Why did a French vet charge a €200 ‘cremation fee’?

Reader Question: My mum’s cat recently passed away after being taken into the vets, where she left it. She was charged €600 for medical bills, plus €200 fee for cremation of the animal as she could not collect the body. Is this normal? 

In a situation where your pet dies at the vet, there are different options for what can happen to the animal. If you cannot collect the animal yourself, or do not wish to, the vet can take charge of cremation of its body.

There are two main types of cremation for pets – collective (where they are cremated at the same time as a number of other animals) and individual (where the animal is cremated on its own).

In the case of the latter, this allows owners to keep their pets’ ashes.

Read more: How do you organise a pet cremation in France and what are the costs?

Fees involved

Prices for cremations vary but are around €100 for a collective cremation or €200 for an individual one. Some vets add extra for their work arranging it. 

So, the €200 fee appears reasonable, especially if it was the individual option, with return of the ashes. 

You should check with the vet about updating the pet’s information on the I-CAD official pet database. Some vets do this as part of their services when an animal dies, however in some cases it remains up to the pet’s former owner. 

Read more: Is it legal to bury a pet in your garden in France?