When your cat or dog passes away, you should continue honoring its memory by having a dignified resting place. We’re explaining whether it’s bad to keep pet ashes in homes or not. We’re also giving more options on what you can do with your pet’s remains.
Is it Bad to Keep Pet Ashes at Home?
It’s not necessarily bad to keep your pet’s ashes at home, as long as you use a proper container and store it safely. You should also consider how this will affect your grieving process. However, it won’t be ideal if the ashes pose a safety hazard.
Pets hold a special place in our hearts. When the time comes that they need to go, pet owners find ways to keep their memories alive, and that includes considering keeping the ashes of cats or dogs.
What to Consider When Keeping Pet Ashes at Houses
With the surge of pet owners opting for cremation, there’s also the growing dilemma of whether it’s wrong to keep the ashes at their houses. While it’s generally okay, these are some factors you can consider to help you decide.
Grieving Process
Some pet parents find it comforting to keep the ashes or a portion at home. If it helps your grieving process to have a part of your furry friend nearby, it won’t hurt to keep your pet’s remains for some time.
Keeping the urn at home can be a meaningful way to feel connected to your dog, particularly for the first few weeks. This is also suitable if you’re planning to have a memorial.
Safety Issues
Keeping the ashes at home won’t be bad if you have a spot where the urn is unlikely to get disturbed. It’s safe to store your cat’s or dog’s ashes in an urn. However, you should also check if displaying the urn at home is safe.
Will curious kids end up playing with the urn? Can other pets accidentally topple the urn?
Other Pets
According to a survey, 90% of dogs exhibited signs of mourning after the death of a furry friend. Thus, be cautious about how your surviving pets will react to the presence of the urn.
Living pets tend to touch a deceased pet’s body as a form of mourning, especially when they see the body during in-house euthanasia. Most pets pick up cues quickly and may eventually understand that their dead companions are in the urn.
Urn Size
It isn’t harmful to keep your pet’s remains if the urn’s size and style won’t be a hassle to you. Check if you have the space to accommodate the urn.
Each pound of your pet’s weight equates to one cubic inch capacity. Thus, for a cat or dog who weighed 10 pounds before death, the urn should be at least 10 cubic inches or bigger.
Traditions or Superstitions
Some religions forbid people to keep, scatter, or divide cremated ashes between family members. Most religious guidelines only concern human ashes since no strict code applies to animals.
There’s no proven bad omen that comes from keeping ashes at home. However, it would be unhealthy to keep the ashes around if they would only radiate stagnant energy, preventing you from moving on.
Where Should I Put My Pet’s Ashes at Home?
After choosing the urn for storing your dog or cat’s ashes, you can place it in any spot you prefer in your house.
- Nook where your cat or dog used to sleep
- Atop a dresser or table in a common area
- Outdoor memorial table in your garden or patio
What Should I Do With the Cremated Ashes of My Pet?
Even though it’s not bad to keep your pet’s ashes at houses, there are other creative yet respectful ways to pay tribute to your furry friend.
Scatter the Ashes
Scattering the ashes is one of the most popular options for handling the remains of a beloved pet. This is perfect if your four-legged friend used to love playing in the waves or hiking through nature trails.
Create Memorial or Keepsake Items
You can put your pet’s ashes in memorial and keepsake items if you want a subtle way to keep the ashes at home or close to you.
- Necklace: We can hand-cast the nose or paw of your pet to make personalized necklaces. We can also put the ashes in memorial bead necklaces.
- Sculpture: Opt for a sculpture if urns look too traditional for you and you prefer something more ornamental. The artist can infuse some of the ashes with the base materials.
- Decorative glass piece: Memorial globes, glass paperweights, and marbles have elaborate designs and colors. You can also distribute the glass pieces for family members as functional items.
Related Questions
Can I Be Cremated With My Pet’s Remains?
Sadly, you can’t get cremated with your pet’s remains. Most cemeteries and crematoriums prohibit the burial and scattering of animal ashes with human ashes.
Can I Touch the Ashes of My Pet?
Yes, cremated pet ashes are safe to touch. Pet cremation uses high temperatures to decompose the remains, killing bacteria or viruses. This is also why you can hold the ashes for scattering.
Conclusion
It’s not wrong to keep your pet’s ashes in your house, especially if this can help you grieve and honor your pet’s memory. When you’re ready to move on, you and your kids can still commemorate your beloved pet through scattering ashes, and memorial items.
