Pet Memorial Gifts

Pet memorial gifts: what to send when someone loses a dog or cat

When someone's dog or cat dies, most people say nothing. Not because they don't care, but because they're not sure a pet counts as a bereavement. It does, and the silence is the part owners remember.

A pet memorial gift doesn't need to be big or engraved. The set that works is three small things: a candle they can light on the date, a print for the shelf or the wall where the bed used to be, and a card with the animal's name written in it in your handwriting.

Everything below is designed in house and posted from the UK, so the candle, the print and the card arrive in one parcel — and it's fine, often better, to send it two weeks later rather than the same day.

What to write in a pet sympathy card

• Use the pet's name. People are frightened to and it means everything.
• So sorry about Bella. Sixteen years is a whole chapter of your life. Shop this card
• He was a brilliant dog and the house will be far too quiet.
• Thinking of you. No need to reply to this one. Shop this card
• I keep remembering the way she used to greet everyone at the door.
• You gave him a very good life, right to the end.
• There's no shame in this hurting as much as it does.
• Light this one for Milo when you're ready.

What to send, and when

• A candle, because there's a first evening without them and it's the worst one.
• A print or keepsake for the shelf where the bed or the bowl used to be.
• A card on its own is plenty if you don't know them well.
• Send it a week or two after — the first few days are full of people, then everyone stops.
• For a child who's lost a pet, keep it simple and let them keep something on the windowsill.
• For a colleague, a card signed by the team beats a collection.
• Mark the anniversary a year on. Almost nobody does and it lands hard.
• If they're on their own now, offer a specific day to visit rather than "let me know".

What not to send

• Anything suggesting they get another one.
• "At least it wasn't a person."
• Flowers with lilies in — toxic to cats, and a lot of owners still have others at home.
• A photo gift you've made without asking; some people can't look at pictures yet.
• Advice about grief stages.
• Anything that needs feeding, watering or looking after.

Prints and keepsakes

Something for the shelf or the wall where the bed used to sit.

Pet loss and sympathy cards

Printed and posted in the UK, blank inside so you can write the pet's name.

Where to shop next

• Pet memorial gifts
• Pet loss cards
• Sympathy cards
• Thinking of you cards
• Pet memorial gift ideas guide
• Gifts to make someone smile
• Sympathy gifts
• Thinking of you gifts
• Scented soy candles
• Wall art prints
• Gift ideas
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas

Frequently asked questions

What is a good pet memorial gift?

A candle they can light on the date, a print or keepsake for the spot where the bed used to be, and a card with the pet's name written in it. Sent together they cover the first hard evening and the months afterwards, and none of them ask anything of the owner.

How much should I spend on a pet loss gift?

£10–£25 is the normal range in the UK. Spending much more can make it awkward to receive — the thing that lands is that you acknowledged the animal at all.

Is it too late to send something weeks later?

No — later is often better. The first few days are busy and then everyone goes quiet, so a card or candle arriving two or three weeks in is usually the one they remember.

What do you write in a pet sympathy card?

Use the pet's name, say one specific thing you remember about them, and say no reply is needed. Avoid "at least" sentences and anything about getting another one.

Do you sell engraved pet memorials or urns?

No. We make candles, prints, coasters and cards in the UK. If you want an engraved stone, paw print casting or urn, buy that from a memorial specialist and send a card and candle alongside it.