The feeling that one experiences when they lose a dog is often underestimated. Losing a dog can be the equivalent of losing your best friend and daily companion. Dogs serve as constant guardians who are loyal to a fault. Their selfless behavior and unconditional love reinforce the belief that they want little else in life than to see you happy. This becomes obvious when you think of all the times that your dog has offered its company and affection when you needed it most. You might also recall the joy and laughter that your dog has brought about through its loveable personality and sometimes goofy antics. The admirable traits that make dogs so indispensable in life also make them hard to live without once their gone.

Whether the death of your dog was sudden or long awaited, coping with the loss is a difficult experience and is different for each mourner. Pet cremation is growing in popularity, and dog cremation jewelry is a thoughtful way to honor the memory of your beloved canine companion on a day-to-day basis. The options available are as unique as your pet itself, and will serve as a beautiful reminder of just how important your dog was and still is to you.

Dog-Themed Urn Necklaces
When describing their dog, people often say that it never left their side. Many dogs have an insatiable appetite for the company and affection of their owner. This causes the dog to remain by his or her side like a shadow, basking in the warmth of love that the owner exudes. A dog-themed urn necklace ensures that your dog will never leave your side, even after they have passed away. Lovely styles in silver, cobalt, and pewter give you the opportunity to represent your dog in a fitting way. For the trusty hunting dog, one might use a shot gun shell-shaped urn. For those who respect the nobility of the canine in Native American beliefs, perhaps the cobalt and pewter “Canine Spirit” urn will be the perfect fit. A classic choice for dog lovers is the silver paw print adorned cylinder urn.

Memorial Lockets
Traditional lockets necklaces are given a new spin with the memorial urn locket. This piece of jewelry gives you’re the opportunity to showcase the significance of your pet in a totally unique way. The contents of the locket are completely up to you. Cremation ashes are just one choice to use when filling this vessel. You might also consider other options such as a lock of fur, a clipping from you dog’s favorite rope toy or maybe a blade of grass its favorite park. Memorial lockets are a wonderful way to represent your dog and the things that it loved to do.

Displaying the Urns
Urn necklaces are not solely made to be worn. If wearing the necklace is not something that you would be interested in, you might consider displaying the pet cremation jewelry in a different way. Display cases, designed to showcase urn pendants are a lovely way to give your departed pet a special place in the home. Many choose to decorate this area with sentimental items like photos of the pet or dog toys. These are just a few suggestions for honoring your dog within the home. The options are virtually limitless.

While nothing can replace the void that in your heart that your dog has left behind, it is comforting to know that your can keep its memory alive by honoring it in a special way. Giving your departed canine companion a special place in your life after it has passed on, will help to ease the pain of losing what is truly “man’s best friend.”

The memorials that are available today are constantly changes. There are cremation jewelry for people and also for pets. As cremation rates continue to rise, there will always be new options and outlooks to memorialize your loved one. Thank you for reading.

Coping with the loss of a trusted feline friend can be a difficult task for any animal lover. Not only are your dealing with the death of a beloved animal companion, but the support and unconditional love that your cat once offered is now gone. This can be a difficult feeling to cope with, and you might long for the companionship, affection, and steadfast emotional support that your cat selflessly gave during its life. In order to honor the memory of a cat that you loved, an urn is a small homage that can be displayed in your home. Beautiful feline urns are available in a multitude of designs in wood, glass, stone, and porcelain.

Wood Urns
Whether you choose to honor your cat with an urn that is simple or sophisticated, wooden urns give you the opportunity to take full advantage of nature’s beauty with a natural creation that suits your unique tastes. Some wooden urns for cats are understated and feature a streamline box design with a two-tone cross and a walnut finish. Other wooden urn designs, such as the Kitty Cat Glow Urn, are carved wooden cut outs of a cat’s silhouette and allow space for a battery-operated tea candle to beautifully illuminate the artistic features of the urn.

Porcelain Urns
Porcelain allows for more flexible design options when it comes to honoring the memory of your cat. Playful designs such as pink or blue yarn ball urns, or more traditional designs such as flower-adorned pet urns are distinctly charming and will serve as a gentle reminder of the special place that your cat’s spirit will always hold in your heart.

Glass Urns
Few man-made objects rival the delicate beauty and invigorating vibrancy of colorful blown glass. Blown glass urns, which come in many colors such as cobalt, violet, red, amber and white, fit effortlessly into the décor of many homes. The bright ambiance that appears when light shines on the glass may inspire a special memory of how energetic and full of life your cat was during its life.

Stone Urns
There is something very comforting in the absolute stability and longevity of stone. It seems like the perfect material from which to construct a vessel for a creature whose love was as constant as a stone is steadfast. Gorgeous stone designs in colors such as teakwood colored, white, and cream colored marble transform stone urns into truly beautiful memento.

Allowing a place for which to honor your lost cat companion, and giving it the respect and mourning that it truly deserves will assist all those whose lives it touched. This acceptance of grief is a healthy way of coping with a loss, and still giving a beloved pet distinctly special final farewell. Learn more about large cat urns and sizing an urn for your feline friend. Thank you for reading.

They leave hair on the sofa, paw prints in the concrete, toys in the yard, and when they pass away, empty places in our hearts. Since the dawn of time, pets have meant more to us than their roles as defenders-of-the-yard and catchers-of-mice might suggest. They are friends, family, deserving of being remembered.

It’s true that ancient peoples mummified the remains of pets to be sent along with a deceased loved one, especially cats, often even dogs or baboons. But many of these creatures were provided tombs for themselves alone. Even in ancient Rome and Greece a few well loved companion creatures received burials and headstones.

There are many ways to keep a beloved best friend close to your heart and memorializing a pet in your home. Did your pet go everywhere with you? If you long to maintain this simple connection, you might want to consider engraved memorial keychains or jewelry. These items can often hold your pets cremains or a small handwritten note or letter.

It’s not uncommon for our pets to pick a favorite spot in the house or yard, somewhere you know they could always be found, just snoozing or keeping watch.  Garden urns and other ceramic and stone urns can guard these places in their stead, providing a place for your eyes to rest when the urge to peek at a beloved pet gets the best of you. These reminders can be lighthearted, like the Fire Hydrant or Ball of Yarn urn, drawing smiles out of the tears and acting as conversations starters, ensuring that your pet is never forgotten.

If your pet was well known, maybe a service dog, or a therapy animal, it can be difficult to imagine making the necessary phone calls to all the people who cared. For letting others know of your pets passing, try memorial cards. These are available in all sorts of nature designs and contain a picture of your pet and a short epitaph. These make heartfelt keepsakes for all the people your pet’s life touched.

 There are also many classic types of pet urns which lovingly embrace your pet’s cremains for all time. These come in classic marble, soft wood, gleaming brass, moonlit glass, even biodegradable palm frond baskets or pillow urns. If you are burying your pet, there are pet caskets and pet headstones specifically designed for our animal companions. Many of these options offer personalized engraving and photo placement.

Whatever your plans for memorializing your pet, it should be a move toward healing your heart, a way to remember the good, maybe even the glorious, life of your pet.

When faced with the devastating loss of a special pet, you may want to firmly hold onto the memories that were shaped by the presence of this beloved creature. The warm colors and the smooth texture of wood serve as an excellent vessel to store the cremated remains of your departed pet.

Just as your pet enjoyed dozing under a shady tree on a warm day, the wood of a beautiful urn will be a comforting reminder of the happy, but all too short, life that a pet lived. Rich hues of rosewood, birch, walnut and maple give a sense of natural serenity for the forever resting spot of your special furry companion. Commemorative urns in specially designed shapes and finishes give space for the showcase of photos, poems, and custom-engraved messages that will honor the loving memory of your pet.

Engraved Ball Holder & Photo Wooden Urn
Felines and canines hold a special place in the heart of their owners. They are often seen as members of the family. For this reason, it is appropriate that their lives be memorialized in a

Tennis Ball Urn

manner that is fitting for their loving nature. The tennis ball urn does a wonderful job of featuring a glimpse into your pet’s everyday life by reflecting its image and interests. These wooden pet urns have a special framed area on the front for the display of a photo of your pet. It also has a curved notch carved out of the top that is perfect for holding a tennis ball, baseball, or ball of yarn. To add even more customization options, an engraved brass plaque can be affixed to the front of the urn beneath the photo to show your pet’s name, birthday, and epitaph.

Most pets seem to be the most content when they are by the side of their master. It is a comforting feeling to know that by keeping your pet in a wooden urn within your home, you are ensuring that your pet can stay with you for the rest of your life. May their water bowl always be full, and may they always be surrounded by their favorite toys and treats. More pet memorial information and urns by Pets to Rest.

Losing a cat that has been a part of the family for years is hard to say the least.  Large cat urns are a fitting way to pay tribute to your beloved pet; you want to do something that is special, and demonstrates the love and respect you have for your cat.  You may choose to simply burying a cat in the backyard, but pet urns are no longer simple wood or metal boxes.  Large cat urns are available today in a wide array of designs and materials, so you can memorialize your cat in a way that best represents their unique personality and life.

One exquisite example of the large cat urns available today is the Traditional Onyx Marbled Urn.  This urn is perfect for displaying on a shelf or anywhere you like; the swirled, colorful pattern consisting of burnt sienna, cream, soft green and black makes a beautiful addition to any room.  Since it is crafted of marble, it would also be suitable for outdoor use.

When your pet was a kitten, you likely had no idea how big it would be as an adult cat.  Some kittens grow up to be of average size, while others grow up to be a magnificent and almost regal looking because of their large size.  If your pet was bigger than the average size cat, you may be in search of large cat urns that are capable of holding the ashes of your beloved pet.  The Came, Purred, Conquered Rock Cat Urn is a suitable urn if you prefer to place your memorial outdoors, perhaps in a rock or flower garden, or in another area where your cat loved to relax and soak up the sunshine.

Many large cat urns are suitable for indoor or outdoor use; if your cat was more of a house cat, you may wish to create a display in their honor indoors.  This can be accomplished by simply surrounding the urn by his favorite toys and jewelry or keepsakes designed especially for pets.  If your pet preferred the outdoors, the perfect final resting place is in a favorite outdoor area.

From wood or resin to marble, glass or teakwood, there are large cat urns available today that will pay tribute to your pet in a loving, respectable manner.  At the same time, the styles, materials and designs allow you to choose something suitable for your own design and taste preferences.  Losing a cat is difficult and your cat was a special member of your family, a part of your life.  He deserves to be memorialized in a dignified, beautiful way.

by Sid Korpi, Animal Chaplain and author of Good Grief: Finding Peace After Pet Loss

In my work as an animal chaplain, I help people to prepare for, cope with and move on after pet loss. Often, the pain of this loss is so acute, some people swear they will never again put themselves through the agonizing grief. While many say this in the early stages of grief and eventually change their minds, others will actually stay stuck in this mindset indefinitely and build walls of defenses around themselves. I feel very sorry for these folks, for their impulse to spare themselves grief in the short term is actually ensuring they remain trapped in a place of fear for far longer than if they’d allowed themselves to fully feel all the difficult emotions in the first place. Peace and acceptance follow on the heels of grief.

Of course, tears are a big part of our initial experience of grief. Shedding them is vital to our emotional and even physical health. But believing you will never move beyond that acute anguish is erroneous, causing you to deny your feelings altogether. This practice can lead to disease of the body and mind, as well as prove destructive to other relationships, as those emotions seek less healthy/honest means of expression.

Of vital importance in moving through, rather than denying, one’s grief is the act of memorializing our beloved animal companion and celebrating his or her life. This can be done by getting a personalized stone or urn and creating a sort of shrine, holding a memorial service with friends and family members who knew and loved your pet, or it can be a private act wherein you light a solitary candle and write a letter to your animal friend expressing your gratitude for all he or she brought to your life and allowing yourself to remember happy moments you shared. (Should you be in need of inspirational ideas, in my book, Good Grief: Finding Peace After Pet Loss, I devote an entire chapter to methods of doing this.)

Our pets come into our lives as teachers of unconditional love, unbridled joy, acceptance of the cycles of life, and living in the moment. To say, “I will never have another pet,” actually dishonors the pet you just lost. In effect, you’re saying that you choose to ignore all he or she tried to teach you, all out of fear of pain. When the time is right and you’ve completed your mourning—please do not rush into this as another means of avoiding the pain of spending time alone with yourself—you will honor the memory of your dear pet by opening your heart and home to another needful animal.

Your best friend’s pet died, and although you are not a pet owner yourself, you wonder how to comfort them through their grief.  Expressing sympathy for pet loss is not as hard as it may seem.  There are many things you can do to help comfort your friend during this time, and to help them recover from their sadness so that they can begin healing.

Now more than ever before, people consider pets a member of the family.  They love their loyal companions, and even sometimes treat them as almost human.  Thankfully, there are several sympathy phrases for pet loss, so that your friend feels that you care.  Some people feel silly that they get so upset and saddened by the death of a pet, because other people don’t seem to get so attached to pets.  This is another reason to express your sympathy – pet loss is much more devastating to some individuals than others.

Sending a sympathy card to your friend is always a good idea, and now cards are being designed that are directed specifically for the owners of pets.  You can always write a special letter that includes your heartfelt sympathy, or craft a poem in remembrance of your friends beloved pet.

Pet cremation jewelry is another idea that is growing in popularity.  There are hundreds of styles and designs available.  This jewelry is designed to hold a small portion of the cremains or other memento, helping the bereaved feel that they have a special remembrance to keep with them always.  You may also want to consider garden stones to be placed as a memorial, or even pet themed picture frames so that your friend can display a favorite special photo.

There are several great sayings that have been penned to help you express sympathy for pet loss.  You may want to have one or more of these expressions imprinted inside a special card, or simply write them yourself:

No one loves you unconditionally as your beloved pet. – Cynthia S. Dobesh

Although it’s difficult today to see beyond the sorrow, may looking back in memory help comfort you tomorrow. – Author Unknown

What we have once enjoyed we can never lose; All that we love deeply becomes a part of us. – Helen Keller

Offering your sympathy for pet loss is a loving gesture toward your friend.  It gives them comfort, and helps them validate the loss and sadness they are feeling.  When you have a good friend that has lost a truly cherished pet, support them by giving something from your heart – sympathy.

Pets to Rest Blog

Pet Loss and Children

Explaining the death of a loved one or even the concept of dying to a child is one of the toughest things you will ever do.  When it comes to pet loss, children often perceive in their mind that a pet will be around for as long as the child is.  How can you comfort them, and explain in a way that they understand?  This may in fact be the first encounter with death of any kind for a child, so it should be handled in the right manner.

There are many considerations; in dealing with losing a pet, children of different age groups should be handled differently.  Honesty is always the best policy; you never want to make the child believe that your family pet simply wandered off, or that they “went to sleep” and didn’t wake up.  If a child is 10 or 11 years old, they often already understand that every living thing dies at some point.  Children of different ages also perceive the death of a pet differently.  For example:

A very young child, perhaps 3 or 4 years old, knows that the pet is a playmate.  When the pet dies, she will most likely miss it for a time, but may not experience much sadness or trauma like an older child would.  Children who are old enough to take care of feeding or walking a pet may experience guilt feelings.  In their mind, they may believe that they did something that caused the animal to become sick or die.  This is particularly true if the child ever had thoughts such as wishing they didn’t have to take care of  the pet.

With pet loss, children should understand that you are sad as well.  Never try to hide your emotions; be honest and open.  If you bury your pet or have him cremated, you may want to create a special memorial or “place” in the backyard where the child can visit him.  Explain to your child that time will heal their sadness and pain, and that one day they will have happy memories of their pet.  One mistake many parents make is getting a new pet almost immediately.  Don’t try to replace a pet your family loved deeply too soon.  Let your child grieve that pet, who was a special member of your family.

Children are extremely resilient and adaptable.  In fact, a young child will get over a devastating or sad experience like the loss of a pet quicker than most adults.  It is a good idea to explain death and dying to your children, in a gentle way.  When you lose a pet, it is important that children know what really happened, and that their pet is not in some magical place.  Honesty is always best; talk with your children openly, and tell them it is okay to feel sad or to cry.  This is sometimes the quickest way for a child to begin the healing process.

To many people, this is very similar to the feelings experienced in losing a human friend or family member. People may say unkind things such as “Get over it – it was just a pet!” This is very cold and indifferent, but that is how some people feel. Pet loss can be extremely devastating. Their unwavering love and affection is something you don’t get often in this life from humans.

People often think you are silly if you mourn the passing of a friend, that they are somehow not as important as humans. The truth is, sometimes our pets treat us better than friends and family do – and they are loyal to a fault. This is why the loss of a pet can upset you every bit as much as the death of a friend. Feelings of sadness, despair and depression are natural for many people when a beloved pet dies.

Often, remembering certain things can help you cope with losing a dog or cat. Think back about how your pet came to be with you, where you got him from. What were some of the activities that you enjoyed together? Did you play catch in the backyard, or go for walks every day? Think of some of the rough times in your life, or times that you were deliriously happy. How did your pet fit in the picture at those times? Sometimes, thinking back gives you positive feelings that enable you to cope better.

Dealing with grief takes time. Gradually, you will start feeling better and realize that you still have the memories of the great times you shared with your pet. It happens in stages; you move toward closure. Grief and sadness do not go away overnight. When a furry friend dies , especially one you have had for years, can be emotionally draining. You may lose your appetite, and have trouble sleeping. This is normal for those who truly loved their pets from the depths of their soul. Pets to Rest provides a great deal of useful information to assist you during your time of loss.

It is not easy to deal with the death of a furry friend. There are times when you cry your heart out, times when you simply reflect over the past. You have lost the most loving, loyal and affectionate being in your world. Will you ever move past this? Yes, in time. Gradually, life will return to normal. To help gain closure, many people bury or cremate their pets. This allows you to feel that you have shown love and respect to your pet by memorializing him in a way that demonstrates your feelings, and the special place he had in your life. The loss of a pet is truly heartbreaking, but life will go on, and you will move forward in your own good time.