Cat Memorial Gift Ideas That Feel Personal

The best cat memorial gifts feel personal because they look like the cat. Choose a keepsake that matches the cat's coat colour and pattern, add a name or date if the base can be engraved, and keep the gesture simple and quiet. A small hand-carved, hand-painted wooden cat that sits on a shelf or windowsill is a gentle option, and it is not an urn.

What makes a cat memorial gift feel personal?

When a cat dies, the people who loved them often say the same thing: the house feels different. The small habits, such as a favourite chair or a place on the windowsill, disappear all at once. A good memorial gift does not try to fill that gap. It gives the person something to look at that says, simply, I remember them too.

Personal usually means recognisable. A grey tabby with a tail held up, a ginger cat with stripes or a black cat with bright eyes is more comforting than a general picture of a cat, because it looks like the one who has gone. If you know the cat, you will probably remember the colouring and pose without having to think about it. If you do not, ask a mutual friend or look at a photograph.

Personal can also mean practical details such as a name or a date. Some wooden cats have a base that can be laser-engraved, so the piece can carry the cat's name quietly underneath. It is worth checking whether a piece is engravable before you plan on it, because not all of them are.

Which wooden cats can you choose from?

Several of our cats are tagged for memorial use. The Faceted Grey Tabby Cat is a happy grey tabby with its tail up, carved in faceted planes and painted with soft grey stripes, and it measures 7 × 7.5 × 3 cm. The Faceted Ginger Tabby Cat has hand-painted stripes and is sized for a desk, a bookshelf or a memorial shelf. The Faceted Tuxedo Cat is a smart black-and-white cat, 7 cm tall.

For a black cat, the Black Bombay Cat has copper eyes on an engravable base and is a favourite as a memorial for black cats. For an orange tabby, the Smiling Ginger Cat sits on a base that can be engraved with a name or date, and is 5.5 cm tall.

All of these are hand-carved and hand-painted decorative pieces. They are keepsake figures, not urns, and we do not describe them as holding ashes.

• Grey tabby: Faceted Grey Tabby Cat
• Ginger tabby: Faceted Ginger Tabby Cat or Smiling Ginger Cat (engravable)
• Black and white: Faceted Tuxedo Cat
• Black cat: Black Bombay Cat (engravable)

Should you add a name or a date?

Some people find a name on the base comforting, as it turns the figure into a small memorial rather than a decoration. Others prefer a piece without words, which can sit anywhere in the home without drawing attention. Both are right, and it depends on the person. If you are unsure, ask yourself whether they would want visitors to see it and ask about it.

If you choose to personalise, check the spelling carefully. A name, a date or a short message can be laser-engraved on the base of the engravable pieces, and an engraved mistake cannot be corrected. Write the wording out in capital letters and read it back to somebody else before you order. Our page on personalised gifts shows which pieces can carry engraving.

Keep the message short. A first name and a year, or just a name, is usually enough and is easier to read on a small base.

What should you write in the card?

Keep the card simple and honest. You do not need poetry. Something like thinking of you and of Mimi is enough, and it is often better than a long message that tries to say everything. Use the cat's name, because many people avoid it for fear of causing pain, and hearing it said kindly is usually a relief.

If you have a memory of the cat, add one line. It might be the way the cat greeted you at the door or a habit that made you laugh. A small, specific memory tells the person that the cat mattered to other people as well, and that they are not alone in missing them.

Avoid phrases that suggest it could have been different or that it is time to get another cat. Those are well-meant but tend to hurt. Let the gift and the card say that you are thinking of them, and leave the rest.

When is the right time to give a memorial gift?

There is no single right time. Some people are glad of a gift in the first week, while others find it easier to receive something a few weeks later, when the first wave of cards has stopped arriving. A gift that arrives a little late is often the one that is remembered, because by then most people have gone back to their normal lives and the person who is grieving can feel forgotten.

If you are not sure, a short message now and the gift later is a good approach. Anniversaries and birthdays are also moments when a small keepsake can be welcome, as they are days when the cat is likely to be on the owner's mind. Choose a quiet way of giving it, in person or by post with a handwritten card, rather than in front of a group.

How do you choose between a figure and other keepsakes?

A figure suits someone who likes to have something visible to look at, and who has a shelf, desk or windowsill to put it on. It is a decorative item that stays in the home for years. A photograph, a planted shrub or a donation in the cat's name suit different people, and many people receive more than one kind of gift.

If you would like to see all of the cats before you decide, browse our collection, and read our guide to dog memorial keepsakes if you are choosing for a dog owner instead.

Frequently asked questions