Choosing a pet memorial urn is unlike buying almost anything else.
You’re not simply choosing a product—you’re choosing something that will quietly become part of your home, your memories, and the way you continue to honour a companion who meant so much to you.
So it is only natural to feel overwhelmed. There are so many options available: they come in different sizes, materials, styles, levels of personalisation, and price points. When you’re already going through grief, another important decision pending can feel unexpectedly difficult.
However, one thing to keep in mind is that there are no “perfect” memorials.
The right memorial is simply the one that feels most like your pet.
We hope to walk you through the most important things to consider, so you can make a decision with confidence and choose something you’ll treasure for many years to come.
⸻
So a good question to begin with;
How do I want to remember them?
Some families want a memorial that quietly blends into their home—a beautiful object that naturally sits on a bookshelf or side table.
Others want something deeply personal that immediately reminds them of a familiar expression, a favourite sleeping pose, or the little white patch on their chest that nobody else ever noticed.
Neither choice is more meaningful than the other.
Understanding how you want to remember your companion will often make every other decision much easier.
⸻
Choosing the Right Urn Size
The first practical consideration is making sure your urn is the right size.
As a general guide, you’ll need approximately one cubic inch of internal capacity for every pound of your pet’s body weight.
For example:
Pet Weight Recommended Capacity
5 lbs 5 cubic inches
15 lbs 15 cubic inches
30 lbs 30 cubic inches
60 lbs 60 cubic inches
90 lbs 90 cubic inches
If you’re unsure, it’s always better to choose an urn with slightly more capacity than you think you’ll need. Please also do keep in mind that most crematory services would provide your pets’ ashes in a cloth or airtight pouch, which may in turn increase the capacity requirements of the urn.
For your references;
Our dog urns, this collection that can accommodate dogs that are 5 to 11 lbs(2-5 kg) with the small urn, or the large urn can accommodate dogs up to 49 lbs(22 kg), or the extra large size that can accommodate dogs up to 110 lbs(50 kg).
Our cat urns, we find our urns are able to accommodate for most cats that we have come across. If your pet is particularly hefty, or you may wish for your feline buddies to stay together after they have passed, feel free to contact us and we will do our best to accommodate for your needs.
Our Rabbit urns, akin to our cat urns, we find that our rabbit urns are capable of accommodating for most rabbits. Though again, if you feel unsure or have special requests, feel free to let us know.
Our bird urns, our experiences tell us that our bird urns can accommodate for almost all birds. However if any special requirements arises for the size of the urn, please feel free to let us know.
Our hamster urns, we have not come across any hamsters that cannot be accommodated for in our hamster urns, but if you would prefer for a particularly larger urn to accommodate for more than just the ashes, please contact us so we can find out what would work best for you.
It’s also worth remembering that many families don’t choose to keep all of their pet’s ashes together. Some keep only a small portion in an urn while scattering the rest somewhere meaningful or sharing them between family members.
⸻
Choosing the Right Material
The material you choose influences not only how the memorial looks, but also how it feels to live with every day.
The two most popular options are wooden and ceramic memorial urns, and each offers something different.
Wooden Memorial Urns
Wood has a quiet warmth that’s difficult to describe until you hold it in your hands.
Every piece of timber has its own grain, colour and character, meaning no two memorials are ever completely identical. Many people are drawn to wood because it feels natural, understated and timeless.
Wooden urns often suit homes with natural materials, softer colours and minimalist interiors. Rather than standing out, they become part of the space—almost as though they’ve always belonged there.
Ceramic Memorial Urns
Ceramic offers a different kind of beauty.
Handmade ceramic urns often feel more decorative and artistic, making them ideal for people who appreciate handcrafted pottery or want their memorial to become a feature within their home.
Glazed finishes can add colour and texture, while hand-painted details create subtle individuality that can’t be replicated by mass production.
Neither material is objectively better.
Some families are naturally drawn to the warmth and organic feel of wood, while others fall in love with the elegance of ceramic.
The right choice is simply the one that feels most like your companion.
⸻
Will Your Memorial Be Displayed?
This is one question that many people don’t think about until after they’ve purchased an urn.
- Where will it live?
- Will it sit on a bookshelf?
- A bedside table?
- A windowsill?
- A quiet corner of your study?
- A memorial you’ll see every day becomes part of your home.
For many families, choosing something beautiful enough to display openly brings comfort. Rather than hiding it away, it becomes another treasured object that quietly reminds them of a life filled with happy memories.
Some of the most beautiful memorial urns don’t immediately look like urns at all. They simply look like carefully crafted objects with a story behind them.
⸻
Personalisation
A memorial becomes deeply personal through the details.
A favourite pose.
The shape of their ears.
A tiny patch of white fur.
The way they always rested their paws.
Their favourite collar.
Their name engraved beneath them.
These little details are often the things families remember most.
While many urns offer simple engraving, handcrafted memorials can capture something much more meaningful—the personality that made your companion unmistakably theirs.
⸻
From the Studio
One thing we’ve learned after creating memorials for families around the world is that people rarely remember the exact dimensions of an urn years later.
What they remember is how it made them feel.
Sometimes it’s the tiny tilt of an ear.
Sometimes it’s the familiar way their dog sat while waiting to go on a walk.
Sometimes it’s simply seeing those gentle eyes again.
Those are the details we believe matter most.
A memorial doesn’t have to be perfect.
It simply has to feel like them.
⸻
Choosing What Feels Right
There isn’t a criteria or a checklist that can tell you which memorial is the right one.
The best memorial isn’t always the most detailed, the largest, or the most expensive.
It’s the one that quietly reminds you of the life you shared every time you see it.
Whether you choose a simple wooden keepsake, a hand-painted ceramic urn, or a fully personalised sculpture created from your photographs, what matters most is that it helps preserve the memories that are uniquely yours.
If this guide has helped you feel a little more confident about what to look for, then it’s done exactly what we hoped it would.