Updated: Nov. 21, 2025
Losing a dog or cat means saying goodbye to a true family member. When you receive your pet’s ashes, the next question is often, “What do I do now?” For many families, choosing a pet urn for ashes is one of the most meaningful ways to honor their companion’s life. But with so many sizes, styles, and materials available, it can be hard to know where to start.
This guide is designed to make that decision feel calmer and more confident. We will walk through how to choose the right pet urn size by weight, explore popular pet urn materials, compare dog urns, cat urns, and pet keepsake urns, and show how personalization and display choices can make your memorial truly your own.
Throughout, you’ll see links to key Funeral.com collections, including Pet Urns for Ashes, Pet Urns for Dogs, Pet Urns for Cats, and Pet Cremation Jewelry, so you can move from learning to choosing whenever you are ready.
Step 1: Understanding Pet Urn Sizes and Capacity
The most important practical question is “What size of pet urn do I need?” Most pet cremation urns are measured in cubic inches, which tells you how much cremains they can hold. Across the pet memorial industry, a simple rule of thumb is widely used:
You’ll need about 1 cubic inch of urn space for every 1 pound of your pet’s body weight before cremation. So if your dog weighed 18 pounds, look for a pet urn for ashes with a capacity of at least 18 cubic inches. If your cat weighed 10 pounds, you would choose a cat urn with at least 10 cubic inches.
Because cremation processes and urn interiors can vary slightly, many guides recommend allowing a bit of extra space—especially for larger breeds. Some families choose an urn 10–20 cubic inches larger than the calculated minimum, simply for peace of mind.
Pet Urn Size Categories
To make shopping easier, Funeral.com organizes pet urns for ashes into size-based collections:
- Extra Large Pet Urns – Best for very large dogs or when you want room for ashes plus a collar, tag, or other memento.
- Large Pet Urns – Typically suited to most medium and large dogs.
- Medium Pet Urns – Ideal for cats and many small-to-medium dog breeds.
- Small Pet Urns and Pet Keepsake Urns – Best when your pet was very small, when ashes are shared among family members, or when you want a tiny keepsake in addition to a main urn.
If you prefer more precise guidance, Funeral.com also offers a Pet Urn Size Chart where you can match your pet’s weight to suggested urn capacities. This can be especially helpful if you are comparing several designs with different shapes and internal volumes.
Step 2: Choosing Between Full-Size Pet Urns and Keepsake Options
Not every family wants the same type of memorial. Before you choose a specific design, it helps to think about how you want to keep your pet’s ashes.
Full-Size Pet Urns for Ashes
A full-size pet urn is designed to hold all (or nearly all) of your pet’s ashes in one place. Many families choose a full-size urn for a main memorial space at home, such as a mantel, shelf, or dedicated memorial shelf with framed photos and candles. Collections like Large Pet Urns and Medium Pet Urns are ideal for this kind of “primary” tribute.
Full-size urns work well if:
- You want one central place to visit and remember.
- Only one person or household will be keeping the ashes.
- You plan to display the urn prominently in your home.
Pet Keepsake Urns and Sharing Ashes
In other families, it feels important to share ashes among several people. In that case, Pet Keepsake Urns and Pet Cremation Jewelry can be a beautiful solution.
You might:
- Choose a full-size dog urn for a shared living room memorial and matching keepsake urns.
- Pair a medium cat urn with one or two pet cremation necklaces for close relatives who want to keep a small portion of ashes near their heart.
Keepsakes typically hold just a few cubic inches of ashes, but the emotional weight they carry can be immense.
Step 3: Materials and Styles That Match Your Pet’s Personality
Once size and type are in place, you can turn your attention to how the urn looks and feels. The right combination of material and style can make the memorial feel like it truly belongs to your pet.
Brass, Aluminum, and Metal Pet Urns
Metal urns—including brass and aluminum—are durable, traditional, and available in many colors and finishes. Brushed pewter tones feel classic and understated, while colored enamels can express personality or favorite colors. Many metal pet urns feature paw print bands, heart inlays, or subtle engraving.
If you want something that feels solid, long-lasting, and easy to care for, browse Engravable Pet Urns for Ashes, where you’ll find numerous metal pet urns ready for custom text and artwork.
Marble, Stone, and Figurine Pet Urns
For a more sculptural look, marble pet urns and pet figurine cremation urns blend artistry with symbolism. A marble urn with a blue heart inlay might express quiet devotion, while a figurine urn featuring a lying golden retriever or sitting cat can capture your pet’s posture and personality in a lifelike way.
If you’re drawn to this style, explore Pet Figurine Cremation Urns along with marble options within the Pet Urns for Ashes collection for designs that feel more like small sculptures than traditional urns.
Eco-Friendly and Outdoor Pet Urns
Some families prefer a memorial that returns their pet’s ashes to nature. Biodegradable pet urns and eco-friendly scattering urns are designed for burial in the earth or scattering in a meaningful place, such as a garden or favorite walking trail. These urns are often made from paper, plant-based materials, or other earth-friendly components.
For outdoor memorials that remain visible, you might combine a buried eco urn with a pet memorial stone or plaque placed above it, creating a quiet spot to visit over time.
Step 4: Designs, Symbolism, and Personalization
Beyond material and size, the small design details often carry the deepest meaning. Every paw print, heart, silhouette, or engraving is a way of saying, “This was who they were to us.”
Paw Prints, Hearts, and Rainbow Bridge Motifs
Many families are drawn to paw print urns because they feel instantly recognizable and comforting. A band of tiny paws circling the urn can symbolize all the steps your pet took beside you.
Heart inlays and heart-shaped pet urns emphasize love and devotion. For those who find comfort in the idea of the Rainbow Bridge, designs that incorporate rainbows, bridges, or soft, multi-colored glazes offer a sense of hope and joyful reunion.
Engraving and Custom Artwork
Adding engraving turns a beautiful urn into a truly personal memorial. Depending on the urn, you may be able to include:
- Your pet’s name and dates.
- Nicknames such as “Buddy,” “Sweet Girl,” or “Little Lion.”
- Short phrases such as “Forever in Our Hearts” or “Always by My Side.”
Funeral.com’s Personalized Cremation Urn Engraving options allow you to choose fonts, layout, and sometimes clipart—such as hearts, paw prints, angel wings, or breed silhouettes—to match your pet’s story.
Matching Urns, Keepsakes, and Jewelry
If you plan to combine a main urn with keepsakes or pet cremation jewelry, consider choosing pieces from the same design family. For example:
- A blue paw print band pet urn on a shelf, paired with a silver cremation bracelet featuring a tiny paw charm.
- A marble cat urn with moon and star motifs, paired with a crescent moon cremation pendant for a family member who shared late-night cuddles.
This creates a sense of visual continuity that can make your entire memorial space feel harmonious and intentional.
Step 5: Where and How You Will Display the Urn
Finally, think about where the urn will live and how that space will be used in your daily life.
Some families prefer a highly visible spot—like a mantel or living room shelf—where the urn can be seen and acknowledged every day. Others find comfort in a quieter corner: a small table near a favorite window, a home office shelf, or a bedside table.
If you plan to display the urn prominently, you might want a design that blends with your home décor while still feeling special. Neutral tones, soft blues, and classic metallics tend to integrate easily into many spaces. If you are creating a dedicated “pet corner,” you can layer in:
- A framed photo or two.
- Your pet’s collar or tag.
- A small pet keepsake urn or cremation candle.
Whatever you choose, the goal is not perfection. It is a space that feels like them—and that feels safe for you to visit whenever you need a moment of connection.
A Loving Choice, Made with Confidence
Choosing a pet urn for ashes is both a practical step and a deeply emotional one. It requires you to make decisions—about urn size, material, design, and personalization—at a time when your heart may be very tender.
By understanding the basics of pet urn sizes by weight, exploring materials that match your pet’s personality, and considering how you want to keep their ashes close, you can make this choice with greater clarity and love.
Whenever you’re ready, the Pet Urns for Ashes collection at Funeral.com brings together dog urns, cat urns, pet keepsake urns, pet figurine urns, and pet cremation jewelry in one place—along with helpful tools like the Pet Urn Size Chart—so your next step can be a gentle one.
Your pet gave you unconditional love every day. Selecting the right urn is one way to return that love, by creating a peaceful memorial that keeps their story close to your heart.
