Pet Cremation Keepsakes: Popular Options in 2023

Losing a pet can be an incredibly challenging event to go through. Grief does not know any boundaries. Your pet was likely your close friend and daily companion. It’s normal to be working through the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance) since losing a pet is a legitimate loss. Don’t let anyone tell you to get over it. Grieve in your own time and choose to be vulnerable with safe people. If there isn’t anyone in your life who can be supportive (which doesn’t mean they don’t care for you, only that they lack the tools to be there for you right now) look for online communities that support people who have lost a pet. Talking about your loss, whether with friends, people online, or in a journal is an effective way to process the difficult emotions you may be feeling. 

About Pet Cremation Keepsakes

A common way that people process grief and honor their pets who have passed is with a pet cremation keepsake of some kind. There are many kinds of pet keepsakes and we’ll be discussing them, along with how to commemorate your pet.

Popular Keepsakes for Pet Ashes

Here are some of the more common and popular pet cremation keepsakes. 

• Pet urns: the most classic of all cremation keepsakes is the small keepsake urn. While you can display all of your pet’s ashes, cremation gives you the option of scattering or burying a portion of ash, leaving some for display in an urn. Urns also come in tiny, keepsake sizes. These small urns make displaying the urn easier, and also allow many different people to have a small pet cremation keepsake in honor of their beloved pet.

• Cremation glass: cremation glass is made with the ashes from cremation. Since cremation takes place at a lower temperature than glass blowing, when the ash is added to the molten glass, excess carbon is burned away, leaving the remains a brilliant white color. This glass can be made into jewelry, art, touchstones, orbs, hearts, and even urns. Cremation glass can be made into regular size urns or small keepsake urns.

• Cremation stones: this stunning process turns cremation ash, from people or pets, into beautiful cremation stones. These “stones” are hard and durable and will wear like a regular stone if placed outside in the garden, or to mark where ashes have been buried. The ashy remains from cremation are remarkably similar to clay when mixed with water. The “clay” mixture is fired in a very hot oven, called a kiln. If you recognize that term from firing ceramics, you are correct. The process of making cremation stones is very similar to making ceramics out of clay. Once the mixture has been fired and cooled, beautiful, multi-hued stones of varying sizes are revealed. These stones can be handed out to loved ones, used in daily life, or displayed in glass or on a dish. 

Cremation Jewelry for Pet Ashes

This kind of jewelry is a type of pet cremation keepsake. There are two main kinds of pet cremation jewelry. We’ve already touched on cremation glass. You can make pet cremation keepsake jewelry out of cremation glass, in any style, shape, or size.

The other popular form of cremation jewelry for pet ashes is a small, wearable urn, or keepsake. These tiny urns comes in many forms - they can look like vials (small, cylindrical bottles) made out of metal, and engraved. The Living Urn also offers to engrave the coordinates of where a pet has been laid to rest on their stainless steel cremation pendant. 

How to Commemorate Pets When They Die

Now that we’ve discussed pet cremation keepsakes, let’s talk about other ways to commemorate your beloved pet. 

• Hold a memorial service: You likely aren’t the only person grieving the loss of your pet. Holding a memorial service can be a wonderful way to ritualize saying goodbye. You could include (or not) any elements that you like, such as scattering ashes, burying the body, etc.

• Create a memory spot: This doesn’t have to be where you scattered ashes or buried the body, but it can be. If you planted a memory tree, that of course makes a wonderful memory spot. Make your memory spot comfortable and include as many keepsakes like a garden memorial stone, as you want.

• Make a scrapbook or photo album: This can be a soothing activity that will give you a tangible reminder of your beautiful pet. Anyone of any gender or skill level can scrapbook, or do the easier option of simply printing photos and placing them in an album.

• Work with animals when you’re ready: You can start with donating to shelters in your area, or rescue organizations that are specific to your pet. When you’re ready, consider volunteering at a shelter, or taking in foster animals. And, when you’re ready, continue the cycle of love again by adopting another animal who needs a home.