What to Do with Your Pet's Ashes
Options beyond the urn—and it's okay if you don't decide right away.
The urn sat on my shelf for months. I didn't know what to do with it. Eventually I realized there was no deadline, no 'right' answer. Here are the options.
Keep them at home
Many people keep ashes in an urn displayed at home. This is probably the most common choice. You can:
There's no rule saying you ever have to do anything else with them.
Scatter them
Scattering in a meaningful place is popular:
**Check regulations first.** Scattering is legal in most places but check local rules, especially for national parks or public spaces.
Bury them
You can bury the urn or ashes:
Divide them
You don't have to choose just one option. Many people:
Transform them
Companies can turn ashes into:
These options range from $50 to several thousand dollars.
Do nothing (for now)
It's completely okay to keep the ashes and not decide. There's no timeline. Some people keep them for years before knowing what to do. Some never do anything—and that's fine too.