Pet Urn Size Calculator
Enter your pet's weight and this tool shows roughly how much ash to expect and the urn capacity to look for. The rule cremation providers use is simple: about one cubic inch of ashes per pound of healthy body weight. So a 60-pound dog needs an urn rated for at least 60 cubic inches.
Use the weight your pet was at their healthiest — that's what the ashes track.
Look for an urn rated for at least —, and we'd choose — so the sealed bag seats easily.
Shop the size class: —
Want to share ashes among family, or keep a small portion? A keepsake urn (1–5 cubic inches) holds a token amount — pick one per person alongside the main urn.
Enter a weight to see the urn size to look for.
How urn sizing works
Cremated remains aren't ash in the fireplace sense — they're coarse, pale, sand-like bone fragments, returned in a sealed bag. How much you get back depends on your pet's bone structure, which lines up closely with healthy body weight. That's why the whole industry uses one rule of thumb: 1 cubic inch of urn capacity for every pound of weight. A 12-pound cat lands near 12 cubic inches; an 80-pound retriever, near 80.
Two things worth knowing. First, weight, not body type, is what matters — a heavy, overweight pet and a lean one of the same frame return about the same volume, because fat and muscle don't survive cremation; bone does. Use your pet's healthy adult weight as the reference. Second, give yourself a little room: most providers suggest 10–20 cubic inches of headroom over the bare minimum so the sealed bag seats without forcing it, and so there's space for a thicker liner or a small keepsake pouch. When you're between sizes, round up.
Pet urn size chart by weight
Find your pet's healthy adult weight, then buy an urn rated for at least the capacity in the third column (the extra over the ash volume is headroom).
| Pet weight | Ashes returned (approx.) | Urn size to look for | Example pets at this weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 lb | ~5 cu in | 15–20 cu in | Kitten, teacup breed, small cat |
| 10 lb | ~10 cu in | 20–25 cu in | Cat, Chihuahua, Pomeranian |
| 15 lb | ~15 cu in | 25–30 cu in | Large cat, Miniature Dachshund |
| 20 lb | ~20 cu in | 30–40 cu in | Beagle, French Bulldog |
| 30 lb | ~30 cu in | 40–50 cu in | Cocker Spaniel, Corgi |
| 40 lb | ~40 cu in | 55–60 cu in | Border Collie, Bulldog |
| 50 lb | ~50 cu in | 65–70 cu in | Australian Shepherd, Whippet |
| 60 lb | ~60 cu in | 75–80 cu in | Boxer, lean Labrador |
| 70 lb | ~70 cu in | 85–90 cu in | Golden Retriever, Labrador |
| 80 lb | ~80 cu in | 95–100 cu in | German Shepherd, Doberman |
| 90 lb | ~90 cu in | 105–110 cu in | Rottweiler, Rhodesian Ridgeback |
| 100 lb | ~100 cu in | 115–120 cu in | Bernese Mountain Dog |
| 120 lb | ~120 cu in | 135–145 cu in | Great Pyrenees, Newfoundland |
| 150 lb | ~150 cu in | 170–180 cu in | Great Dane, Mastiff |
Keepsake urns hold a token portion (about 1–5 cubic inches), not the full amount. Weight, not body type, drives the volume — fat and muscle don't survive cremation, so use healthy adult weight and round up between sizes.
These are starting points — your provider can tell you the exact returned volume. If you're still weighing cremation options or what they cost, our cost calculator and 2026 cost report lay out real prices, and our guide to choosing a crematory covers how to make sure the ashes you get back are actually your pet's.
Sources
The 1-cubic-inch-per-pound standard and the recommended buffer are consistent across the pet-memorial industry, including Pet Memory Shop, Funeral.com, and Mainely Urns.
When you're ready, we can connect you with a provider we'd trust with our own pets. Tell us about your pet and we'll take it from there.