TikToker freeze-dried her beloved cat after it died — and people didn’t expect to cry
An Oregon-based TikToker knew they wanted to eventually taxidermy their cat when they got her 16 years ago.
But Soren High, who uses they/them pronouns according to Insider and is known as @teapourn on the social platform TikTok, had to make that decision much earlier than anticipated.
On Feb. 18, High was walking a foster dog when it saw a bunny, according to a March 5 TikTok posted to their account. The dog got off the leash and “attacked” their cat, Lokicat, after she “crossed the bunny’s path.”
The sudden loss led High to start the process of freeze-drying the pet.
Freeze-drying requires “extremely cold temperatures and a vacuum pressure to remove all the moisture” from the tissue, according to Slate. Much like taxidermy, the animal looks as it did the day it died.
“This has been one one of the hardest losses of my life and I’ve never experienced anything like this before,” High said in the video.
High added that Lokicat would be sent to Ohio to be freeze-dried, saying the rest of her remains will be cremated, except her heart, which would also be freeze-dried.
Lokicat was sent to Animal Family Pet Preservation in Ohio, and High gave viewers a run down of the cost to preserve the cat.
@teapourn Replying to @babyfacethovey preservation is just as valid as cremation #greenscreen #foryou #fyp #petmemorial #freezedriedpets #petpreservation Storytelling - Adriel
High shelled out $3,200 for the “VIP expedited service” so they could get the pet back in six to eight weeks instead of six to eight months, according to the video.
@teapourn Replying to @teapourn my dark sense of humor is going to get my in trouble one day. #petmemorial #freezedriedpets #petpreservation #fypシ #foryou Wes Anderson-esque Cute Acoustic - Kenji Ueda
High showed viewers the DIY casket filled with flowers they made for their precious black cat to be shipped to Ohio, according to the video.
After taping up the blue and white cooler, High tightly wraps it and covers it with “fragile” stickers.
Over the next few months, the Portland TikToker documented the process of preparing Lokicat for shipment, answering questions, receiving her in the mail and even cleaning her now glass eyes.
@teapourn Replying to @rdr2_jaymoneyyyy having a pet preserved is a very personal decision and one others may not totally understand. But for me it was a simple choice to keep her alive in our home instead of dead and gone #freezedriedpets #petmemorial #petsoftiktok #fypシ #foryou #petpreservation #grief #loss Calm Dooowwnnn Lalalaaa (Remix) - FAITAH NADA
On May 24, Lokicat arrived in Oregon, according to a TikTok High posted.
@teapourn Remembering Lokicat the only way she deserved having a pet preserved is a personal decision and one that many may never understand. When i got Lokicat as a kitten, I knew this was how i was going to deal with ber death. I knew i never wanted her to be gone, and that I wanted to always have her with me. Her death was sudden, even though she was 16. We never expected this would happen and especially by a dog we had been fostering. This situation broke us into a billion pieces. After finding a home for the dog, we had Loki preserved through @Animal Family Pet with help through donations and raising funds with memorial fabrics and pieces. Her preservation cost nearly $3k and it was worth every Penny. . . #petmemorial #petpreservation #taxidermy #petsoftiktok #freezedriedpets #fypシ #foryou #grief #loss #memorial Relaxing lofi music(1014185) - Akase
“We haven’t seen her in nearly three months,” High said in the video. “This is the first time we’ll see her since she was in my freezer.”
The video shows High opening the box to see her furry friend again and her preserved heart in a yellow gift box.
Commenters on High’s video didn’t know what to feel, with one user saying, “I did not expect to get emotional over this. I was very wrong.”
Another said, “Honestly, wasn’t sure about the whole thing UNTIL you opened the box and took her out… Now I get it.”
Others felt seeing their deceased pet would make the grieving process harder, with one commentator saying, “I am both sides of the fence for this. For myself it would be too hard/negative to constantly see them. But I understand if it brings comfort to you.”
Despite not having everyone fully onboard with Lokicat being preserved forever, High said they were excited to get her in the mail.
“I am very, very, very happy to see her again,” High said in a May 24 TikTok. “I’m very happy to wake up next to her every morning.”
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