Did you know that 9 out of 10 Americans consider their pet part of their family? It’s no surprise that the loss of a furry, feathered, or scaly friend feels equivalent to losing a human family member for many people.
Considering this, sending a pet sympathy gift is more than appropriate…but what should you send?
You can choose something relevant to the type of pet, whether it was a dog, cat, horse, bird, reptile, fish, or anything else. Or, you can choose based on the sentiment you want to send. Do you want to send comfort? A way to remember the beloved pet? A gift for a child struggling with their first loss?
What Do You Give Someone That Lost a Pet?
Many people grieve the loss of their beloved animal the same way they would if they lose a family member or friend, so you can send similar gifts as you would give to somebody who is grieving any other type of death.
You could send a heartfelt sympathy card, with or without an accompanying gift. Even if you’ve never lost a pet, you can convey your understanding of their loss by sending condolences.
For gifts, you can send something comforting (like soup or flowers), something to help the person remember their pet (like a photo gift or a pet memorial stone), or something to help children in the family come to terms with their first loss (like a personalized stuffed animal or a Rainbow Bridge print).
Comforting Pet Loss Gifts
Most of us want to be comforted when we lose somebody important to us. That also applies to grieving pet owners. Gifts for pet loss show someone that you’re thinking about them and want to send good wishes.
Weighted Blanket
Studies have shown that weighted blankets can help people sleep better and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety – all things a grieving pet owner may struggle with. As a general rule, choose a weighted blanket around 5-10% of the person’s body weight. There are weighted blankets that weigh as little as 3 pounds for children over the age of 2 and others that weigh as much as 30 pounds or more for adults.
If the person you send the gift to lives in a warm climate, you might want to include a cooling cover.
Sympathy Flowers
A classic for bereavement gifts, flowers for sympathy make great gifts after the loss of a pet. If the person still has other pets, make sure you choose less toxic flowers for pets or know that your loved one understands the importance of keeping pets away from toxic flowers.
Gourmet Soup Delivery
What could be more comforting than a hot bowl of soup? Easy to heat and eat when you don’t feel like eating, soup is an excellent gift for somebody who’s grieving.
Can’t make and bring it yourself? Spoonful of Comfort offers gift baskets with soup, rolls, cookies, and more. Choose from 7 soup flavors and 7 cookie flavors to make the perfect gift for the person mourning the loss of their furry friend.
They also offer wonderful add-ons like cozy socks, throws, and blankets.
Heated Throw
Was your loved one’s lost companion a lap dog or cat? They may be missing the warm presence of their favorite fur ball. A heated throw isn’t a replacement for a pet, but it can help bring some warming comfort to somebody who’s missing the physical warmth their pet provided.
Gift Basket
You can never go wrong with a gift basket as a sympathy gift. Whether you send fruit to ensure your grieving friend still eats, sad animal movies to help them get their tears out and work through the grieving process, soothing herbal teas, or their favorite sweet treats, a gift basket makes for a thoughtful sympathy gift. If it’s someone you know well like a sibling or close friend, you can create a custom gift basket perfectly suited to their tastes.
Memorial Pet Loss Gifts
Other popular sympathy gift ideas include ways for grieving pet owners to remember their animal friend, whether through a photo gift, pet portrait, pet memorial bracelet, or something containing the pet’s ashes.
Pet Portrait
Many artists specialize in painting pet portraits. They can also work off a photo. If you think the person who recently lost their best friend would appreciate having a portrait of their departed friend, make sure to send a card or something first to acknowledge the loss since portraits can take a while to paint and ship.
Pet Collar Keepsake Frame
Many people like to hold onto their deceased pet’s collar and dog tag, and a pet collar keepsake frame is an excellent way for them to keep and display it alongside a photo of their fur baby. If you’re crafty, you could make one yourself. Otherwise, there are many options to choose from; we like this one from laurelbox.
Jewelry or Keychain
From necklaces to bracelets to keychains and more, memorial jewelry can make an excellent remembrance gift so somebody can keep a physical reminder of their pet with them at all times. If you choose jewelry, take into account the person’s style. For example, no matter how beautiful it is, a person who usually wears gold jewelry may not fully appreciate a silver necklace.
Pet Memorial Wind Chime
A house can sound eerily quiet when the pitter-patter of little feet is suddenly gone. You can help the grieving person in your life fill that silence with this lovely Pawprints Left by You Memorial Wind Chime. One side of the metal wind chime’s top piece is inscribed with a poem, while the other can easily be inscribed with a memorial to the pet.
Ornament
For many, the holidays are the hardest time of year as they reminisce about those who are no longer there to join the celebration. An ornament is a wonderful way to honor a lost family member. Etsy has a wide variety of customizable ornaments to honor a dog, cat, or other pet.
Pet Memorial Stones or Statues
For people who bury their pet (or their cremated remains) in their backyard or simply want a way to remember the loss of their beloved companion in their garden, pet memorial stones can offer a touching tribute and a way to keep the pet close forever. Some memorial stones include a place to add a picture with a special memory, some come with a pre-printed poem engraved in them, and others are fully customizable.
Similarly, a pet memorial statue is another way to immortalize a pet in a garden. There are many cats, dogs, and other shapes to choose from, some with the option to inscribe the pet’s name or other information.
Photo Gift
From mugs to clothing to blankets and more, you can put a photo on just about anything these days. It’s easy to take a picture of your friend or family member’s furry companion and create a custom memorial gift using a site like Zazzle.
Cremation Pet Loss Gifts
While many vet offices commonly cremate multiple animals at once, they may cremate single animals (often for an additional fee) and give the remains to family members. Some people appreciate ways to carry or display the ashes of their beloved pets.
Pet Urn
If you know the family cremated their pet but they don’t have an urn yet, a pet urn or a scattering urn may be a thoughtful gift.
Memorial Cremation Jewelry or Paperweights
Some companies take cremated remains and turn them into paperweights, jewelry, or other glass objects. This can be a beautiful way for the family to keep the remains of their loved companion close without attracting negative attention.
Urn Jewelry
Alternatively, you can choose a tiny urn pendant or other jewelry that holds a small portion of cremated remains similar to a locket. Note that these items may not be waterproof, so keep that in mind while choosing one as a memorial gift.
Pet Loss Sympathy Gifts for Kids
For kids, losing a family pet is often their first experience with death and grieving. Giving them appropriate gifts may help them process the loss.
Personalized Stuffed Animal
If the deceased pet is a common dog or cat breed, you could probably gift a stuffed animal of that breed. But did you know you can get a personalized stuffed animal that looks just like any pet? Cuddle Clones are handmade to look just like any pet based on pictures of the animal.
Regular delivery takes 8 weeks and the fastest rush delivery option takes 2 weeks, so keep that in mind when ordering this precious gift.
Art Supplies
Kids often express their emotions through art, so a fresh pack of paper, crayons, markers, colored pencils, or the child’s favorite art medium can be an excellent sympathy gift for kids to draw and remember their beloved pet.
Rainbow Bridge Print
The Rainbow Bridge poem has been comforting people after the loss of their pets for many years. A Rainbow Bridge print may help comfort a child and reassure them their pet is in a better place and is waiting for them to be reunited.
Flowers for Businesses
Pet symapthy gifts are especially important for businesses and organizations involved in pets. If you’re a dog groomer, vet clinic, pet boarding facility, or another business in the pet industry, we offer special services to provide flowers for pet sympathy on an ongoing basis. Contant The Bouqs Co. flowers for businesses department and we can help you find the perfect pet sympathy gift options for your clients and customers.
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