According to Cats Protection, there are around 10.8 million domesticated cats in the UK, based on their Cats and Their Stats (or CATS for short) survey in 2021. This means about 26% of households up and down the country own at least one pet cat. While this information may not be particularly surprising as cats and dogs are incredibly popular in the United Kingdom, what may surprise you is how many pet owners decide to have their pet kitty cremated when they pass away.
According to Mintel, around a quarter of pet owners in the UK have either had funeral services for their deceased pets or would strongly consider doing it.
In response to the growing demand for pet funerals, over 50 cemeteries and crematoriums offer official pet funerals. If you have recently lost a beloved pet cat and are considering an alternative to the tradition of burying the body in your garden, you will likely want to know how much a pet cremation would cost. On average, it can cost anything from £50 to £300, and much like a human cremation, various factors determine the final cost.
In the following article, we will look at some of the most crucial factors that can affect the cost of a cat cremation so that you can make the best decision about whether it suits you.
What is the Average Cost of a Cat Cremation?
On average, the basic cat cremation in the UK will cost you approximately £100. This is based on speaking to crematoriums in the country that offer this service. The actual price you pay for the cremation of your beloved pet kitty, though, will depend on the type of service, the size of the urn, and any extras you want.
Why Are Cat Cremations Becoming Increasingly Popular?
Pet and particularly cat cremations are becoming more popular for several reasons.
For one thing, pets like cats hold a special place in the hearts of the families and households that own them. Our relationship with our feline friends has developed and evolved, as has how we approach their death.
Further to this, how we live nowadays significantly impacts the popularity of pet cremations. In the past, pet cats and dogs were usually buried in the back garden. However, for this, you need to have a garden on your property and the permission of the landowner to bury your pet there. As so many people are renting and do not own their own property, have a mortgage, or have a private garden, this is no longer a suitable choice for all pet owners.
To top it all off, many people feel bad about leaving buried pets in their garden when they move house.
Pet and cat cremations have become more prevalent in response to all these factors.
How Long Does a Cat Cremation Take?
As with any cremation, the duration depends on the cat's size. On average, a cat cremation can take 20 minutes to an hour.
What Are Different Types of Cat Cremation?
If you've ever looked into human cremations, you will know that several options are designed to suit each individual's unique needs and preferences. With cat cremations, it's no different. There are several different types of cat cremation services.
Individual Cremation
With an individual cremation, as you may have guessed, just one cat is cremated. This type of cremation is designed to ensure you get only your cat's ashes and no other feline or pet's ashes along with them.
Unattended Cremation
Just as you can have an unattended cremation for humans, you can have an unattended cremation for your pet kitty. It's self-explanatory, but if you cannot or are not interested in having a special service, you can just let the crematorium deal with it on its own.
Witnessed Cremation
A witnessed cremation, again, is relatively self-explanatory. Still, it means you and other members of your family or friends can attend the crematorium to watch your beloved deceased cat being cremated. For some people, a witnessed cremation gives them a sense of closure and helps with the grieving process, while for others. It's so they can make sure that only their own cat is being cremated and not with several other animals.
Communal Cremation
Following on nicely from the above, a communal cremation is one where your cat and other pets and animals are cremated. With this kind of cremation, your cat's ashes can't be returned to you. It's worth noting, though, depending on their available resources, some crematoria scatter a token amount of pet ashes in their Gardens of Remembrance if they have them.
Do You Need to Buy a Specific Cat Urn?
When your cat is cremated, the crematoria will give you your cat's ashes in a standard box urn. However, if you want a more personalised and fitting urn, we have a selection of cat urns and caskets. If you want to make it more personalised, we can also create a custom pet urn.
What Size of Cat Urn Do You Need?
Similarly to the size of coffins and urns for the bodies of cremated humans, the size of the urn you will need for your cremated cat will depend on the size of your cat. Generally speaking, the rule of thumb is that for each 1 lb of your cat's weight, you require 1 cubic inch of space inside the urn. For more clarification or questions, contact our team or speak to your local pet crematoria for more information.
What Should You Do With Your Cat's Ashes?
Once you decide to go ahead with having your recently deceased pet kitty cremated, you are left with another question and decision – what to do with the ashes. As is the case with cremating humans, you can choose to:
- Keep them in the urn
- Scatter them
- Bury them
Keeping Them
To non-pet owners, the idea of keeping the ashes of a beloved pet may sound a little weird, but as pet cats are considered family members. It makes sense that some people would treat their ashes the same way as a human member of their household. For keeping the ashes, there are options for cat urns and ashes jewellery for cats.
Scattering Them
Many people who don't need to or want to hold on to their pet's ashes opt to scatter the ashes. This is often done at a favourite spot or place significant to the cat or the family. Many choose to disperse them into a local body of water. For many, it is like returning their cat to the natural world.
There are many options, but you need to make some critical considerations with whatever you choose. If you scatter your cat's ashes in a public place, such as a park or river, you should be discreet and avoid scattering them near people. If you are interested in scattering them on land owned by the Woodlands Trust, you should contact them directly for more information.
When scattering ashes onto a body of water, avoid doing so close to a water source, and if using an urn, use a biodegradable urn for cats.
Burying Them
Like human bodies, you can have your pet cat’s ashes buried in an urn or a similar container. People often opt for biodegradable urns for this type of burial because it means the materials will break down over time, and your cat’s ashes will become part of the natural world again.
There are many considerations you need to make when deciding whether you are going to have a cremation for your deceased cat or not. Many aspects determine the price, including the cat's size, the type of urn and service, and anything extra you need or want. If you have further questions about cat cremations or want additional information, don't hesitate to contact one of our team members.
