate the natural process that takes place when a body returns to the earth.
There is no flame involved.
Instead of temperatures that can approach 2,000°F in traditional flame cremation, the water process operates at approximately 200°F.
That is roughly one tenth the temperature.
For someone uncomfortable with fire, or someone who simply prefers a process that feels gentler and closer to natural decomposition, that difference can be profound.
Why Water Can Feel More Natural
Water is something we associate with life.
It nourishes us. Cleanses us. Sustains plants and animals. Covers most of our planet and makes up much of every living body.
The chemistry behind Aquamation is also based on the same fundamental process that occurs naturally after burial. Aquamation creates a controlled environment that accelerates that natural breakdown using water, alkalinity, warmth, and time.
For many families, there is comfort in knowing that their beloved companion's final journey can take place through a process centered around water rather than fire.
For People With Pyrophobia, Having Another Choice Matters
Someone with pyrophobia may have difficulty separating the word "cremation" from images of flames and burning.
That can make an already emotional decision even harder.
Cremation by Water changes that conversation.
You can still choose an individual aftercare process for your beloved companion and have their cremated remains returned to you, but without choosing flame cremation.
For some families, simply learning that this option exists provides enormous relief.
They no longer have to choose between what has traditionally been offered and what feels right to them.
When Given the Choice, Families Overwhelmingly Choose Water
One of the most remarkable things we have experienced at Soothing Streams Pet Services is what happens when pet owners are actually presented with both options and allowed to decide for themselves.
Approximately 98% of families we encounter choose Cremation by Water over flame cremation when given the option.
That tells us something important.
For many years, flame cremation has been the default largely because it was the process most people knew existed.
Once families learn there is another option, many immediately understand the appeal.
Water instead of flame.
Approximately 200°F instead of temperatures approaching 2,000°F.
A process that mirrors natural decomposition rather than combustion.
For many pet owners, the decision becomes surprisingly clear.
A Gentle Alternative for Dogs, Cats, Reptiles, Birds and Pocket Pets
Cremation by Water can be particularly meaningful when saying goodbye to a small or delicate companion.
A tiny gecko.
A bearded dragon.
A rabbit.
A guinea pig.
A hamster.
A bird.
A snake.
Or the dog or cat who shared your home for 15 years.
The size or species of the animal doesn't determine the depth of the relationship.
For families uncomfortable with intense heat or flame, Aquamation offers a way to honor that relationship through a process they may find considerably more peaceful.
You Don't Have to Choose Fire
Perhaps you have pyrophobia.
Perhaps you have never liked the idea of flame cremation.
Perhaps you are environmentally conscious.
Or perhaps water simply feels more consistent with the gentle way you cared for your companion throughout their life.
Whatever your reason, you deserve to know that you have a choice.
At Soothing Streams Pet Services, we believe pet owners should understand their options before making such a personal decision.
Traditional flame cremation is one option.
It isn't the only option.
There is a process centered around water, warmth, time, and the chemistry of natural decomposition.
Cremation by Water. Aquamation. Gentle Cremation by Water.
And when families are given the choice, approximately 98% choose water over flame.
Sometimes the gentlest goodbye doesn't require fire at all.