Not sure what to do with your pet's ashes? Here are meaningful, practical ways to keep them close at home — from memorial urns to garden tributes.
Bringing your pet's ashes home is a moment that carries a lot of weight. You've said goodbye — but now you're holding something that feels like it deserves more than a shelf. More than a box tucked out of sight.
The truth is, there's no single right way to do this. What matters is finding something that feels true to who your pet was, and what they meant to you.
Here are some of the most meaningful ways people choose to keep their pet's ashes at home.
Display them in a memorial urn
A handmade pet memorial urn is the most common choice — and for good reason. A well-made urn can sit openly on a windowsill, a bookshelf, or a bedside table. It doesn't have to be hidden. It can be something you actually want to look at.
When choosing an urn, think about material and size first. Wooden urns feel warm and natural — especially those made from solid wood, where the grain and growth rings give each piece its own character. Ceramic urns tend to be more decorative, often hand-painted with botanicals or patterns.
For sizing: a general guide is roughly one cubic inch of ash per pound of your pet's body weight.
Create a small memorial space
Some people build a quiet corner — an urn alongside a favourite photo, a collar, a pressed flower, or a small candle. It doesn't need to be elaborate. Just a place in your home that's specifically theirs.
This kind of intentional space can be genuinely comforting. It gives grief somewhere to go.
Bury or scatter in a meaningful place
If keeping ashes at home doesn't feel right, many people choose to bury them in a garden or scatter them somewhere their pet loved — a favourite park, a beach, the end of their usual walk. Some plant a tree or a rosebush over the spot.
This can feel like a return — giving something back to the earth that gave it to you.
Keep them with you
Smaller keepsake urns, memorial lockets, and jewellery made with a small portion of ashes allow some people to feel their pet is still close. This isn't for everyone — but for some, it's exactly right.
There's no timeline
One thing worth saying: you don't have to decide immediately. It's okay to keep the ashes somewhere temporary while you figure out what feels right. Grief doesn't follow a schedule, and neither does finding the right way to honour someone you loved.
At Oat & Paw, every urn we make is handmade from solid natural wood or ceramic — personalised with your pet's name and carved from your photo. If you're looking for something that feels made for them specifically, you can find our full collection at oatandpawstudio.com.