If I die before I wake...

[gemfyre]

A discussion came up last night about religious beliefs and organ donating and such and got me thinking again about what I want done to me when I die.

Now when I was an angsty 14 year old I used to plan my funeral often, as if I expected to be hit by a rogue bus at any minute. I wanted certain songs played mostly, and many of those songs don't have any meaning to me anymore.

However, this latest desire has lasted quite a few years now.

When I die, I'd like to be fed to a large cat of some kind, not a lion, preferably a leopard or a tiger. A zoo animal involved in a breeding program to save it's noble species. I'd like to contribute to the upkeep of a cat by providing them with food. And I also get the spiritual pleasure of knowing I have become part of such an awesome animal.

Of course, apart from red tape, this may not be possible because maybe human meat has too much chemical crap in it from all the shit we are exposed to in the air and in our food. Humans may be too fatty to feed a zoo cat, or on the other hand they may not be meaty enough. All I know is Perth Zoo feeds their cats horse meat which is a considerbly larger amount of meat. I mean, I would only be a token, not a balanced meal. There is also the matter of the condition of my body a) when I die and b) when I'm actually fed to the cat (too long a delay may render me inedible, cats are quite fussy about this stuff). Then of course you'd have to find someone willing to feed a dead human to a cat, and as I mentioned before, there's always legal implications to fuck everything up.

I am an organ donor. I guess I'm figuring this won't be possible and am just like "whatever, take bits of me." If I was able to have control I'd state that my organs could only be donated to certain people I considered "worthwhile", but then I'd be playing God wouldn't I and that's a "bad thing(tm)". If I am going to be fed to a cat I'd rather be intact and provide as much nutrition as possible. If I COULD say who I wanted organs to go to then if I did have some exceptional organs I would allow them to be donated before I became catfood.

People think I'm kidding when I tell them my wish. I'm not. You could bury me, and take up space in the ground, considering coffins these days I wouldn't decompose anywhere near quick enough. I'm also claustrophobic in really small spaces and if something DOES remain after I'm gone I don't want to be entombed in a tiny box. You could cremate me, then I'd just cause air pollution, and of course fuel is needed to feed the fire that would burn me. If I become food for a leopard - I will contribute to the upkeep of a beautiful, but endangered animal. To me that's the noblest thing I can think of doing with myself.

If my body is in suitable condition to this, I would really appreciate it if people did this for me when I die.

Comments

[shadowshifter.livejournal.com]

ill feed you to a leopard if you die. meat is meat is meat, youd be barely a snack but :P

and if you die anytime soon there is a lot of us that are going to be extremely unhappy with you! :P

[gemfyre.livejournal.com]

Unlike when I was 14, I don't intend to die anytime soon. ;)

[ivoryisis-older.livejournal.com]

I always wanted to get cremated & used for mulch for a nice iris or something. Irises are my favorite flower. Hey, no air pollution that way, lol.

I too am a bit claustrophobic, not that it would matter when I'm dead, & even though I like to admire graveyards & their neat old monumments like angel statues, I would not chose to be buried in one because of how many dead people there already are in Mother Earth anyhow. :p And now, they're not even in boxes that will rot for many, many years..ugh.

[ivoryisis-older.livejournal.com]

I still have some things I'd like to be played at my funeral though. One of them I definitely want played it "Don't Fear the Reaper".. I guess it sums up my ideas on death & I think it's a very pretty song. :p Too bad it was Blue Oyster Cult's only real hit. lol And I would like people to have a party in my honor & I want most of my money to go to environmental causes after I die. I don't even want to leave it for anyone else..if my hubby is still alive, he can have half of my money but that's it LOL.

[shrika.livejournal.com]

since childhood I have loved the track 'forever autumn' and I still want that played at my funeral

[littlelemming3.livejournal.com]

Wow.

That is like, the coolest idea I have heard in a long time. I love it. It's impossible.

Mightn't there be an argument, also, that feeding humans to big cats would create man-eaters? I mean, I suppose they could grind a body up, but I dunno if the cats would go for it so much that way.

Re:

[gemfyre.livejournal.com]

I don't believe in the whole "man-eater" thing. It's an entirely human concept, and a dumb one at that.

A carnivorous animal eats meat, the species isn't of much consequence.

Re:

[littlelemming3.livejournal.com]

Well, I dunno, it seems to make sense to me that we wouldn't want to ENCOURAGE eating people, especially with animals in close proximity to us.

But I'm not really opposing your idea. : )

Belinda...

[mummy2kieran.livejournal.com]

I know what u mean about only wanting to be an organ donor to "worthwhile people" i mean i dont want my liver being given to a drunk, or my lungs to a smoker, or my heart to a iv drug user....

I also would prefer to give my organs to ppl who are between the ages of 20-50, so they can have more use of them....

[originalnilson.livejournal.com]

What would happen to your bones? The cats wouldn't eat the bones. They'd might have to grind them up or something. Still, it's a very col idea. Isn't there a culture somewhere that have people cut up and fed to vultures? It's a real circle of life solution.

[ric-the-dratini.livejournal.com]

I think I'll have to agree with someone else statement of "Wow". And if large cats are anything like dogs (where you have to put them down if they get a taste of human blood) they'd prolly become man eaters (or is that woman eaters?). I personally like to keep my body in one peice when I die. I want to be buried with my organs and other bodily parts.

Big Cats

[berrytown.livejournal.com]

I saw something on National Geographic about the zoo's in Iraque and how cruel they treated the animals...
But...what I meant to say about it is...
One of his sons had tigers in his yard and if somebody would look at a woman he decided he wanted he would feed those men alive to his tigers.
FREAK!!
I'm not making this up it was on National Geographic channel.

It was very nice to see how they are helping the animals now to have a better life.
The had this pelican stuck on a rope or chain standing in the middle of the sun (and you know what kind of weather they've got there) without ANY water!!
And a bear stuck in a very little cage...and so on..
Can't stand stuff like that!

I think it's a nice idea to be food and have use after deadth but I don't think anybody will be able to make it possible.
Maybe in a country like Iraque..

[binkypengi.livejournal.com]

The red tape factor is a bit of a killer, but otherwise it's not a bad idea at all!

And yes to offering an option for selectiveness in donation. It would be a way to increase national donation rates, as that's a major sticking point for a lot of people.

Have you ever considered becoming a cadaver? That's another useful option that has a long term benefit for humans and/or animals, depending on what you're used for...