Losing a pet can feel like losing a daily rhythm you didn’t realize your life depended on. The sound of paws on the floor, the quiet way they followed you from room to room, the spot they claimed on the couch—those small routines become reminders, and then suddenly they are absences. When families choose cremation, the next question often arrives before grief feels ready: what to do with ashes, and how to choose something that feels respectful, safe, and true to who your pet was.
A pet urn isn’t “just a container.” It’s a place you can return to when you miss them. It’s also a practical decision: you need the right size, the right closure, and a material that fits whether you plan on keeping ashes at home, burying them, scattering them, or sharing a portion with family. This guide walks through the options in a gentle, real-world way—so you can shop with more confidence and less second-guessing.
Why More Families Are Choosing Cremation (and Why Urn Choices Matter)
Across the U.S., cremation has become the most common choice for end-of-life care, and it has changed what families do next—how they memorialize, where they keep remains, and how they plan meaningful rituals. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the U.S. cremation rate is projected at 63.4% for 2025, with continued growth expected in the years ahead. According to the Cremation Association of North America, the U.S. cremation rate was 61.8% in 2024. Those numbers are about people, not pets—but the broader pattern explains why urns, keepsakes, and memorial rituals are now part of everyday funeral planning, and why families increasingly want options beyond a basic temporary container.
For pets, the experience is similar in a smaller, more intimate way. Many families receive a simple box or temporary container from a veterinary clinic or pet cremation provider and then realize they want something more personal—something that feels like their dog’s steady loyalty, their cat’s quiet presence, or the peculiar little habits that made them unmistakably “them.” If you’re still sorting out cremation type (private vs. communal, and what that means for returned ashes), Funeral.com’s guide What Actually Happens During Pet Cremation? can help you understand the process before you choose a memorial.
Start With the Plan: Display, Burial, Scattering, or Sharing
Most decisions get easier once you name the plan. Not because grief becomes tidy, but because your urn choice depends on where the ashes will live and how you’ll interact with them. Some families want a single focal point in the home—a shelf, mantle, or quiet corner with a photo and collar. Others want to return ashes to a favorite trail, a lake, a garden, or a pet cemetery. And many families want more than one option at the same time: a main urn plus a keepsake for a child leaving for college, or a small portion in jewelry for someone who lives far away.
If you’re leaning toward keeping ashes at home, it can help to read Funeral.com’s practical guidance on how families do it safely and respectfully: Keeping Ashes at Home: How to Do It Safely, Respectfully, and Legally and Should You Keep Cremated Ashes at Home?.
If scattering feels right, you’re not alone—and you’re not “letting go too fast.” Scattering can be a tender ceremony of gratitude, especially when it’s done thoughtfully. Funeral.com’s guide Scattering Pet Ashes: Legal Guidelines, Meaningful Locations, and Ceremony Ideas offers a grounded way to think about location, permissions, and ritual.
Types of Pet Urns (and Who They Tend to Work Best For)
When people search “pet urns” or “pet urns for ashes,” they’re usually imagining a classic display urn. But there are several categories, and the right one depends on what you want the memorial to feel like—decorative, discreet, travel-friendly, eco-centered, or shared among family.
Traditional Display Urns
A traditional display urn is designed to hold most or all of the ashes in a secure, durable container that looks appropriate in a home. Many families choose wood, metal, ceramic, or glass—materials that feel steady, substantial, and “finished.” If you want to browse broadly, start with Pet Cremation Urns for Ashes, which includes a wide range of sizes and styles for dogs, cats, and other companions.
If you already know the category (dog vs. cat), the curated collections can make shopping less overwhelming: Pet Urns for Dogs and Pet Urns for Cats.
Figurine and “Feels Like Them” Memorial Urns
Some families don’t want an urn that looks like an urn. They want something that feels like their pet—an animal form, a pose that reminds them of how their dog slept, or a cat silhouette that mirrors their pet’s temperament. Figurine urns can be especially comforting because they read as a memorial sculpture rather than a container. Funeral.com’s Pet Figurine Cremation Urns for Ashes collection is designed for that “I can see them here” feeling.
If you want that emotional approach spelled out in words, the Journal post Choosing a Pet Urn: Sizes, Materials, and What Fits Your Pet’s Ashes is a gentle companion to the shopping process, and Choosing a Pet Urn for Ashes: How to Make It Feel Like Them focuses on personality and symbolism.
Keepsake Urns and Sharing Options
Not every family wants one single memorial. Sometimes several people are grieving the same animal in different ways—especially when a pet belonged to a household, a couple, or a family with adult children. That’s where keepsake urns help. A keepsake holds a small portion of ashes so more than one person can keep a physical remembrance. For pet-specific options, start with Pet Keepsake Cremation Urns for Ashes.
It can also be helpful to understand how keepsakes relate to “small” urns. In human memorialization, families often choose small cremation urns (larger than keepsakes, but still compact) for travel, multiple locations, or a portion of ashes. If you’re coordinating memorial plans for both people and pets, Funeral.com’s collections Small Cremation Urns for Ashes and Keepsake Cremation Urns for Ashes can help clarify the difference in scale and intent.
Scattering and Biodegradable Options
If you plan to scatter, you may not need a permanent display urn at all—or you may want a keepsake plus a scattering option. For families drawn to eco-centered memorials, biodegradable designs can feel aligned with the natural cycle of life. Funeral.com’s Biodegradable & Eco-Friendly Urns for Ashes includes choices that work for earth burial and water ceremonies, including water-soluble styles and scattering tubes.
Even though “water burial” is more commonly discussed for human ceremonies, some families apply the same meaning when returning pet ashes to water in an intentional way. If you’re considering a water-based farewell—or you want to understand the ceremony structure—read Understanding What Happens During a Water Burial Ceremony for a clear overview of what families typically do and why.
Cremation Jewelry and Wearable Keepsakes
When someone says they “can’t bear to put the ashes away,” they often mean they want closeness, not a display. cremation jewelry offers a small, discreet way to carry a portion of ashes in daily life—especially helpful for people who travel, who live far from the main urn, or who want something private. For pets, you can browse Pet Cremation Jewelry, and for broader options (including cremation necklaces) explore Cremation Jewelry and Cremation Necklaces.
If you’re new to the concept, Funeral.com’s Cremation Jewelry 101 explains what these pieces are designed to hold, how they’re filled, and how to set realistic expectations about sealing and everyday wear.
What Size Pet Urn Do I Need? A Practical Way to Think About Capacity
Families commonly search “what size pet urn do i need” because listings can feel confusing: one urn looks physically large but has a modest capacity; another is compact but holds more than you expect. The key detail is capacity, usually listed in cubic inches. Many providers use a simple planning rule: about one cubic inch of urn capacity per pound of your pet’s body weight. It’s not perfect—coat, bone density, and cremation processing can change the final volume—but it’s a steady starting point when you’re shopping.
If your provider gave you a volume measurement (cubic inches or cubic centimeters), use that as the best guide. If they gave you a temporary container, you can also ask whether the ashes were returned in a standard size. Funeral.com’s Journal article Choosing the Right Urn for Pet Ashes: Sizes, Styles, and Personalization Options walks through capacity in plain language, and the human-focused sizing guide What Size Cremation Urn Do I Need? can be helpful if you’re comparing memorial plans across family members.
Here’s a simple range-based approach that helps many families shop without getting stuck in math. It assumes the “1 cubic inch per pound” planning rule and gives you room to breathe.
- Under 10 lbs: look for about 10–15 cubic inches (many families choose a small display urn or a keepsake plus scattering plan)
- 10–30 lbs: about 30–40 cubic inches (common for cats and small-to-medium dogs)
- 30–60 lbs: about 60–75 cubic inches (medium-to-large dogs)
- 60–100+ lbs: about 100–120+ cubic inches (large breeds; consider a little extra capacity for peace of mind)
If you’re sharing ashes, it can help to plan backward: choose a main urn that holds the majority, then add smaller keepsakes. For a discreet share, Pet Keepsake Cremation Urns for Ashes are designed for very small portions, while larger “small urn” formats can hold a meaningful share for one person or one household.
Materials, Closures, and “Real Life” Considerations
In photos, almost every urn looks serene. In real life, the details that matter are the ones you only notice after you’ve lived with it for a while: whether the closure feels secure, whether it scratches easily, whether you can dust it without feeling nervous, and whether it feels stable on the shelf where you want it to rest.
Wood often feels warm and home-like, especially for families who want a memorial that blends into a living space rather than standing out. Metal can feel enduring and secure, with threaded lids that tend to close tightly. Ceramic and glass can be beautiful, especially if your pet’s personality was bright and expressive, but they may be better suited to quieter, protected spaces where they won’t be bumped.
If you plan on burial—either in a pet cemetery or on private property where that’s allowed—ask about requirements before you buy. Some cemeteries have rules about outer containers, vaults, or accepted materials. For human burials, these details are part of standard funeral planning, and the same mindset helps with pet memorialization: choose the urn after you understand the environment it will be placed in.
If your plan is scattering, consider the experience of the day itself. Will you carry ashes to a location? Will several people participate? Will weather and wind be an issue? Scattering tubes and biodegradable designs can make the experience calmer and less improvised. If you’re balancing multiple plans—some ashes scattered, some kept—read Scattering Pet Ashes and consider pairing a scattering option with a keepsake urn or jewelry.
Personalization That Feels Meaningful (Not Performative)
Personalization is where an urn often stops feeling like a purchase and starts feeling like a tribute. But the best personalization usually isn’t elaborate. It’s specific. A name. A date. A short phrase that sounds like something you would actually say. Sometimes it’s a paw print motif, a photo frame front, or a figurine that captures posture and presence.
If engraving matters to you, start with Engravable Pet Urns for Ashes. As you browse, notice how the engraving space is shaped: a wide plate reads differently than a small band, and longer messages can become harder to read on a compact surface. A helpful approach is to write what you want to say in a sentence, then reduce it to the cleanest version of itself. “Forever in our hearts” works because it’s simple. A nickname can work because it’s intimate. A single word—“Home,” “Always,” “Beloved”—can be enough if it’s true.
For families who want a more private form of personalization, cremation jewelry can be the most emotionally practical option. Wearing a small portion doesn’t replace a full urn, but it can make the first months of grief feel less like separation and more like a quiet continuation. If you want to explore this path, start with Pet Cremation Jewelry and, for broader styles and cremation necklaces, browse Cremation Necklaces.
Where to Buy a Pet Urn Online (and How to Shop Without Regret)
The phrase “buy pet urn online” can sound transactional, but the reality is that many families shop online because grief makes errands feel impossible, and because online selection is often better—especially for specific sizes, figurine styles, and engraving options. The goal isn’t to find “the perfect urn.” It’s to find a memorial that fits your plan, your budget, and your sense of what feels right when you look at it.
When you compare online retailers and memorial brands, try to focus less on marketing language and more on the details that predict a good experience. Does the listing clearly state capacity in cubic inches? Does it show the closure type (threaded lid, bottom panel, adhesive seal)? Are there clear photos that show scale, not just close-ups? Is personalization explained in plain terms with examples of what fits?
It can help to think in a few shopping lanes. Some families buy directly from the veterinary clinic or a local pet cremation provider, which can be convenient, but selection is often limited and personalization may be minimal. Some families choose handmade pieces from independent makers, which can be beautiful, but production times can vary and returns may be complicated. Large marketplaces can be fast, but listings may be inconsistent about capacity and quality control.
A specialty memorial retailer is often the most balanced option: curated selection, clear sizing information, and dedicated categories for pet memorial urns, keepsakes, and jewelry. Funeral.com is designed to work that way—helping families move from guidance to options without pressure. If you want the broadest selection first, start with Pet Cremation Urns for Ashes. If you know you want an engraved tribute, go straight to Engravable Pet Urns for Ashes. If what you want is “a memorial that feels like them,” explore Pet Figurine Cremation Urns for Ashes. And if you’re planning to share ashes or keep a small portion close, Pet Keepsake Cremation Urns for Ashes and Pet Cremation Jewelry are gentle places to start.
If you’re also coordinating memorial plans across a family—pet ashes, human ashes, scattering plans, and future decisions—you may find comfort in a broader approach to funeral planning. Funeral.com’s article Choosing Cremation Urns, Pet Urns, and Cremation Jewelry Without Pressure is written for exactly that overlapping reality.
A Final Word on Cost and Timing
Families don’t always like to talk about money while they’re grieving, but cost and timing are part of making a calm decision. For human services, the National Funeral Directors Association reports national median costs of $8,300 for a funeral with viewing and burial in 2023, and $6,280 for a funeral with viewing and cremation. Pet cremation is a different market with different pricing, but the same principle applies: costs vary by location, provider, and services included, and memorial items are often chosen after the cremation itself.
If you’re trying to understand how cremation costs work more broadly—and how urns and memorial items fit into the picture—Funeral.com’s guide How Much Does Cremation Cost? offers a straightforward explanation. And if you’re feeling rushed, remember this: you can take your time. Many families keep ashes in the temporary container for a while, not because they don’t care, but because they do—and they want the choice to be steady, not reactive.
In the end, the “right” urn is the one that supports how you grieve and how you remember. It holds what remains, yes. But more importantly, it holds a relationship—one that mattered, one that still matters, and one you’re allowed to honor in a way that fits your life.
