What Size Urn for a Dog or Cat? A Guide by Pet Weight

If you are wondering what size urn for a dog or a cat you need, the answer starts with one number: your pet's weight. This guide turns that weight into a capacity, with a simple size table, worked examples for common dog breeds, and a few of the urns in our dog urns for ashes and cat urns with the capacity printed on each product page.

Capacity is the space inside the urn. It is not the height or the width. A tall figurine can hold less than a small, solid-looking box, so always read the capacity line.

Pet urn size by weight: a simple table

This guide works on a simple rule of thumb: 1 lb of body weight needs about 1 cubic inch of urn capacity. It is an estimate, not an exact measure. Several of our product pages use the same ratio in their own figures: the French Bulldog Pet Urn holds about 47 cubic inches and is listed for a dog of up to 47 lb, and the Labrador Portrait Dog Urn holds about 79 cubic inches and is listed for up to 79 lb. Find your pet's weight on the left and read across.

• 5 lb (2.3 kg): about 5 cubic inches (0.08 liters)
• 10 lb (4.5 kg): about 10 cubic inches (0.16 liters)
• 15 lb (6.8 kg): about 15 cubic inches (0.25 liters)
• 20 lb (9.1 kg): about 20 cubic inches (0.33 liters)
• 30 lb (13.6 kg): about 30 cubic inches (0.49 liters)
• 40 lb (18.1 kg): about 40 cubic inches (0.66 liters)
• 50 lb (22.7 kg): about 50 cubic inches (0.82 liters)
• 60 lb (27.2 kg): about 60 cubic inches (0.98 liters)
• 80 lb (36.3 kg): about 80 cubic inches (1.31 liters)
• 100 lb (45.4 kg): about 100 cubic inches (1.64 liters)
• 120 lb (54.4 kg): about 120 cubic inches (1.97 liters)
• 150 lb (68.0 kg): about 150 cubic inches (2.46 liters)

Between two lines? Take the larger one. A little spare room does no harm.

How to work out the size for your pet

Use the weight your pet was at in normal health. A recent weight in your vet's records is usually the easiest figure to find. If you only know the weight in kilograms, multiply by 2.2 to get pounds, and that is roughly the number of cubic inches you need.

Most product pages give capacity in liters as well as cubic inches. One liter is about 61 cubic inches, so a 1 liter urn suits a pet of up to about 61 lb (28 kg) by this rule.

The most accurate figure: the ashes themselves

Weight only gives an estimate. If you can, ask the crematorium or your vet how much space the ashes take up, and buy for that figure. If the ashes are already home in a temporary container with its capacity marked on it, judge how full it is. A 1 liter container about half full holds roughly 0.5 liters.

United Kingdom: ashes come back with an individual cremation

In its 2026 report on vet services, the Competition and Markets Authority describes individual cremations as those "where ashes are returned to the owner in a container of their choice for an additional fee" (CMA, Veterinary services for household pets, Appendix K, March 24, 2026). If you have chosen a communal cremation, ask the crematorium whether any ashes will come back to you before you buy an urn. Our guide to how much it costs to get a dog cremated explains the different services.

What size urn for a dog

Dogs vary more than any other pet, from a few pounds to well over a hundred. The American Kennel Club publishes a breed weight chart (AKC, Breed Weight Chart, updated April 26, 2023, read November 6, 2026). Taking the top of each range it gives, and one cubic inch per pound:

• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, 13-18 pounds: about 18 cubic inches (0.30 liters)
• Cocker Spaniel, 20-30 pounds: about 30 cubic inches (0.49 liters)
• Border Collie, 30-55 pounds: about 55 cubic inches (0.90 liters)
• Golden Retriever, 55-75 pounds: about 75 cubic inches (1.23 liters)
• Labrador Retriever, 55-80 pounds: about 80 cubic inches (1.31 liters)
• German Shepherd Dog, 50-90 pounds: about 90 cubic inches (1.47 liters)
• Great Dane, 110-175 pounds: about 175 cubic inches (2.87 liters)

Breed charts describe typical adults. Your own dog's weight is a better guide than the breed, so use it when you have it.

Small and medium dogs

For a dog up to about 47 lb, the French Bulldog Pet Urn in Beige holds 0.77 liters (about 47 cubic inches), and its page lists it as suited to a dog of up to approximately 21.3 kg (47 lb). This ceramic urn stands 21 cm (8.3 in) high. Ashes go in through the base, which is sealed with the ceramic adhesive supplied, and it can be kept indoors or outside.

Pictured: French Bulldog Pet Urn for Ashes in Beige

Larger dogs

A Labrador or similar dog needs more room. The Labrador Portrait Dog Urn in Cream holds 1.3 liters (about 79 cubic inches) and is listed as suitable for a body weight of up to approximately 35.8 kg (79 lb). Shaped like a photo frame with a raised Labrador portrait, it has a stand on the back and is 28 cm (11.0 in) tall. Filling is through an opening in the base, and a tube of ceramic adhesive is included.

Pictured: Labrador Portrait Dog Urn for Ashes in Cream

The Golden Retriever Pet Urn in Cream holds 1.65 liters (about 101 cubic inches), which by the weight rule covers a dog of up to about 100 lb (45 kg).

Very large dogs

For a giant breed, look for 2 liters or more. The Sleeping Dog Urn in White holds 3.30 liters (about 201 cubic inches). Made of porcelain in the shape of a curled, resting dog, it measures 17 cm (6.69 in) high and 22.5 cm (8.86 in) wide. Ashes go in through a screw opening in the base, which is then closed by tightening the threaded closure.

Pictured: Sleeping Dog Urn for Ashes in White

What size urn for a cat

Cats sit in a much narrower band than dogs, so cat urns tend to be smaller. Weigh your own cat if you can, or use the last weight on the vet's records, and read it off the table above.

The Kitten Urn in White holds 0.4 liters (about 24.4 cubic inches), and its page lists it as suitable for a body weight of up to approximately 11.06 kg (24.4 lb). Despite the name, it is described as designed to also hold a full-sized cat's remains. This white ceramic urn is 16 cm (6.3 in) high, and the base can be glued shut with the adhesive supplied or left unglued. More small designs are in our kitten urns.

Pictured: Kitten Urn for Ashes in White

If you would like more room, the Sleeping Cat Urn in Grey holds 1.00 liter (about 61 cubic inches). The grey porcelain is shaped like a cat curled up asleep, 12 cm (4.72 in) high, with a screw opening in the base. A cat urn that holds more than you need is fine: the ashes simply do not fill it.

Pictured: Sleeping Cat Urn for Ashes in Grey

Rabbits and other small pets

A rabbit, guinea pig or ferret needs very little space. For a rabbit of a few pounds, the Rabbit Urn in White holds 0.25 liters (about 15.3 cubic inches). Its white porcelain is a simple, upright rabbit shape with tall ears, 15.5 cm (6.10 in) high, and the base closes with a screw. For the smallest animals, the Guardian Small Pet Urn holds 0.18 liters (about 11 cubic inches), and its page lists it as suitable for a pet up to approximately 4 kg (8.8 lb). That is a little more cautious than the one-cubic-inch rule, which would put 11 cubic inches at about 11 lb, so go by the product page's own figure. There is a wider choice in our rabbit urns.

Pictured: Rabbit Urn for Ashes in White

The urns in this guide side by side

• Guardian Small Pet Urn: 0.18 L (11 cu in); aluminum cap in the base; best kept indoors
• Rabbit Urn in White: 0.25 L (15.3 cu in); screw base; indoors or outdoors
• Kitten Urn in White: 0.4 L (24.4 cu in); base, glue optional; indoors or outdoors
• French Bulldog Pet Urn in Beige: 0.77 L (47 cu in); base sealed with adhesive; indoors or outdoors
• Sleeping Cat Urn in Grey: 1.00 L (61 cu in); screw base; indoors or outdoors
• Labrador Portrait Dog Urn in Cream: 1.3 L (79 cu in); base, glue optional; indoors or outdoors
• Golden Retriever Pet Urn in Cream: 1.65 L (101 cu in); base sealed with adhesive; indoors or outdoors
• Sleeping Dog Urn in White: 3.30 L (201 cu in); screw base; indoors or outdoors

When a full-size pet urn is not the right choice

You do not always need an urn that holds everything. If the ashes are being shared between family members, or some will be scattered on a favorite walk, a smaller urn for the part you keep is enough. Our guide on what to do with your dog's ashes covers scattering, burial and keepsakes.

Every urn in this guide is ceramic or porcelain and made to be kept on display, so they are not the choice if you plan to bury the ashes and want the urn to break down in the ground. For help choosing a style rather than a size, see how to choose a pet urn for a cat, dog or small pet.

Our product pages state each urn's capacity in liters and cubic inches. Check that line against your figure before you order. To compare more sizes, see our urn size guide.

Sizes and product details in this guide were checked against our product pages on November 6, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What size urn do I need for a dog?

Allow about one cubic inch of capacity for each pound your dog weighed. A 50 lb (22.7 kg) dog needs about 50 cubic inches (0.82 liters), and a 90 lb (40.8 kg) dog about 90 cubic inches (1.47 liters).

What size urn do I need for a cat?

Use the same rule: one cubic inch for each pound. A 12 lb (5.4 kg) cat needs about 12 cubic inches (0.20 liters). The Kitten Urn in White holds 0.4 liters and is listed as suitable for a body weight of up to approximately 11.06 kg (24.4 lb).

How many liters is a pet urn?

It depends on the pet. The urns in this guide range from 0.18 liters for very small animals to 3.30 liters for the largest dogs. One liter is about 61 cubic inches.

Is it better to buy a pet urn that is too big or too small?

Too big. If an urn is too small, not all of the ashes will fit. A larger urn simply has some empty space inside.

Can I use the outside size of an urn to judge capacity?

No. Wall thickness and shape change how much an urn holds, so a tall figurine may hold less than it looks. Use the capacity stated on the product page.