Pet Memorial 101: How to Choose the Right One for Your Pet

Every pet owner knows the joy of having a faithful, furry friend by our side. The comfort of a soft head against our knee when we are sad, the happiness we get from watching them play or be silly, or their companionship as we walk, run, and explore the world.

When we lose our pets, in turn, it is a unique kind of pain and loss. We want to memorialize them, their love for us, and our love for them long after they are gone. 

There are many great ways to honour the memory of our pets, such as donating to an animal shelter, keeping their ashes in an urn, or having an imprint of their paw in a place we can see it daily. One other fantastic way is by having a memorial marker made to keep in the home, yard, or garden where you can see it every day and remember your pet with fondness.

Take a look below to review factors you should consider when choosing the right memorial for your pet.

Choosing Pet Memorial Material

The first and most important thing to keep in mind when choosing your pet’s memorial is what material will be used for it. Depending on where you will be keeping their memorial, your choice can be affected by the weather or other environmental factors. 

There are many options to choose from, but the most widely used and the most popular can be boiled down to six options, each with its own pros and cons. 

Fieldstone

Fieldstone is a naturally occurring stone available in various colors, including green, gray, and light brown. It is a very common rock; it used to be a nuisance to farmers who had to clear it before they could do their planting. However, it is now used to build various things, including fences, houses, and gravestones/memorials. 

When it comes to memorials, it is a popular option not only because it is easy to find—making it a more affordable choice—but also because it is easy to carve and decorate designs into it. On the other hand, it tends to show dirt and does not have as polished or as clean of a look as some other stone options. 

Sandstone and Limestone

Sandstone is made of many grains of sand which have fused together. It comes in a variety of colours, from beige to black to orange. On the other hand, limestone is a stone that naturally occurs when shells or bones fuse together. Its colours are white, tan, and grey. 

Both sandstone and limestone are easy to carve and shape or place designs on. However, they are also sensitive to weather changes, are not easy to clean or polish, and tend to break easily. 

Concrete and Cement

Concrete and cement were both popular options for a while as they could be dyed different colors from their natural grey easily. It can be carved into many different shapes, and for people who like a unique look, it has strong appeal.

On the other hand, it grows mold and mildew easily and has to be cleaned much more frequently than other types of stone, making it a more impractical and time-consuming option than when it first started gaining popularity. 

Bronze

Bronze is a sturdy, reddish metal often used in household decorations and gravestones, markers, and memorials due to its attractive appearance. Bronze is a type of material that works great for adding fine details, and it will stand firm no matter the weather.

Its main downsides are that bronze tends to turn greenish after a while, which can obscure or take away from words and designs that have been carved into it. It takes a lot of work to restore it to its original reddish color. 

Marble

Marble on its own is a very white stone. However, it is often mixed with other elements such as clay, minerals, or iron oxides which can turn it into beautiful colors, including blue, gray, black, pink, or yellow. Besides a variety of color options to choose from, marble is inexpensive and easy to polish to restore it to its original color.

Marble’s main downside is that it retains moisture (such as rain), and over time the moisture in it will blur and erode carvings and names that may be on the stone, and it will need to be replaced. 

Granite

Granite is widely acknowledged as the best material option for gravestones and memorials, both in terms of appearance and overall price. While it requires a little bit of yearly maintenance to clean the surface of the stone, it has many positive aspects that far outweighs the negatives.

It is beautiful, easy to carve into, sturdy, and is impervious to all kinds of weather and its wearing effects. No matter where you place it in your yard, you can be sure that it will withstand any accidents or extreme weather and last for years to come.

Here at Furever Memorials, we offer quality granite pet memorials with many designs, sizes, and fonts to make your memorial a special tribute to your beloved pet. 

Choosing Pet Memorial Style

When it comes to your pet’s memorial, there are two basic styles of pet memorials to choose from: markers and monuments. 

• Markers, also known as “footstones” are those which lie flat on the ground, and they can only be seen when you are looking down at them from above. 
• On the other hand, monuments, also known as “mini-uprights” are those that stand upright and can be seen from any vantage point. 

Neither of these styles is inherently more superior than the other, but one or the other may work better for your yard depending on its size, shape, and whether you have a garden. Within these two styles, there are multiple designs and sizes to choose from that will most accurately reflect both your pet’s personality and your love for them. 

Marker / Footstone Pet Memorials

If you live in an area where the yards or oddly shaped, sloped, have lots of hills, or are slanted, then using a marker as a memorial may work better. It could be placed in multiple areas of the yard without looking awkward or out of place. The one downside would be that when you do yard work or mow your lawn, you would have to keep in mind where it is to prevent running over it with your lawnmower. 

If you have a garden, a marker would also be an excellent choice to add beauty to a lovely and soothing place. If you have a pet who loved to chew on, sniff, or be among plants, placing a footstone in the garden would be a wonderful way to be consistently reminded of your furry friend and smile. 

Furthermore, if you move often or live in a city where you do not have a lot of land, the marker may be the better option for you. It is easier to carry, move, and store as you move between places, and you will not have to worry about leaving it behind because you do not have room for it. 

Marker Styles

As with monument-style memorials, markers also have multiple styles and designs to choose from, including:

• Pet Marker: The pet marker memorial is a simple yet effective rectangular option designed to fit in a garden, under a tree, or any number of places.  
• Pet Paw: For many of us, our pets’ paws are one of their cutest and most endearing aspects—whether it’s playing with their paw beans or rolling our eyes as they track mud into the house. There may not be a better way to be reminded of our beloved pets than to have their memorial in the shape of a paw.
• Pet Cat: For the cat lovers who want no doubt left in anyone who and what their beloved pet was, this memorial in the shape of a cat with a sassy face is sure to bring a smile on your face when you look down at this and remember them. 
• Pet Heart: Sometimes simple is best to express our feelings for our pets. When our words or imaginations fall short of the “perfectly” designed memorial, the heart memorial is there to do the job for us. 

Monument Pet Memorials

If you have a large yard that is rectangular in shape, then a monument-style memorial would work well. Not only is there plenty of space, but you would not have to worry about running over it or hitting it with a lawnmower. Additionally, the shape of your yard is standard, which means it would be easier to find a spot for your memorial that does not look odd or out of place.

Monument Styles

Within monument-style memorials, there are many different shapes of pet memorials to choose from, including:

• Pet Rock: The pet rock memorial is shaped and curved like a rock, as its name indicates. If you had a pet who loved to explore nature and walk with you, this is the perfect style in which to honour their memory. 
• Pet Book: The pet book memorial is shaped like an open book. Maybe your pet curled up on your lap or at your feet and kept you company while you entered new and fictional worlds. Now you can have them be part of their own story with this lovely style. 
• Pet Majestic: The pet majestic memorial is just as it sounds—elegant and classic. This is a fitting style for a pet that carried him or herself with extra grace and elegance and who you treated like royalty when they were alive. 
• Pet Grande: The pet grande memorial is perfect for a pet who had a huge personality and was the life of the party. Now that they are gone, you can have a reminder of their big personality and how big a piece of your heart they occupied.  
• Pet Diamond: The pet diamond memorial offers a uniquely shaped style with sharp edges. It is the perfect option for pets who had quirky personalities. 
• Pet Oval: For those who want a simple yet elegant style to remember their beloved pet, a pet oval memorial is a wonderful option. Smooth and sleek, and unique in appearance, it is a great pick for any yard, a front porch, or even a desk. 
• Pet Wave: Maybe your pet loved water-splashing in puddles on walks, swimming in ponds or pools, or running with you along the beach. The pet wave memorial is a great way to remind yourself of their joy while playing in the water. 
• Pet Crown: If you treated your pet like royalty, like the majestic memorial, the pet crown memorial is a great way to remember their place in your life and the honour they had in your home. 
• Pet Rustic: If you live in the countryside or near woods and your pet loved to explore the great outdoors and all that nature had to offer, the pet rustic memorial is a good choice.  

Choosing Pet Memorial Size

Now that you have chosen a style (and substyle) that fits your life and your pet’s personality, the next thing to consider is what size your pet memorial should be. The most important thing to keep in mind is that while the monument style has more shapes and styles to choose from, it is more limited in the size you can choose. 

Size Options for Marker Pet Memorials

If you chose the footstone memorial, you have a little more room for error and adjustment and can change the size as needed. There are three different size options to pick from, varying in exact measurements depending on the style you have chosen. They include:

Size Options for Monument Memorials

In contrast, most monuments will be 12 inches by 2 inches by 8 inches. It will stand on a base that is 16 inches by 4 inches by 2 inches. Whichever way you choose to personalize the memorial—with pictures, words, or designs—will have to be adjusted or shrunk to fit into a one size fits all stone.

Personalizing Your Pet Memorial

One of the most important things to think about when choosing a pet memorial is what you want to put on it and how you want to personalize it. Some options for personalization are:

• A picture of your pet 
• A picture of their paw print
• A short story or memory of your pet
• A quotation
• A poem
• A phrase expressing your love for them
• Their name along with the date of their birth and their death
• Any combination of the above

With each of these options come limitations on which type of memorial will work best, and you may have to decide whether the shape of the memorial or what you choose to put on it more accurately expresses your and your pet’s personalities. 

Below are a few ideas you could consider for personalizing your pet’s memorial: 

Style Over Personalization

Certain styles such as the pet paw, the pet oval, the pet diamond, the pet wave, and the pet rustic are unique looking and fun. If you had a fun-loving pet, having one of these styles while keeping the personalization to something simple such as a brief quotation, dates of birth and death, and a picture of your pet will wonderfully express who your pet was. 

Sometimes thinking of the right words to express how we felt about our pets can be difficult, but a picture captures their personality to honour and remember them and helps others get an idea of what they were like.

• The pet diamond, pet wave, and pet oval memorials, in particular, are ideal for drawing attention to a picture of your pet due to the way they are shaped and where your eyes are naturally drawn. The focal point can be a favorite picture of your pet that is expertly remade into stone. 
• On a similar note, maybe you want to keep those special memories or thoughts or feelings you have for your pet close to your heart and personal. In that case, having an offbeat design with a picture of your pet could be a great option to express who your pet was while keeping the memories just for you.
• Or, maybe you want to have one memorial for all your pets who have crossed the rainbow bridge. A design such as the paw may be a great option as you could have a picture in each toe while keeping the center part of the paw free for a simple quotation or expression that expresses the love you had for all of them. 

In short, there are many reasons why it may be more poignant and mean more to you to focus on the design over the words that may go on it. The best thing to do is think about your pet, their personality, and what will make you smile when you look at the memorial and think of them. 

Personalization Over Style

On the other hand, you may want your pet’s memorial to go into detail about just the kind of character and personality your pet had. This could very well mean having a more simply designed memorial so that the focal point is the story of your pet and who they were.

The pet marker, pet book, pet grande, pet crown, and pet majestic memorials are all great options to maximize the space if you would like to put an extra-long quote, a song, a poem, or your own words of love for your pet while also being able to place a picture alongside the words to complete the story. If you are really going for the story theme, one of the memorials that would work really would be the pet book memorial. 

Keep in mind that the pet grande, pet crown, pet majestic, and pet book memorials all come in one size that cannot be adjusted, so if you choose a long quote, the font will need to be smaller so that it can all fit. 

Font Style

If the focal point of your pet memorial is the words describing and loving on your pet, then you want the font to showcase that feeling as best as possible. The baseline font is Molly, but there are 9 different styles within that which you can choose from—or you can ask for a special font that you like better.

• Five of the options presented are standard scripts with different levels of thickness and boldness.
• Two of the options are also standard scripts but have a kind of tilt to the letters to add a bit of flair.
• The final two are cursive for those who want a classic or old-fashioned look. 

Some of these fonts may appear their when paired with certain styles of memorial stone, so if you like a specific style of font and also have your heart set on a specific style of a memorial, be sure to communicate and ask for a picture of what it will look like when completed. This is the best way to be sure that your vision lines up with the product you receive. 

Keep in mind that extra personalizing and increases in size can affect the overall price of the product and increase shipping costs. If you are on a budget, look through these aspects carefully before making your final order. 

How to Order Your Pet Memorial

Once you have decided on your ideal pet memorial, the next step is ordering it. This can be broken down these simple steps:

STEP #1: Locate the design of the stone you want and click the button labeled “customize” under the picture. This will take you to the next page.

STEP #2: Choose the size of the memorial you would like. As stated above, if you pick a footstone memorial, there are three size options to choose from. If you have chosen a monument style, you will still need to click the one available size option.

STEP #3: Choose the color of the stone and click the button. This is simple as there is only one color (black) available.

STEP #4: If you have decided that part of the personalization includes a picture of your pet, upload it now. If possible, make sure it is the original picture and has not been shrunk or expanded in any way. The original picture is the best quality one and will help make sure that the final engraving on the stone is an accurate representation of your pet.

STEP #5: Choose the font by clicking one of the nine options available. If you do not like the default options, do not pick a font, and instead, make a note of it by request in Step 7.

STEP #6: In the text box to the right of the font options, write the text that you want on the stone. Be sure to double and triple check to make sure your pet’s birth and death dates, name, and everything else is spelled correctly. Once it has been carved into the stone, it cannot be changed.  

STEP #7: In the text box at the bottom of the page, note anything specific you would like added to your memorial that is not in the default choices. This could include designs such as hearts, paw prints, or a preferred font that is not in the list above. If you want to add designs, note exactly where you would like them on the stone.

STEP #8: Once you have completed the above steps to your satisfaction, click the pink button labeled “Add to Cart” at the bottom of the page. You will be taken to a page that will show a list of what you have ordered.

STEP #9: Look over your list to make sure everything is correct, then click the red button labeled “Continue to Checkout” at the bottom of the page. 

STEP #10: Put in your information. This includes your name and address, as well as your credit card or PayPal information. 

STEP 11: Read through the terms and conditions. Doing so will ensure that you are not taken off guard and know what to expect if your memorial is damaged in shipping or a mistake is made with the engraving. 

STEP 12: Click the checkbox next to the sentence that says, “I have read and agree to the terms and conditions,” then click the red button labeled “Place Your Order” at the bottom of the page. Your order is completed! Now, all you have to do is wait for it to arrive.

Final Thoughts

Losing a pet is hard, but when you have something special to remember them by, it can make their passing easier and bring you comfort in their absence. Furever Memorials has many beautiful style and shape options for memorials, from the classic rectangle to diamonds, hearts, ovals, crowns, or paws—all in various sizes that you can choose from to best fit your home, yard, and lifestyle. 

There are many ways you can personalize your memorial, including special quotations or poems, paw prints, designs that remind you of the good times you shared together, a favorite picture of your pet, and all the way down to a specific font. The ordering process is simple and can be followed easily. 

Though your pet cannot be brought back, having a memorial for them can help you remember and appreciate the love they brought to your life.