The moment your pet passes, and even in the months leading up to, you have to consider how you’re going to memorialize your pet. Dogs, cats, iguanas, parrots, and other animals can provide years of companionship for you. One of the easiest ways to grieve is knowing that you are honoring your pet – and pet cremation urns are available.
You’ll want to make sure that you have your pet cremated in a timely manner, and companies like Animal Family Pet Preservation can walk you through the entire process.
Most pet cremation urns are capable of holding the ashes of virtually any size pet.
Basic Animal Cremation Urn Buying Guide
When you are shopping for a cremation urn that will hold the ashes of your beloved pet, it’s important to know that there are countless options. As such, you have to figure out how you’re going to find the right one.
Some of the easiest ways to narrow the selection include:
- Material
- Color
- Cost
- Engraving available
- Fit of the lid
Each component of the selection process is important in its own right.
Material
The material of the urn should be considered. You want to make sure that the material stands the test of time and will not break easily. Especially if you plan on placing the urn on a bookshelf or somewhere that can be easily reached by kids or other pets, you don’t want to come home to find that it has been broken.
The most common materials for urns include brass, wood, ceramic, and stone.
Color
The color should be carefully chosen so that it coordinates with the home or office where you will be displaying the memorial. Many of the urns on today’s market offer neutral colors, such as mahogany or chrome.
You can find more vibrant colors, which can be a fun way for you to remember a pet based on the color of their collar, the color of their cage, or even the color of their feathers.
Cost
Pet urns can cost as low as $25 and upwards of $100 or more depending on the feature. While you don’t need to spend a fortune, you should make sure that the urn is capable of providing you with a way to memorialize your pet properly.
Engraving Option
Customizations are important when you think about an urn. Especially if you have more than one family pet, you’ll want to know which ashes belong to which pet.
Some urns will allow you to engrave the name of the pet as well as the dates of their lifespan.
In addition to engraving, some urns also have a placeholder for you to include a photo of your pet.
Fit of the Lid
While you might not think too much of how the lid fits onto the urn, you should. The last thing you want is to accidentally knock the urn over when you’re cleaning, only for the ashes to spill out everywhere.
Most lids will have a threaded screw top so that it remains firmly in place. Others may have a small key to keep the lid locked, such as is common with wooden box-style urns.
Other Aspects to Consider
Many urns go out of their way to be different. It allows you to decide how you want to remember your pet.
Unique features:
- Carrying handle
- Photo slot
- Multiple compartments
You may want to hold onto more than just the ashes of your pet. A dog tag, a collar, and more can be saved – and the urn should allow you the space to hold these items for safekeeping.
Top Pet Cremation Urns to Consider
With so many pet cremation urns on the market, the choices can be overwhelming. Below is a quick look at five of the top cremation urns.
Stoneware Pottery Dog Urn
Available on Etsy, these pet urns can be completely personalized. A cork sits in the top, adding to the overall aesthetic of the urn.
Classic Series Pet Cremation Urn
This urn from Amazon is available in four different sizes and can be produced in either pewter or brass. The threaded seal also helps to keep the contents extremely secure.
Laser-Engraved Wooden Dog Urn
Available on Etsy, this urn is constructed entirely of wood. The lid can be custom engraved with a photo of the dog as well as the text that you desire.
Best Friend Services Ottillie Paws Series Pet Urn
Available on Amazon, this brass urn features paw prints around the outside for aesthetics. It’s available in four sizes and the construction ensures that it’s virtually indestructible.
Pet Urn Peaceful Pet Memorial Keepsake Urn
This wooden box, available on Amazon, can store not only ashes but also collars and other memorabilia. There’s also a photo pocket in the front.
Shop Urns Until You Feel an Emotional Connection
You know that if you’re going to cremate your pet, you will need some sort of storage vessel. The average cremation service will provide you with a sealed bag of the ashes unless you provide them with an urn. Ideally, you will want to have the urn in place before scheduling the cremation. This way, you are not the one to personally move the ashes from the bag to the urn.
You’re in complete control of the urn that you ultimately choose. It can be wooden or brass, large enough to hold all of the ashes. It can be a keepsake urn where you only keep a small portion of the ashes. It can even be a jewelry urn where there’s an inner chamber on the jewelry for you to store the ashes.
Decide where you plan on placing the ashes – on a bookshelf, on your person, or somewhere else. This will help you determine the size of the urn that is needed.
Explore the options thoroughly and read reviews. You will want to make sure you have an emotional connection with the urn you choose. After all, this is the way you will memorialize your pet so that you remember them for the rest of your life.
With so many urns available, there are plenty of possibilities for you to consider.
