Pet loss gifts and 10 ways to remember a dog or cat
What to say to someone who has lost their pet, gifts that feel right, and simple ways to keep a dog or cat close.
When someone loses a dog or a cat, a short message that names the animal often means more than any gift. If you would like to give something as well, a small, personal keepsake a few weeks later is usually the right choice: an album, a plant, or a portrait engraved from a favourite photo. Below are some thoughts on what to say and what to give, followed by ten simple ways to remember a pet, whether the loss is yours or a friend's.
Which idea suits your situation
| Your situation | Ideas that fit |
|---|---|
| Right away, without buying anything | Gathering photos, a memory box, a letter |
| Without seeing their face again | A tile with their name, a plant |
| With their best photo | An engraved portrait, an album |
| For a friend | A message now, then a small keepsake a few weeks later |
| In the garden | A plant, a tile |
What to say to someone who has lost their pet
Write soon, and keep it short: "I've just heard about Rufus. I'm thinking of you." Use the pet's name, as it is often what touches people most. Avoid anything that shrinks the loss ("it was only a cat") and don't suggest getting another one. Offer something concrete instead: dropping round with a meal, a walk together, or simply time to listen to their stories about the dog or cat they miss.
Pet loss gifts that feel right
A pet loss gift doesn't need to be big. Choose something small and personal, and consider waiting a few weeks: by then, many people feel ready to look at photos again. A handwritten card, a plant for the garden or a small album of photos you have gathered from friends all work well.
A portrait is another option. You can give an engraved pet portrait from your photo: our tool turns the photo into a line drawing, and we laser-engrave it in our workshop in Hyères, in the south of France, on a Salernes terracotta tile, with the pet's name if you wish. The trick is finding a good photo without spoiling the surprise. Ask a close friend or family member, or pick one the person has shared themselves.
If you are unsure about wording, engraving just the name is always fitting. We can send the tile straight to the person, with no invoice or price slip inside the parcel (outside the EU, the customs form on the outside states the value). See our delivery information for timings to the UK.
10 ways to remember a dog or cat
There is no right time for any of these, and no obligation to do anything at all. Some people put the bed away the next day; others leave it in place for months. If grief is weighing on you day to day, talk to people around you or to your vet. In the UK, Blue Cross runs a free Pet Bereavement Support Service.
Gather the best photos
Scroll back through your phone and set aside the pictures that really look like them: the head tilt, the favourite sunny spot. Print a few, or put them together in a small album or photo book. Ask friends and family too, as they often have photos you've never seen. Keep the original files rather than screenshots or images sent through messaging apps, which lose quality. You'll need them for prints or a portrait later on.
Have their portrait engraved from a photo
If you'd like something that lasts, you can have your dog or cat engraved from your photo on a terracotta tile. The engraving is a single deep brown tone: it is a drawn interpretation, not a printed photo. Eyes, ears and markings become lines. The preview shows you the drawing before you order, and you can generate a new illustration if it isn't right. A tomette, our traditional hexagonal tile, starts at €24.90; formats and prices are on the product page.
A tile with their name, without a photo
Not everyone wants to see a face, especially at first. A symbol can be enough: a paw print, a name, a few words. That is the idea behind a dog memorial plaque with a paw print and their name, from €18.90. Our tiles are fine indoors and outdoors all year round, frost included, so it can sit in the garden near a favourite spot, or on a shelf by the door.
Make a small space for them at home
A corner of a shelf or a windowsill is enough: a photo or portrait, their collar and tag, perhaps a candle. Choose somewhere you pass every day. If there are children at home, let them add a drawing or a pebble from a favourite walk.
Keep a memory box
Some things are too precious to throw away and too raw to display. A box keeps them safe: the collar, the tag, a favourite toy, a small lock of fur in an envelope, the vaccination card, the photo from the day they arrived. Open it when you need to, and close it again.
Write a few words
A letter nobody else will read, a few lines in a notebook, or one sentence to engrave. Simple words are usually the truest. A few ideas to adapt: "Câline, 2009 – 2025", "You always found the sun", "Thank you for looking after us". A name and the years are often enough.
Plant something
A rose, a small olive tree in a pot, rosemary, or catnip for a cat who loved it. If other pets live with you, check the plant is safe for them. In a garden or on a balcony, a plant changes with the seasons and gives you something to look forward to each spring.
Keep a paw print
Clay paw print kits are easy to find in pet shops and online. Some vets and pet crematoriums may also offer to take a print, so ask them if it matters to you, ideally before the last appointment.
Jewellery or a keepsake with their fur
Specialist makers set fur, and sometimes ashes, into resin, a locket or a pendant. We don't do this: our tiles are laser-engraved into the terracotta, with nothing added. If the idea appeals, look for a maker who shows their work and timings clearly.
Help other animals in their name
A donation to a local rescue, a bag of food or a blanket dropped at reception, or a few hours walking dogs or socialising cats. Many rescues welcome donations of supplies: call ahead to ask what they need.
Which photo works best for an engraved portrait?
The photo makes the portrait: sharp eyes and soft light matter more than your favourite picture, and very dark or very light coats can show less detail. The preview shows the drawing before you order. Our guide to choosing a photo to engrave goes into more detail.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I wait before giving a pet loss gift?
There is no rule. Send a message straight away, and give a keepsake a little later, often a few weeks on, when the person feels like looking at photos again. If in doubt, simply ask whether they would like something to remember their dog or cat by.
How can I honour a dog or cat that has died?
With simple gestures, at your own pace: gathering their photos, making a small space for them at home, writing a few words, planting something where they liked to lie, or helping a rescue in their name. Some people prefer something lasting, such as a tile with their name or a portrait engraved from their photo.
Can fur or ashes be put into a tile, and can it go outside?
Nothing can be put inside: our tiles are laser-engraved into Salernes terracotta, with nothing added. They can sit alongside a memory box or a piece of jewellery made by a specialist. They are fine outdoors all year round, frost included, on a wall or by a plant, but not on the floor.
More ideas
Browse all our personalised pet gifts and keepsakes. For a cat, a tile can also carry a cat silhouette and their name, without a photo.
