Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?

Have you ever wondered what really happens to us after we die? Is it a sudden fade to black, or something more intriguingly messy? From the possibility of astronauts floating eternally in space, to everyday questions like why your grandma’s corpse was wrapped in plastic, death is packed with stories and facts that are anything but ordinary. In this introduction, we’ll strip away the common dread and discomfort around the subject, and invite a healthy curiosity. Mortality is universal, and yet most of us rarely talk about it openly. This book pulls back the curtain on how bodies decompose, why coffins come in all sizes, and what might happen if your cat finds you after you’ve passed on. Far from grim, these pages are full of warmth and humor, encouraging us to face death bravely. Ready to dip your toes into the unknown? Let’s begin.

In many cultures, death is a taboo subject best avoided, but acknowledging its realities can provide comfort. This text offers you the knowledge to transform fear into a down-to-earth understanding of our final transition. No matter how squeamish or anxious you might feel, you’ll find answers to questions you never dreamed of asking—and maybe some you’ve already thought about but were too afraid to mention. This journey is for the curious souls who want to know what’s in store, not just spiritually, but physically.

Death is sometimes seen as taboo in many cultures, but curiosity is a powerful antidote to fear, bridging the gap between anxious speculation and tangible knowledge. By reading about the processes that unfold when life ends, we become more comfortable with the unknown, and more compassionate toward ourselves and others. You’re about to step away from the hush-hush attitude toward death and into a new, clarifying perspective.

Dead bodies are surprisingly vibrant—at least, for the first few days. After life ends, blood settles, turning a corpse pale in some places and purple in others (a process called livor mortis). Bacteria and enzymes then kick in, creating greenish, brownish, and even black hues across the body. This color show might sound grotesque, but it’s actually a wild biological process unfolding right before our eyes.

The green tints often start around the abdomen, where gut bacteria thrive. Meanwhile, subtle ‘marbling’ veins appear on the skin’s surface, made of hemoglobin swirling in newly liberated blood vessels. In short: decomposition is a chemical spectacle. Of course, most people never see this; funeral practices usually ensure bodies are embalmed, refrigerated, or cremated well before such dramatic changes happen.

Interestingly, these color transformations can give forensic experts clues about how a person died, or whether the body was moved after death. The intensity of purple splotches might show that someone was lying on their back for hours, or if they inhaled carbon monoxide. For everyday folks, though, such details are a reminder that death is not an instant event, but a series of subtle transitions.