For many families, pets are much more than companions. Pets sometimes become a special part of the family that nobody can imagine living without.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- Cat Memorial Ideas to Display at Home
- Cat Memorial Ideas to Display Outdoors
- Cat Memorial Ideas to Give a Loved One
It’s an incredibly difficult experience when your cat dies. You might want to commemorate your pet’s life by displaying a memorial. Here are several ideas to help you remember and memorialize your feline family member’s life with a cat memorial.
In addition to the ideas below, an online memorial page for your cat can be a meaningful and long-lasting tribute. Those who knew and loved your pet can leave messages about their memories together, and you can even create a fundraiser for an animal-related charity or outstanding veterinary bills.
Cat Memorial Ideas to Display at Home
An at-home memorial can be the ideal way to remember your furry friend and keep her close while going about your daily life. Though your cat is no longer physically present, a pet memorial can help her presence remain with you.
1. Cat memorial frame
Memorial frames come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and options for display. They are perfect for placing on an entryway, mantle, or a special niche, along with other mementos that belonged to your cat.
These frames are highly customizable, allowing you to display items prominently that mean the most such as your cat’s collar, a picture of you and your cat, a picture of the cat with your family or child, or the cat’s collar charm. You can also choose to engrave the frame with your cat’s name and dates or a special quote that reminds you of your cat.
2. Photo box urn
If you’ve chosen to cremate your cat and you want a special way to display the urn, choose a photo box urn. These urns are shaped like a box and have slots on all sides for pictures of your cat. The top can be engraved with your cat’s name and dates, a small quote, a verse, or other meaningful phrases.
Many photo box urns are placed on a turnstile so you can change the picture you see each day by rotating the urn. Some have a battery-powered turnstile that rotates the box for you.
3. Shadow box
A shadow box, unlike a memorial frame, allows you more freedom to choose what you want on display. Most shadow boxes have plenty of room for items like pictures, collars, charms, and your cat’s favorite toys.
What you put in a shadow box is completely up to you. Further personalize the shadow box by engraving the top or bottom with your cat’s name, dates, and a special poem. You can even build your own shadow box if you would like to save a bit of money.
4. Professional portrait or painting
Do you have a favorite picture of your cat? Consider transforming your cat’s picture into an artist-sketched portrait or painting. Place it in a frame with a gold memorial plaque inscribed with your cat’s name and dates to create a beautiful memorial centerpiece.
These can be made large enough to place on a wall in a prominent location or small enough to place on a mantel or a memorial niche somewhere in your home. Portraits and paintings also make an excellent gift for a friend or loved one who has recently lost a beloved cat.
5. Indoor plant
Plants are often used as a living memorial to remind us of our loved ones and furry friends. Indoor plants are perfect for reminding us that their presence and impact in our lives will never cease, even though they are no longer present.
Make the plant even more special by choosing to paint your flower or plant pot with a picture of your cat, their name, dates, and a quote or story of something they did.
6. Photo album
Sometimes there’s nothing quite like sitting down and paging through picture after picture of your pet. Choose the best pictures you have and print them out, compiling a photo album of your pet’s life.
Place it on a coffee table or somewhere you’ll have easy access to so you can browse through it whenever the need arises.
Cat Memorial Ideas to Display Outdoors
If you’re looking for an outdoor tribute for your furry friend, there are many ideas you can use to create a special place. Here are several all-season ideas you can use to create an outdoor memorial.
7. Memorial garden
For those with a backyard large enough for a garden, consider creating a pet memorial garden.
Memorial gardens can be as large or small as you desire, and most consist of special plants, a memorial marker or two, and a bench or chair so you can sit and enjoy the garden while thinking of your furry friend.
8. Memorial wind chime
Memorial wind chimes are a beautiful way to remember the life and presence of furry family members.
Each time they make their sound, you can think about how your cat brought a smile to your face. Make your wind chime extra special by engraving your cat’s name and dates on the clapper.
9. Pawprint memorial stone
If you’re looking for ways to spruce up your memorial garden, consider adding a pawprint memorial stone. These come in numerous styles, are customizable, and can even be DIYed.
Whether you etch your cat’s name on the stone, decorate it with colored chips, or shape the stone into a heart or pawprint, you can’t go wrong.
10. Memorial tree
A memorial tree is perfect for cat owners who have cremated their pet and want to have a green burial in an urn that decomposes. Consider planting a memorial tree along with your pet’s ashes. As you watch it grow, the tree’s presence will remind you of your cat. Add a small plaque at the base dedicating the tree to your cat’s memory.
11. Garden flag
For something simple that you can change with each season, create a customized garden memorial flag for your cat.
Create one for each season so you can have a year-round reminder of your cat’s life and love.
12. Memorial bench
To create a thoughtful, peaceful sitting area near a memorial garden or tree, craft a memorial bench. These can take many shapes of wood, cement, metal, or a combination.
On wood benches, add a metal plaque that says “in memory of” and your cat’s name and dates. On custom-made DIY benches, you can choose to write your cat’s name on the bench using colored stone or pieces of broken pottery. The sky's the limit and you can be as creative as you desire.
Cat Memorial Ideas to Give a Loved One
Memorial gifts can be especially thoughtful for friends and loved ones who have lost a cat. Show them that you care and help them keep their cat’s memory alive by giving them something special to remember their family member.
13. Angel cat figurine
An angel cat figurine is ideal to give someone creating an indoor memorial for their cat. You can place these anywhere, from the mantel to a dresser top.
Inscribe the name of your friend or loved one’s cat on the angel wing figurine.
14. Photo memorial plaque
If you have a picture of your friend’s cat you know they’ll love, consider getting it printed on a memorial plaque to give them. Be sure to include a photo stand so they can choose to hang the picture on their wall or set it up somewhere prominent so they’ll see it every day.
Some plaque makers provide the option for further customization such as adding the words, “in memory of,” along with the cat’s name and dates.
15. Lookalike plushie
Stuffed animals are a favorite of kids and adults and can be especially comforting after a pet passes away. Commission an artist to create a custom lookalike plush animal for a friend or relative.
All you need is a clear photo of the pet and your friend or loved one will soon have a snuggly reminder of their cat. This is especially comforting for children if the cat used to snuggle up with them on a regular basis.
16. Lookalike pet charm
Does your friend or loved one enjoy wearing jewelry such as bracelets or necklaces? Get a lookalike pet charm to wear in memory of the cat.
These charms can be made of metals ranging from gold and sterling silver to stainless steel if the charm is intended for a keychain. As long as you have a clear picture of the cat’s face, a lookalike pet charm can be made that looks exactly like the cat your friend is missing.
17. Personalized pillow
Pillows are perfect for cozying up and adding a pop of color. How better to decorate a home than with a pillow of a beloved pet’s picture on the front? Each pillow can contain one prominent picture, so order a couple with pictures you know your friend will enjoy seeing.
Want something even more unique? Consider getting them a pillow that looks like your loved one’s cat. For this option, you’ll need a full picture of the cat either sitting or laying down for it to work. When the pillow is created, your loved one’s cat will sit or lie down on their couch, bed, or another favorite area where the cat used to rest.
Purrfect Reminders
Memorials are perfect reminders of the time we spent with the furry friends who gave you so much love and enjoyment. Keep a cat’s memory close by creating a space dedicated to the cat’s memory so his kitty presence will be felt even though he’s crossed the rainbow bridge.