Free tools for planning your cat's aftercare
A cat returns only about 3 to 5%[1] of their body weight in ashes, so urn sizes, sharing and costs work differently from larger pets. These calculators do the sums for a cat, in seconds.
- Set up for cats, not borrowed from dogs
- Instant answers, nothing to sign up for
- Sources shown under every result
Where to start
Which cat aftercare tool answers your question
If your cat has just died, start with the cost calculator and the urn size calculator; they answer the two questions you'll be asked first. If you're planning ahead for an older cat, the age calculator and the options comparison help you think things through calmly. The budget, sharing and farewell planners are for the days after, when you're deciding how to remember them.
Every tool runs in your browser and shows a range, not a promise. Real prices depend on your area, which is why each one ends with a link to ask for local options. Where a tool uses a published figure, the source is shown in small print under the result.
Tool 1
Cremation cost calculator: a fair price range for your cat
Choose the type of cremation, your country and any extras, such as home collection or a paw print, and see a low-to-high total with every line shown. For a sense of scale, US figures from CareCredit put private cat cremation around $180. The full cost calculator page explains how the range is built.
Free tool
Cremation cost calculator
Estimate a realistic price range for your pet's size, location and the type of cremation.
Tool 2
Urn size calculator: how big an urn a cat needs
Most cat urns sold online are far larger than necessary. Enter your cat's weight and the calculator suggests a volume in cubic inches and milliliters, with a little margin. By the usual rule of one cubic inch per pound, a 12 lb cat needs an urn of about 12 cubic inches, roughly the size of a large coffee mug. See the urn size calculator for worked examples.
Free tool
Urn size calculator
Find the urn volume you need from your pet's weight, plus keepsake and sharing options.
Tool 3
Ashes weight estimator: what will actually come home
People are often surprised by how little a cat's ashes weigh. The estimator applies the typical figure of 3-5% of body weight[1] and compares the result with everyday objects, so you know what to expect before the box arrives. By our estimate, a typical 12 lb cat comes home as about 6.7 oz[2] of ashes, less than a cup of flour. Try the ashes weight estimator.
Free tool
Ashes weight estimator
See roughly how much ash to expect back, by species and body weight.
Tool 4
Aftercare options compared by what matters to you
Slide the priorities that matter to you, such as cost, keeping the ashes, environmental impact and ceremony, and see private, communal and water cremation ranked against burial. It's useful when two people in a household want different things, or when one of you cares about a garden memorial and the other wants the ashes close. The options comparison page explains how each option is scored, and why a cat's small size makes burial and water cremation more practical than they are for a big dog.
Free tool
Aftercare options compared
Compare private, communal and water cremation with burial on cost, timing and what comes home.
Tool 5
Cat age calculator: where your cat is in their senior years
Enter your cat's age to see their human-equivalent age, life stage and typical life expectancy. Indoor cats often live longer: in Japan, indoor-only cats average 16.34 years[3] according to the Japan Pet Food Association's national survey, and 50.9%[4] of the country's pet cats are already seven or older. The result ends with a gentle nudge about when to start planning, which many owners find easier to hear from a calculator than a person.
Free tool
Pet age & senior years calculator
Convert your pet's age and see when senior-care and planning conversations usually start.
Tool 6
Ashes sharing planner for families and keepsakes
When several people loved the same cat, a few ounces of ash have to go a long way. The planner shows how many pendants, keepsake urns or scattering tubes one cat's ashes can fill, and how much stays in the main urn. It's worth running before you seal anything, because a sealed urn is fiddly to reopen. The sharing planner page has a worked example for a household with three grown children.
Free tool
Ashes sharing planner
Split ashes fairly between family members, keepsake urns and jewelry.
Tool 7
Memorial budget planner: the whole bill in one place
Euthanasia, collection, cremation, an urn, a paw print, a small stone: each is modest alone, but together they add up. The planner lets you tick what you want and edit the amounts, then gives you a total range you can print or copy. Seeing it on one screen helps you decide where to spend and where to save, and our memorial budget planner guide shows a typical cat total.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Tool 8
Grief check-in: a private moment to see how you're doing
Six gentle statements, agree or disagree, and a short summary with ideas that fit where you are. Nothing is stored. Grief after a pet is often stronger than expected: in the RSPCA's pet bereavement survey, 66.9%[5] of bereaved owners were surprised by its intensity. If you'd like to talk to someone, Cornell's free Pet Loss Support Hotline is staffed by trained veterinary students. The grief check-in page explains what the summary means and where to find support.
Free tool
Pet loss grief check-in
A private, two-minute check-in on how you're coping, with ideas that match where you are.
Tool 9
Farewell planner: a small goodbye, thought through
Plan who will be there, where, and what you'll do: a candle, a few words, planting catmint over the ashes, a letter tucked into the blanket. You'll get a printable checklist. For more ideas, read memorial ideas for cats.
Free tool
Farewell & memorial service planner
Build a simple goodbye: who, where, readings, rituals and a checklist.
What would you send with your cat to cremation?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
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 would you send with your cat to cremation?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Which memorial feels most like your pet?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
What surprised you most about the cost of pet aftercare?
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.
Aftercare options compared
Compare private, communal and water cremation with burial on cost, timing and what comes home.
Pet age & senior years calculator
Convert your pet's age and see when senior-care and planning conversations usually start.
Ashes sharing planner
Split ashes fairly between family members, keepsake urns and jewelry.
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Pet loss grief check-in
A private, two-minute check-in on how you're coping, with ideas that match where you are.
Farewell & memorial service planner
Build a simple goodbye: who, where, readings, rituals and a checklist.
Questions people ask
Are the cat aftercare tools free to use?
Yes. Every tool on this page is free, runs in your browser and doesn't ask for your name or email. If you'd like real prices from providers near you afterwards, you can send a separate request, but using the tools doesn't sign you up for anything.
How accurate is the cat cremation cost calculator?
It gives a realistic range based on published price guides for your country, not a quote. Local prices can sit above or below that range depending on your city, collection distance and the provider's extras. Use it to recognize a fair price, then ask providers for a written total.
What size urn does a cat need?
Most cats need between about 10 and 20 cubic inches, using the common rule of one cubic inch per pound of body weight plus a little margin. A large Maine Coon may need 25 cubic inches. If you plan to share ashes into jewelry, the main urn can be slightly smaller.
Does the grief check-in replace talking to someone?
No. It's a private, non-clinical way to notice how you're coping, with ideas that match your answers. If you're struggling to function, feel hopeless, or have thoughts of harming yourself, please contact your doctor or a crisis line in your country straight away.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] Embrace notes cremated remains typically weigh about 3-5% of the pet's original body weight. Embrace Pet Insurance - Bury or Cremate Your Dog? Costs, Pros & Cons, 2025.
- [2] A 12 lb cat would be expected to return about 6.7 oz (0.42 lb) of cremated remains. Our estimate: 12 lb x 3.5% x 16 oz/lb. How we calculate.
- [3] Indoor-only cats in Japan live 16.34 years on average. Japan Pet Food Association, National Dog & Cat Ownership Survey 2024 (summary PDF), 2024.
- [4] 50.9% of pet cats in Japan are 7 years or older (seniors). Japan Pet Food Association, National Dog & Cat Ownership Survey 2024 (summary PDF), 2024.
- [5] 66.9% of respondents were surprised by how intense their grief was after losing a pet. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
Get real cat cremation prices near you
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.