After Your Pet Has Crossed Rainbow Bridge

April 14, 2026

Pet Cemeteries and Memorials

Candilee Jackson

 

Introduction

Not surprisingly, the internet has a wide variety of pet memorial ideas.  It contains a large number of websites dedicated to or including pet memorial supplies, monuments, and crafting kits for do-it-yourselfers, and is a great source of do’s and don’ts on the topic.

As a dedicated cat person, I have been through the awful decision-making when the time nears for a fur family member to cross Rainbow Bridge. We have always chosen cremation and ash return so that our beloved pet could rest in our gardens rather than end up in a college or university anatomy lab.

A Historical Look Back:  Pet Cemeteries

Archaeologists working digs the world over have found remains of cats and dogs in Egyptian pyramids, Mayan tombs, and village cemeteries, all dating back to ancient times. “By analyzing a thousand tombstones, an archaeologist revealed how animals evolved from companions to family in just one-hundred years.”² Archaeologists often look to human burial sites to reconstruct what a community’s kinship groups, socio-economic statuses, society structures, attitudes toward religion, and local demographics looked like in the past.”²

London’s Hyde Park is the first well-known cemetery to inter a family pet: “In 1881, Cherry, the Maltese terrier, was the first pet to be laid to rest there, making Hyde Park the first pets-only cemetery in the United Kingdom.”² Over 300 pets have been laid to rest in Hyde Park since that time.

Prior to formalizing pet burial, family pets were tossed into communal trash heaps or skinned for pelts and meat. “The earliest known pet cat grave is in Cyprus, dated about 9,500 BC, long before the Egyptians revered cats.”⁵ The decision “to bury (pets) was a turning point in our evolving relationship with animals that reflects the values and norms of historical eras.”⁵ The Victorian Period (1837-1901) witnessed the growing relationships between humans and their animals as evidenced by epitaphs on gravestones, often referring to pet owners as “Mummy” and/or “Dad,” giving strong evidence that pets are family members.

The earliest known pet cemetery in the United States was found in Illinois and dates to 65,000 BC; it contained the remains of hundreds of pet companions of the indigenous peoples of that area.⁵

In 1896 the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery and Crematory was dedicated in New York “to address the growing need for a secure and dignified resting place for the pets of New York City.”⁴ “Today, Hartsdale is the oldest continuously operated pet cemetery in the world and the final resting place for over 80,000 animals, including not only dogs and cats but horses, birds, primates, a myriad of smaller pets, and even a lion who lived at the Plaza Hotel.”⁴

In our modern times, cat lovers often refer to our furry companions’ crossing over the Rainbow Bridge, an image of beauty during a time of sadness and sorrow. This bridge is a mythical overpass that is said to connect heaven and Earth, and more to the point, a spot where grieving pet owners reunite with their departed furry friends for good.

Ways to Memorialize Your Furry Companion³

Memorial Service

As one would for a human family member, a simple service can be held with friends and family, where a short, loving eulogy can be delivered.

Memory Boxes and Jewelry

Shadow boxes with pictures, toys, or other mementos are a lovely way to remember a fur companion. Pendants with a lock of fur or a picture are other ways to honor and remember.

Plaques, Frames, and Artwork

With the emergence of the smartphone, our ability to take hundreds of pictures and store them at our fingertips gives pet owners a plethora of choices for memorial pictures. These may be rendered in oils, transferred to picture frames, or simply framed as one’s favorite snapshot.

Yard Statuary, Wind Chimes, and Painted Stones

A beautiful memorial can be made from a sculptor’s picture, or flat stones can capture your pet’s likeness, both to be placed in a flower garden. Wind chimes are always beautiful, especially when the head of the chime is in the shape of a pet.

Planting Trees

Pay tribute by planting a tree, bush, or flowers in memory of your pet, either in a pot indoors or outdoors. “Every time you water it, catch a whiff of its fragrance, or sit in its shade, you’ll be reminded of your furry pal. You can even get a kit that uses your pet’s ashes to grow a tree from seeds.”⁶

Jewelry

Recently, many pet owners have been snipping whiskers and/or a bit of fur to preserve in an acrylic pendant or locket. Some companies offer to make glass beads and other ornaments infused with a small amount of the pet’s ashes.

Paw prints

Many vets offer paw prints pressed into clay when a pet is brought in for cremation. These precious little mementoes can be painted or decorated as desired.

Memorial Ideas:  Do’s and Don’ts

Grief for the loss of a loved one, whether human or animal, is very real, and care should be taken to allow the grieving pet owner to grieve in his/her own way, on his/her own time frame. Respect and dignity should always be at the heart of the situation.

Memorial Do’s⁶

• Do plan. Planning for your pet’s passing can be a great comfort, knowing you do not have to make any decisions when you’re not in an emotional state to do so.
• Do consider all family members’ viewpoints and remember everyone grieves in their own way.
• Do encourage children to keep their pet’s memory alive.
• Do allow other pets in the household time to say goodbye. Pets grieve too, and seeing their past friend, especially for cats and dogs, can help alleviate pining.
• Do take your time when making decisions and do what’s right for you after talking through the options.
• Do allow yourself time to grieve. Losing a pet is just as harrowing as losing a human loved one. Don’t be afraid to talk things through with a trained professional (grief counselor, doctor, etc)
• Do consider some homemade ideas for memorials, such as scrapbooks, memory boxes etc. The making process can be a lovely way to remember the good memories.

Memorial Don’ts⁶

• Don’t get another pet straight away; allow yourself time to grieve.
• Don’t use floating lanterns in ponds and lakes, or any other foreign materials as a memorial. These can prove deadly for aquatic life and the surrounding environment.
• Don’t bury your pet in a too-shallow grave; the heartache of that grave being disturbed will be tragic for you and your family.
• Don’t make decisions about burial over cremation until you’ve spoken to the landowner or looked into the amount of work required to properly bury an animal.
• Please don’t release balloons (even biodegradable) or Chinese Lanterns as a memorial idea. These are not great for the environment and other animals. Look for some earth-friendly alternatives.

Places To Obtain Memorial Ideas and Items

The Internet is FULL of places to look for just about anything a pet owner would want:  all one has to do is Google “pet memorial ideas”!  Do-it-yourselfers will find all sorts of ways to memorialize pets on Etsy and Pinterest.  Several cemeteries that inter pets have a wide variety of headstones, plaques, and plants appropriate to their particular setting. The Cat Fancy has many wonderful artists who work in photography, watercolor, or oil, with information available in the vendor section of the CFA main website. Since we live on acreage, our family plants magnolia trees, and buries our pet’s ashes when the tree is planted. At the bottom of each tree is a plaque memorializing the name and date.

The Internet is a fount of ideas. The challenge is to figure out which lovely memento is the right one for your pet!

References

1.  Alex, Bridget. 2018. “Ancient Pets Got Proper Burial.” Discover Magazine. Accessed June 22, 2021. https://www.discovermagazine.com/ancient-pets-got-proper-burials-37741
2. Aridi, Rasha. 2020. “Pet Cemeteries Reveal Evolution of Humans’ Relationships with Furry Friends.” Smithsonian Magazine. October 28. Accessed July 15, 2021.
   https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/pet-cememteries-reveal-just-how-much-our relationships-pets-have-evolved-180976153
3. n.d. “Learn About the Traditions of Pet Burial, Cat and Dog Cremation Throughout Time.” Daily Paws. Originally accessed July 15, 2021. https://www.dailypaws.com/living-with-pets/pet-owner-relationship/grief/pet-memorial-ideas .
4.  n.d. “Pet Cemeteries.” Pet Cemetery History. Accessed July 15, 2021. https://petcem.com/history/ .
5.  2012. “The History of Pet Memorials – An Ancient Tradition.” Arcamax. December 2012. Accessed July 15, 2021. https://www.arcamax.com/homeandleisure/pets/catsanddogs
6.  Valentini, Kristi. 2021. “Ten Touching Pet Memorial Ideas to Honor Your Furry Friend.” CPCCares. February 25. Originally accessed July 15, 2021. https://cpccares.com/blog/memorial-ideas-dos-donts/.