What size pet urn? How to calculate the correct urn for pet ashes

What Size Pet Urn? Guide to Choosing the Right Size Pet Urn

When choosing an urn for your pet’s ashes, it’s essential to consider the size to ensure it can accommodate the remains comfortably. The volume of ashes depends on your pet’s size and weight. Below, you’ll find a handy guide on pet urn sizes, for dogs, cats, horses and smaller pets.

How to Calculate the Right Urn Size

A general rule is that you need 1 cubic inch (16.4 ml) of urn space for each pound (0.45 kg) of your pet’s body weight. For example, a pet weighing 10 kg would need approximately 164 ml or 10 cubic inches.

Pet Memorial Size Finder

1. What pet are you remembering?

Keepsake: Holds a token amount (a teaspoon) of ashes.
Small: Perfect for most cats and “handbag” dog breeds.
Medium: Ideal for Spaniels, Terriers, and Bulldogs.
Large: Designed for Labradors, Retrievers, and Shepherds.

Additional Tips:

Consider Extra Space: Some people choose urns slightly larger than the calculated volume to allow room for mementoes, such as a collar or photo.
Double-check Specific Breed Requirements: Some breeds with dense muscle mass may need a bit more volume.

This table includes popular dog breeds, their typical weight, and the approximate volume of ashes in both metric (millilitres) and imperial (cubic inches).

Pet Urn Size Guide for Dogs

Dog Breed	Typical Weight (kg)	Typical Weight (lbs)	Approx. Ash Volume (ml)	Approx. Ash Volume (cubic inches)
Chihuahua	1.5 – 3	3.3 – 6.6	55 – 110	3 – 7
Pomeranian	2 – 4	4.4 – 8.8	70 – 145	4 – 9
Dachshund	7 – 14	15 – 30	245 – 490	15 – 30
French Bulldog	8 – 12	18 – 26	295 – 425	18 – 26
Beagle	9 – 11	20 – 24	330 – 395	20 – 24
Border Collie	12 – 20	26 – 44	425 – 720	26 – 44
Labrador	25 – 35	55 – 77	900 – 1,260	55 – 77
Golden Retriever	25 – 32	55 – 70	900 – 1,150	55 – 70
Boxer	25 – 32	55 – 70	900 – 1,150	55 – 70
German Shepherd	30 – 40	66 – 88	1,080 – 1,440	66 – 88
Rottweiler	35 – 60	77 – 132	1,260 – 2,160	77 – 132
Great Dane	50 – 90	110 – 200	1,800 – 3,280	110 – 200
Saint Bernard	64 – 120	140 – 264	2,300 – 4,330	140 – 264

Pet Urn Size Guide for Cats

Cats generally have a lower body weight than dogs, so smaller urns are typically suitable. Here’s a guide based on weight to determine the appropriate urn size:

Cat Size	Typical Weight (kg)	Typical Weight (lbs)	Approx. Ash Volume (ml)	Approx. Ash Volume (cubic inches)
Small Cat (e.g., Siamese)	2 – 4	4.4 – 8.8	70 – 145 ml	4 – 9
Medium Cat (e.g., Domestic Shorthair)	4 – 6	8.8 – 13.2	145 – 215 ml	9 – 13
Large Cat (e.g., Maine Coon)	6 – 9	13.2 – 20	215 – 330 ml	13 – 20

What Size Pet Urn Size Guide for Horses

Horses require much larger urns due to their size and weight. Below is an approximate guide:

Horse Type	Typical Weight (kg)	Typical Weight (lbs)	Approx. Ash Volume (ml)	Approx. Ash Volume (cubic inches)
Pony (e.g., Shetland)	200 – 400	440 – 880	7,200 – 14,400 ml	440 – 880
Light Horse (e.g., Arabian)	400 – 600	880 – 1,320	14,400 – 21,600 ml	880 – 1,320
Medium Horse (e.g., Thoroughbred)	500 – 700	1,100 – 1,540	18,000 – 25,300 ml	1,100 – 1,540
Heavy Horse (e.g., Clydesdale)	800 – 1,000	1,760 – 2,200	28,900 – 36,100 ml	1,760 – 2,200

What Size Pet Urn Size Guide for Smaller Pets (Rabbits, Guinea Pigs, Hamsters, Birds)

Smaller pets like rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, and birds produce minimal amounts of ashes. Here’s a guide to help you choose the right size:

Pet Type	Typical Weight (g / kg)	Typical Weight (lbs)	Approx. Ash Volume (ml)	Approx. Ash Volume (cubic inches)
Hamster	30 – 60 g	0.07 – 0.13	1 – 2 ml	0.07 – 0.13
Guinea Pig	700 – 1,200 g	1.5 – 2.6	25 – 43 ml	1.5 – 2.6
Rabbit (Small)	1 – 2 kg	2.2 – 4.4	36 – 72 ml	2.2 – 4.4
Rabbit (Large)	3 – 5 kg	6.6 – 11	110 – 180 ml	6.6 – 11
Bird (Budgie)	30 – 60 g	0.07 – 0.13	1 – 2 ml	0.07 – 0.13
Bird (Parrot)	400 – 600 g	0.9 – 1.3	15 – 21 ml	0.9 – 1.3
Bird (Macaw)	900 – 1,200 g	2 – 2.6	33 – 43 ml	2 – 2.6

How to Choose the Right Urn Size

Use the following general formula:

1 lb pre-cremation body weight ≈ 1 cubic inch of ashes (1 cubic inch ≈ 16.4 ml). 1 cubic inch (16.4 ml) per pound (0.45 kg) of body weight.

This table should help you estimate the urn size needed for each type of pet, ensuring you choose one that honours their memory. For animals with denser bone structure, consider an urn slightly larger than the calculated volume to ensure a comfortable fit.

Important

Very small animals and birds often fall below the practical minimum size of many urns.
In practice, customers usually choose a small keepsake urn even when holding full ashes.
For birds and rodents, recommending slightly more capacity than calculated helps, as ashes are often returned loosely bagged.

By using this guide, you can select an appropriately sized urn to honour and remember your pet.

Pet Urns – Pet Scatter Tubes

Scatter tube urns are designed to hold your pet’s ashes securely until you decide to do something with them. As long as there are no religious reasons it is worthwhile thinking about keeping some of your pets ashes. You can scatter or bury most of the ashes on a favourite walk perhaps, or in the garden but keep a small amount back to memorialise when you are ready. It’s good to give yourself time to decide what you want to do as your feelings may change over time.

Our Scatter Tube Sizes:

Size	Height	Width	Capacity (ml)	Capacity (cubic inches)	Suitability
Mini	9 cm / 3.5″	3.5 cm / 1.5″	65 ml	4 in³	Token ashes, birds, rodents
Small	13.1 cm / 5.2″	7.4 cm / 3″	410 ml	25 in³	Cats, very small dogs
Medium	22.25 cm / 9″	7.4 cm / 3″	740 ml	45 in³	Medium dogs
Large	25 cm / 10″	11 cm / 4.6″	2,000 ml (2 L)	120 in³	Large dogs

**Please note not all pet scatter tubes are available in all designs*

Keepsake urns

Keepsake urns are also available where only a small amount of ashes is kept in the urn, a few tablespoons or less, which can be discreetly kept in the home or garden after scattering the remainder of the ashes.

Still unsure? We’re here to help.

If you’re worried about the fit, remember that it’s always better to have a little extra room than not enough. If you order a memorial and it isn’t quite the right size, our Hassle-Free Exchange ensures we’ll help you find the perfect one without the stress.

What size pet urn?