Arranging your cat's cremation in Northglenn
By our estimate, 6,050 Northglenn households have at least one cat. When the time comes for yours, here's how cremation works locally and what it usually costs.
- Help for multi-cat households
- Private cremation confirmed in writing
- Options for community cats too
Northglenn, Colorado
Cat cremation in Northglenn: how it usually works
Northglenn gets cold, clear winter nights in the teens and summer highs near 88, with the usual Front Range surprises in between: April snow on blooming trees, sudden hail, gusty chinook days. After a death at home, a basement is often the most even-tempered room in these older ranch houses. Rest your pet on a folded quilt there while you decide on next steps.
Northglenn was built from 1959 as one of Colorado's early master-planned suburbs, and much of its housing is still the brick and frame ranch homes of that era, with a scattering of townhomes and apartments. The city of about 39,000 sits along Interstate 25 roughly 12 miles north of downtown Denver. Street grids here are simple, so arranging a pickup is rarely complicated; just mention any side-gate or basement access.
If your cat is old or ill and you live in or near Northglenn, a phone call now is easier than one later. Ask your vet which crematory they use, what private cremation costs for a cat, how long the ashes take to come back and whether a home visit is possible. Senior cats often decline quietly, with weight loss and more sleep, so having those answers written down lets you spend the last days with your cat rather than on the phone.
Northglenn's population is around 38,893, the 24th-largest of the 36 Colorado communities we cover. Some of the providers who serve Northglenn are based about 12 miles away in Denver, the nearest larger centre, so collection times reflect that drive.
For a second opinion on price, Thornton (3 miles, a larger centre), Broomfield (5 miles, a larger centre) and Westminster (6 miles, a larger centre) are close enough that their providers cover Northglenn routinely. Two written quotes tell you more than any price list.
Our estimate
6,050
Northglenn: cat-owning households, our estimate
How we calculated this
38,893 ÷ 2.5 = 15,557 households; × 39% (cat) = 6,050. Multi-pet homes count once.
Our estimate
540
Northglenn families who lose a cat each year (estimate)
How we calculated this
6,050 cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 540 a year. A floor, not a ceiling.
39%[1]
39% of US households own a cat, which is about 53 million households.
11.18 years[2]
US cats seen at Banfield hospitals have an average life expectancy at birth of 11.18 years.
77.4%[3]
The NFDA projected Colorado's cremation rate at 77.4% for 2024.
clinic $158; home $359; cremation $180; burial $566[4]
CareCredit's 2025 study put US cat euthanasia at $158 in clinic and $359 at home, cat cremation at $180 and cat cemetery burial at $566.
Sources for the statistics above: Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science and American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry.
Cremation in Colorado, and what it means for cat owners
In Colorado, about 77.4%[3] of people are cremated, one of the higher rates around. Where cremation is this common, pet crematories tend to be plentiful and used to small animals, so a private cat cremation, a witnessed service or a paw print is rarely a special request. Use that choice: ask two providers for a written price rather than accepting the first one you're given.
That Colorado rate is a human one, published by NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). We quote it for Northglenn only as a pointer to how families here already think about cremation.
Seasons, collection and burial in Northglenn
Northglenn winters are cold, with average lows at or below freezing in January, February, March, November and December. That gives you a little more time after a death in winter, but it also means frozen ground. If you were hoping to bury your cat in the garden, you may not be able to dig until spring, which is one reason many local families choose cremation first and bury the ashes later.
With average lows at or below freezing for about 5 months a year, Northglenn has a long stretch when the ground is too hard to dig, and frost can heave a shallow grave. A cat's grave needs to be deep enough to keep foxes and other animals away, which is hard work in frozen soil. Cremating now and burying the ashes later means a much smaller hole, almost anywhere you like, once the ground softens.
Cat cremation prices for Northglenn families
By our estimate, ~4.7 million[5] pet cats die in the US each year, so every provider serving Northglenn prices cat cremation as routine work. The cremation itself is rarely the big number; add-ons are. Our cost calculator lets you add collection, an urn and a paw print to see a likely total, and the memorial budget planner helps if you'd like to spread spending on keepsakes over time.
Put another way: around 540 cats die in Northglenn each year (our estimate), and private cremation averages clinic $158; home $359; cremation $180; burial $566[4] nationally. That adds up to roughly $0.1 million a year locally, which is why prices and packages differ so much from one provider to the next.
Rather than repeat the price table on every city page, we keep one for Colorado: Colorado costs. What each service includes is on the services page.
Free tool
Cremation cost calculator
Estimate a realistic price range for your pet's size, location and the type of cremation.
What's allowed in Colorado after your cat dies
Rules for pets after death are usually simple, but they're set at more than one level: Colorado, then your city, county or council, and sometimes a homeowners' association or landlord. The strictest one applies. If you're thinking about burying your cat in the garden, check all of them; if you're choosing cremation, the rules mostly affect where you scatter the ashes.
Colorado keeps an official directory of local governments; use it to reach the county or city office that covers Northglenn.
Start with the Colorado rules, which cover burial, scattering and oversight for the whole state, and treat Northglenn's local ordinances as a possible extra layer.
Step by step in Northglenn
- If your cat died while you were away, in the care of a sitter, a neighbor or a boarding cattery, your first call is to whoever was looking after them. Find out what took place and where your cat is at this moment.
- Ask them to keep your cat cool: a towel over the body, a box with a lid, the chilliest room available, or a trip to the closest vet if the house is going to heat up.
- Give your vet permission by phone or email to hold your cat until you're home. Most clinics near Northglenn will accept a cat from a sitter if you call ahead.
- Decide whether you want to see your cat before cremation. If you do, the clinic can hold them for a few days; if the trip home is long, a photo from the vet can be a gentle substitute.
- Arrange the cremation remotely when coming home isn't possible yet. You can give instructions and pay over the phone, and the clinic will keep the ashes until you return.
- Be kind to the person who was looking after your cat. Older cats sometimes decline fast, and a sitter who called for help did the right thing.
Remembering your cat in Northglenn
Northglenn's planners set aside an unusual number of small lakes and parks, and Webster Lake and the green belts linking neighborhoods are where many residents spent their evenings. Some families keep a pet's ashes indoors near a photo from one of those evenings. Others bury them in the backyard under an established tree planted when the house was new. Neither choice has a deadline.
there are guides for the big decisions and articles for the details, or see what other families chose in the poll results, Our services overview lays out every option side by side, use the free tools before you ring anyone. You can also browse every city in the United States. Nearby, we also cover Thornton, Fort Collins, Denver and Lakewood, and every city in Colorado.
Reader polls
What would you choose?
Vote anonymously and see how other readers answered. The results are live counts from people who visit this site, so they show real opinions, not a scientific sample.
What kind of life did (or does) your cat lead?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Which small keepsake would mean the most from your cat?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
If you had to decide today, which aftercare would you choose for your pet?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Free tools to help you plan
Cremation cost calculator
Estimate a realistic price range for your pet's size, location and the type of cremation.
Urn size calculator
Find the urn volume you need from your pet's weight, plus keepsake and sharing options.
Ashes weight estimator
See roughly how much ash to expect back, by species and body weight.
Questions people ask
Is Northglenn big enough to have several cat aftercare providers?
Probably, on the numbers. By our estimate about 6,050 Northglenn households keep a cat and around 540 lose one each year, which is enough steady demand to support more than one provider. We derive that from population (about 38,893), household size and national ownership and lifespan figures.
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from Northglenn?
Usually yes. Thornton is about 3 miles away, Broomfield is about 5 miles away and Westminster is about 6 miles away, all inside a normal collection radius. Get the mileage written into the quote so there is no surprise on the day.
Will I have to travel to Denver to arrange things?
Not usually. Providers based in Denver (roughly 12 miles from Northglenn) collect from here as a matter of routine, and the paperwork is done by email or phone. If you want to be present for a witnessed cremation, that is when the drive matters.
How do Colorado attitudes to cremation compare?
NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) puts the Colorado human cremation rate at about 77.4%[3]. We show it on the Northglenn page because pet aftercare choices tend to track it: where cremation is normal for people, communal and private pet cremation are both easy to find.
Is losing a cat common in Northglenn, or am I overreacting?
You're not overreacting, and you're far from alone. By our estimate, about 540 Northglenn families lose a cat each year, out of roughly 6,050 households with one. In one UK survey, 66.9%[7] of bereaved owners were surprised by how intense their grief was. Taking a day off, talking to friends or calling a pet-loss line are all reasonable.
How long until I get my cat's ashes back in Northglenn?
Many families get their cat's ashes back within about one to two weeks, and 5 to 10 days is commonly quoted in the US[8]. In a large city it can be quicker; where the cremation happens in a larger centre like Denver, it may take a little longer. Ask for an expected return date when you book.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] 39% of US households own a cat, which is about 53 million households. American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry, 2025.
- [2] US cats seen at Banfield hospitals have an average life expectancy at birth of 11.18 years. Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science - Banfield Pet Hospital life expectancy tables (13.3 million dogs, 2.4 million cats, 2013-2019), 2023.
- [3] The NFDA projected Colorado's cremation rate at 77.4% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [4] CareCredit's 2025 study put US cat euthanasia at $158 in clinic and $359 at home, cat cremation at $180 and cat cemetery burial at $566. CareCredit (Synchrony) - Cat Euthanasia: Understanding Your Options and Costs (2025 ASQ360 procedural cost study), 2025.
- [5] Roughly 4.7 million pet cats likely die in the US each year. Our estimate: US cat-owning households (53M) x 1 cat / US cat life expectancy (11.18 yrs). How we calculate.
- [6] UK and US survey evidence converges on roughly two-thirds of bereaved owners choosing cremation (UK 67%; US 68% ever) and about 29-32% choosing burial. Our estimate: mean(67, 68) = 67.5; burial range 29% (UK) to 32% (US). How we calculate.
- [7] 66.9% of respondents were surprised by how intense their grief was after losing a pet. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
- [8] A US aftercare guide says many families receive private cremation ashes within about one to two weeks, with 5-10 days commonly quoted. Funeral.com - Pet Cremation Timelines: How Long Until Ashes Are Returned, 2026.
Get help arranging your cat's cremation
Tell us what you need and where you are. We'll reply by email with clear options and prices so you can decide in your own time.