When your pet’s ashes come home, it’s common to feel unsure what to do next. There’s no rush and no rule. Some families know straight away; others keep the ashes safely in their container for months before deciding. These nine ideas may help you find something that feels right for you and the animal you loved.
Idea 1
Keep Them at Home in an Urn
The most popular choice is simply to keep your pet at home, in a place they loved or where you’ll see them every day. A pet urn gives the ashes a dignified, secure home, and many designs sit naturally alongside photos on a shelf or mantelpiece.
Not sure what size you need? Our pet urn size guide explains how to estimate ashes volume by weight.
Idea 2Choose an Urn That Looks Like Your Pet
Sculpted urns in the shape of a cat, dog or horse can feel especially personal, a quiet likeness rather than an obvious memorial. Explore our cat urns, dog urns and horse urns.
Ceramic Standing Cat Urn for AshesView urn →
Porcelain Dog Pet Cremation UrnView urn →
Horse Memorial Cremation UrnView urn →
Light a Candle in Their Memory
A candle holder urn holds the ashes in its base, with space for a tealight above. Lighting it on birthdays, anniversaries or difficult days can become a small, comforting ritual.
Idea 4
Bury Them in the Garden
Burying your pet’s ashes in your own garden, perhaps beneath a favourite tree or alongside a new plant, gives them a lasting place outdoors. A biodegradable pet urn is designed to break down naturally in the soil, returning the ashes gently to the earth.
Thinking of moving one day? You might bury only part of the ashes and keep the rest in a keepsake, so a little of your pet can always come with you.
Scatter Them Somewhere Meaningful
A favourite walk, a beach or a field where they loved to run can be a beautiful place to scatter ashes. If the land isn’t yours, it’s courteous and sensible to ask the landowner’s permission first. Choose a calm day, and consider keeping a small portion back in a keepsake.
Idea 6Return Them to the Water
For a dog who loved swimming or a pet who lived by the sea, a water ceremony can feel especially fitting. Our pet sea urns are made from natural materials and designed for water burial.
Idea 7
Share Them Between Family Members
When a pet belonged to the whole family, small keepsake urns let everyone hold onto a part of them. A keepsake of around 0.08 litres holds a symbolic portion, and some designs match a larger urn so the set feels connected.
Idea 8Keep Them Close with Ashes Jewellery
A tiny amount of ashes can be sealed inside a pendant, bead or bracelet, so you can carry your pet with you every day. Browse our ashes necklaces and pendants, memorial bead charms and ashes bracelets.
Idea 9Combine More Than One Idea
You don’t have to choose just one. Many families keep most of the ashes in an urn, scatter a little on a favourite walk, and keep a pinch in a keepsake or pendant. Doing what feels right, in your own time, is what matters.
Take all the time you need. Your pet’s ashes are safe in the container from the crematorium, so there’s no need to rush any decision. If you’d like to talk it through, our team is always happy to help.
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Find a Fitting Memorial
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Our caring team can help you find the right memorial for your pet.
