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Pet Memorial Gift Ideas
For many of us, our pets are members of the family. They keep us company, play with us, and comfort us in difficult times. When a pet passes away, it can be a deeply felt, painful loss. If a friend or loved one has recently lost a dog, cat, or other pet, consider these pet memorial gifts to show your sympathy and help them find some comfort.
Stone Memorials and Plaques
When a pet passes away, the owner may choose to bury or cremate the remains. In either case, you may want to offer pet memorial gifts such as a stone memorial or pet headstone. Pet markers and plaques typically include the pet's name, dates, and a brief message, but you can also select more generalized sentiments, such as "Our Beloved Pet" or "Cats Leave Paw Prints on Our Hearts." Most of these stones are made to be placed outdoors, and they may find a home in garden where a pet loved to play or where the ashes have been scattered.
If you're looking for even more personalized pet sympathy gifts, you might consider a personalized pet memorial stone with a photo plaque or engraved photograph. You can send an image of the cat or dog to be engraved directly into the stone, creating a permanent memorial to the beloved pet. Because these pet sympathy gifts are typically quite personalized, you may want to speak to the recipient before making your purchase. A pet headstone or marker can be a very personal choice, so make sure that you know what your friend would like the marker to say. An engraved black granite marker can make a beautiful memorial for any pet, while bronze, silver, and gold nameplates can be added to cremation urns and other items.
Pet Memorial Jewelry
Memorial and cremation jewelry has grown in popularity in recent years, and necklaces, keyrings, and other pieces can make wonderful pet memorial gifts. Some of these jewelry items include a small compartment where a pinch of the pet's ashes or a lock of hair can be placed. There are many pet-themed jewelry items available, often with paw prints, dog bones, or animal silhouettes. Many memorial jewelry pieces can also be personalized with custom engraving, so you may be able to add a name and dates to the piece.
Comfort Products
For many people, a pet offers physical comfort during difficult times. When choosing among pet sympathy gifts, you might want to select an item that offers a similar sense of comfort. Throw blankets and pillows that have been embroidered with the pet's name or even simply have a pet-related image on them can offer a bit of warmth and softness. Some people find comfort with teddy bears, especially those that have a small pocket where a memento can be kept. Holding a soft teddy bear or a pillow may provide a sense of physical closeness that the grieving pet owner is missing.
Ornaments and Unique Memorial Gifts
Crystal or porcelain custom ornaments also make great and affordable pet sympathy gifts, especially during the holidays. Choose a crystal ornament engraved with paw prints or a dog bone, in addition to the pet's name and a brief message, or a porcelain ornament with a photograph of the dog or cat printed permanently on the ceramic. There are also many ornaments available with a holiday theme.
If you're looking for other unique pet memorial gifts, you might consider items such as wind chimes or pocket stones. Some of these items can be personalized, but many simply offer comfort to the suffering family. Comfort stones or pocket tokens, for example, can be carried in a purse or pocket and held or rubbed whenever the individual needs a moment of calm or peace. As a wind chime plays, the music may remind us of fun times with our pets, playing outside in the sun.
Giving Your Time and Attention
Perhaps some of the most important pet memorial gifts that you can give are your time, you attention, and your sympathy. While many of us consider our pets to be family, not everyone feels that way. Even the people close to us may not understand our deep connection to our pets and not understand why we're so sad. If a friend or loved one has lost a pet, offer them your time and your attention. Just giving them a person who can sympathize with their pain and offer a shoulder to cry on may be incredibly helpful. When you can offer them a safe space to express their emotions without having to justify their grief, you can help your friend move toward healing.
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