Any discerning cat parent would ask the question: how much does it cost to cremate a cat? After all, their fur-babies deserve an honorable funeral. The average cost to cremate a cat is about $60 to $150. It is important to take note that this price range reflects the median budget that many Americans would ordinarily pay.
The cost for cat cremation is relatively cheaper than the average price for cremation of dogs simply because the latter is a bigger creature. The average cost to cremate a dog could be anywhere between $125 and $150.
Types of Cremation
When it comes to cat cremation cost, it is important for the bereaved pet owners to choose two types of arrangements.
Communal or mass cremation of cats are usually cheaper, for they only cost somewhere between $30 and $70. What mass cremation may lack in the spirit of special treatment, they represent in solidarity with other pet owners.
Individual or private cremation costs around $100 to $200. With this type of cremation, deceased cats do not share a furnace with others, emphasizing their distinctive status.
Apart from the two types of cremation, cat owners must also take note of other cost considerations not billed in these service costs.
The option for grieving cat owners to witness the funeral pyre comes with the additional cost of around $20 to $30. The price may slightly change depending on the cat’s weight. Another extra fee is charged for the pick-up of the cat’s dead body during weekends or off-business hours, which could entail about $30 to $45.
Knowing How To Find Cremation Services
Knowing where to look for cremation services is just as important as finding the answer to the question ‘how much does it cost to cremate a cat?’ In fact, collecting quotations from a variety of services reap a viable advantage in terms of the overall return on investment.
Unless you have full knowledge of the local crematories within your location, arguably the best source of reference is a veterinary clinic. After all, veterinarians are the only medical professionals authorized to assist the dying pets to experience a less painful passing.
Veterinarians are usually connected with crematories and may offer helpful insight in terms of availing for the best deal. Some vets even have quotations for the price for cremation of dogs and cats in certain crematories.
Many grieving cat owners would let the veterinarians arrange for the cremation of their deceased pets. After all, the process and paper works might be a very stressful nuisance, especially for those who are unprepared.
As mentioned in the earlier part of the article, paying to witness the cremation process has its own crucial advantages. Unbeknownst to many people, some low-key crematories would charge customers for the funeral cost while secretly dumping the cat’s corpse into a landfill. As a paying customer, it is your right to witness the proper interment or avoid any establishment that does not provide this basic transparency requirement.
Cremation Urns
Another fee one must consider apart from the cat cremation cost is the price of the memorial. Just like beloved humans, the memory of beloved cats is also preserved in cremation urns. These urns may come in plain jars resembling condiment vases but personalized options also include other forms such as wooden boxes, miniature cat angel statuettes or even a headstone.
For premium ornate varieties, the average cost could be around $100. However, small urns with simple design may cost anywhere between $40 and $80.
Cremation Keepsakes
Apart from urns, other forms of keepsakes may come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. It can either be in a form of a record label featuring your fur-baby as the musician, a cat-shaped glass trophy or even a useful item like a fountain pen or a lamp.
Wind Chimes
Another fascinating way to preserve the memory of beloved departed cats is buying memorial wind chimes skilled craftsmen. Hanging at the bottom of the chimes is a thumb-sized photo of the deceased cat. Of all the memorial items sold in pet shops, perhaps the wind chimes provide the calmest effect brought by the soft random melody it brings. The average cost is for these memorial items is anywhere between $60 and $80.
Jewelry Repositories
Some pet owners do not want to settle for keeping their furbaby’s ashes in stationary urns. Hence, they keep the small volume of ashes inside jeweled accessories. Necklace urns are particularly pricey since they are cast from precious metals like copper, silver or gold. Cost may vary depending on the design and the type of metal. These jewelry repositories could cost between $130 and $160. On the bright side, pet owners can literally keep the memory of their pets close to their hearts no matter where they go.
Memorial Stones & Markers
What makes a memorial stone or marker special is that it not only reminds the pet owners, it also allows strangers to acknowledge the former existence of a beloved four-legged child. Memorial markers bear the name and lifespan years of the deceased cat. Memorial markers cost around $60 to $120, depending on the material and craftsmanship.
Memorial stones offer the same degree of serenity that a costly cemetery burial provides for bereaved cat owners. Like post markers, memorial stones also engrave the name, annual date of lifespan and a few solemn phrases that keep their memories alive. Small and asymmetrical memorial stones could cost anywhere from $18 to $35. Huge stones that are visible at garden premises can cost anywhere between $50 and $110. Prices vary greatly according to the size and variety of stone, the level of craftsmanship, and the degree of personal customization.
Framed Photographs
While some would opt for impressive memorial items, framed photographs never go out of fashion. Pet gift shops sell picture frames of deceased cats and they can design according to the customer’s preferences. The only downside to choosing photo items is that it may take a little longer for the owner to get past the seven stages of grief seeing the image of their beloved pets.