The famous Rainbow Bridge about our pets is believed to have first appeared in a poem by Paul C. Dahm, a grief counselor in Oregon.
He wrote in prose, "Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge." The term Rainbow Bridge became and remains so popular because most pet owners view our pets as more than just "a cat," "a bird," or "a dog," for example. Pets are family, offering us unconditional love that grants us solace and comfort, and when they grow old and pass or are taken from us too soon, we grieve for them just as we would for any other family member.
It makes sense to pet owners and us that custom urns for beloved pets are perfect ways to celebrate and memorialize such unconditional love. If you are visiting us here today or have found yourself in the heartbreaking time of mourning a beloved pet and unsure where to start for custom urns, our hearts are with you, and we hope we can help.
Where to Start When Seeking a Special Urn for a Special Pet
While it is a tough subject, the first thing you should consider before seeking a unique urn for your pet is where their ultimate resting place will be. If it helps, you can write your thoughts and considerations to envision better where that resting place will be.
Suppose you wish to keep your pet's ashes with you indefinitely; a more permanent material, such as granite, metal, ceramic, cement, or glass, maybe a good choice. These urns are built to last a very long time, some upwards of centuries, and can protect your beloved pet's ashes for decades.
Would you instead create a small memorial spot in the backyard or garden of your home, or are you thinking of scattering the ashes? It would help if you considered a granite urn for durability, toughness, and weathering, a scatter tube for easy and respectful remains spreading, or a biodegradable urn that is specifically designed to be environmentally conscious while allowing your pet's ashes to return to the earth without harmful chemicals.
Additionally, many people choose to keep a small amount of their pet's ashes to be placed in a small memorial piece or cremation jewelry before scattering the rest.
Decide the best final resting place for your beloved pet and what materials suit you and your pet best. This will help you narrow down the choices and allow you to move on to the next step.
Materials
When you know where you would like your pet's ashes to rest, you can choose the suitable material for the urn. It can affect different materials depending on where you place the urn and what environment it will be in. In general:
- For indoor use, ceramics, porcelain, and glass are often considered ideal for a pet memorial urn. They're beautiful art pieces and touching tributes that fit well in any décor.
- Wood. Wooden urns are a gorgeously natural choice for indoors as well, but there are a few essential things to remember before choosing a wooden urn for your pet: wood finish and coatings can be damaged by direct sunlight, so it is vital to place a wooden urn out of direct sunlight and away from excess moisture.
- Metal. Pet cremation urns can also be offered in metals such as stainless steel, bronze, brass, or aluminum and are stately and budget-friendly options. While metal urns are durable and will last long, bronze and brass oxidize to develop a greenish patina over time.
- Marble. Marble is undeniably gorgeous, but is also a very soft, porous stone, meaning that minuscule holes or pockets are within the marble—so if the urn gets wet or is washed with soap or chemicals, those chemicals can get trapped within the marble and begin damaging it. Marble is still a great choice; remember that it is a delicate stone.
- Cloisonné urns. Cloisonné, from the French word cloison, meaning partition, is an enamel technique where formed metal wires are shaped and affixed to a backing and then filled with enamel or ceramic. This technique gives the impression of stained glass or raised walls with individual cells and patterns.
- Granite. Granite has long been the most commonly used material for tributes, memorials, gravestones, and urns, with good reason. Granite is non-porous and comes in many beautiful natural shades, such as brown, cream, grey, black, blue, and red. Its non-porous nature and minerals create an extremely weather-resistant, long-lasting urn that is beautiful to display in the home, use as a pet memorial monument, or be buried safely, should you choose.
Pet Urns and The Size of Your Pet
One of the second to last aspects of choosing the suitable custom pet urn for you and your beloved pet is ensuring you get the right size. You'll want to ensure the urn isn't too large or too small for your pet's ashes to rest within.
The general rule for calculating the size of an urn your pet will need is one cubic inch of space per every pound your pet weighs. For example, if your pet weighed 11 pounds, you would need an urn of at least 11 cubic inches or larger to hold their ashes.
It's also important to contact the crematorium your pet will be sent to ensure that the ashes you receive are separate from those of other pets. Some crematoriums may combine the ashes of multiple pets and distribute them equally to pet owners. This means there's a chance you might receive a larger or smaller amount of ashes than you expect despite knowing your pet's weight.
Give Yourself The Time Needed
Many of our pet urns can be customized and engraved for you with your beloved pet's name, dates, or a favorite saying, pet nickname, or line from a song or poem—even a beautiful image of your departed pet in most cases.
The most crucial step is to allow yourself the space and time to grieve. There's no rush to decide how to customize your pet's urn or choose material—you know your pet best and what will honor them best. If you would like to ask us any questions you may have about customizing pet urns, please get in touch with us anytime.