The choice of whether to bury or cremate your pet is a very personal one, but there are also a number of practical considerations.
Not everyone has a space at home suitable to bury their pets. Sometimes people worry about burying pets at home and then moving house. This is a particular consideration for families who are renting their home. They may not have permission to bury pets at a rented property and they may not wish to leave their pets behind if they have to move.
You should also check local regulations about burial of animals before you do so.
If you wish to keep your pet close to you in some way after it has passed on, cremation and having the ashes returned to you can be the answer.
Many families choose to keep the ashes of their pet in an urn or keepsake that stays with them at all times. Some families share the ashes between family members and some scatter part of the ashes and keep some as a memento. Sometimes people do not feel comfortable having ashes in the house but, if that is the case, there are still some options.
You can scatter the ashes on a favourite walk or a place you can visit from time to time and remember happy times with your pet. You could consider an outdoor urn that you can keep on a patio, yard, garden, on a balcony, or even an urn that can be buried. For people who worry about moving house there are even burial urns that are designed to be easily retrieved and re-located.
Ultimately, whether to bury or cremate your pet is down to personal choice and practicalities and there is no “right” or “wrong”. Whatever you decide is the right choice for you and your family.